The proposed K05 Senior Scientist award renewal will give Professor James C. (Jim) Anthony of Michigan State University (MSU) protected time for a minimum of 75% FTE devoted to NIDA's research mission in relation to three elements of activity. First, continuation of his strong mentorship of early career stage (ECS) and junior investigators at MSU and at other institutions, as well as continued direction of MSU's Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program during its anticipated concurrent renewal period. Second, continuation of his 3 current NIDA R01-supported epidemiology/prevention research projects as well as development of new projects of an exploratory/development character, designed to address a serious challenge of study non- participation and sample attrition in recent epidemiology/prevention field studies. Third, continuation of his own career development in relation to topics of central and mutual interest to the ECS and other mentees he will serve (e.g., epidemiology/prevention research in 'drug dependence enviromics') and responsible research training. Here, whereas the 'genome' refers to the total ensemble of genetic material for each life form, the 'envirome' is the total ensemble of environmental processes and circumstances required for life form viability and successful adaptation. In complement with genomics and proteomics, drug dependence enviromics is a deliberate search for specific environmental processes and circumstances that promote health by reducing the risk, prevalence, and problems of drug dependence. In drug dependence enviromics, the main objects of study are neither the gene nor the environment, but rather the gene-environment interactions that give rise to drug dependence, prevent or sustain it, interrupt its natural history, and reduce the global burden of drug dependence and associated disabilities. The long-term goal is definitive evidence on practical population-level public health approaches to the prevention and control of drug dependence processes, from early process steps (e.g., 1st chance to try a drug; 1st onset of use) to later steps (e.g., coalescence of drug dependence syndrome, secondary consequences, death by drug overdose or other misadventure), with due attention to cessation of drug use as well.
In drug dependence enviromics research, we seek to discover environmental conditions and processes that drive practical population-level public health prevention and control techniques. For success in public health work, results must be reduced population-level prevalence of drug dependence in complement with clinical work focused on individually tailored plans for patient care (e.g., drug dependence treatment).
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