This is a competing continuation application for a NIDA Postdoctoral Research Training Program at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The program goals are to train M.Ds and Ph.Ds in clinical and preclinical research on drug abuse, and to prepare trainees for an independent research career. Trainees can participate in interdisciplinary studies involving Behavioral Science, Brain Imaging, Endocrinology, Medicinal Chemistry, Neurobiology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology with mentors from a 13-member faculty. These disciplines are integrated across basic and clinical projects to study the influence of gender and neuroendocrine hormones on the abuse-related effects of drugs, and to evaluate novel biologic and pharmacologic drug abuse treatment medications. The program is individually tailored to meet each trainee's interests and career goals. Clinical fellows can be trained in translational research on drug abuse treatment, clinical laboratory evaluations of new treatment medications, neuroendocrine and brain imaging measures (fMRI) of the acute and chronic effects of abused drugs. Preclinical fellows can be trained in medicinal chemistry, brain imaging techniques and operant behavioral procedures designed to evaluate candidate treatment medications. Trainees can also study the interactions between abused drugs and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and analyze the analgesic efficacy of novel opioids. Trainees initially participate in one or more ongoing research projects with their mentors. Then trainees design an independent research project, compatible with the overall research goals of the program, that could form the basis for a research application. Trainees are taught about ethical issues that affect research, and learn about IRB and IACUC procedures. Trainees take courses, participate in a journal club, attend lectures and present research findings at scientific meetings. Six postdoctoral fellows (levels 0, 2,4,7) will be trained for 2 or 3 years. Twenty-seven of our 30 recent trainees now have independent research careers. Drug abuse is a major public health problem that afflicts many individuals and their families. Training young scientists in interdisciplinary translational research is the best strategy for learning about the multiple determinants of this complex biobehavioral disorder, and for developing more effective approaches to treatment and prevention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32DA007252-20
Application #
8137660
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Biswas, Jamie
Project Start
1991-09-01
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
20
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$103,893
Indirect Cost
Name
Mclean Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
046514535
City
Belmont
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02478
Thomsen, Morgane; Barrett, Andrew C; Butler, Paul et al. (2017) Effects of Acute and Chronic Treatments with Dopamine D2 and D3 Receptor Ligands on Cocaine versus Food Choice in Rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 362:161-176
Goletiani, Nathalie V; Siegel, Arthur J; Lukas, Scott E et al. (2015) The effects of smoked nicotine on measures of subjective states and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones in women during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. J Addict Med 9:195-203
Finnema, Sjoerd J; Stepanov, Vladimir; Nakao, Ryuji et al. (2014) (18)F-MCL-524, an (18)F-Labeled Dopamine D2 and D3 Receptor Agonist Sensitive to Dopamine: A Preliminary PET Study. J Nucl Med 55:1164-70
Sromek, Anna W; Zhang, Shaohui; Akurathi, Vamsidhar et al. (2014) Convenient synthesis of 18F-radiolabeled R-(-)-N-n-propyl-2-(3-fluoropropanoxy-11-hydroxynoraporphine. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 57:725-9
Brennan, Brian P; Kanayama, Gen; Pope Jr, Harrison G (2013) Performance-enhancing drugs on the web: a growing public-health issue. Am J Addict 22:158-61
Thomsen, Morgane; Barrett, Andrew C; Negus, S Stevens et al. (2013) Cocaine versus food choice procedure in rats: environmental manipulations and effects of amphetamine. J Exp Anal Behav 99:211-33
Brennan, Brian P; Jensen, John Eric; Hudson, James I et al. (2013) A placebo-controlled trial of acetyl-L-carnitine and ?-lipoic acid in the treatment of bipolar depression. J Clin Psychopharmacol 33:627-35
Kangas, Brian D; Bergman, Jack (2012) A novel touch-sensitive apparatus for behavioral studies in unrestrained squirrel monkeys. J Neurosci Methods 209:331-6
Collins, Gregory T; Butler, Paul; Wayman, Chris et al. (2012) Lack of abuse potential in a highly selective dopamine D3 agonist, PF-592,379, in drug self-administration and drug discrimination in rats. Behav Pharmacol 23:280-91
Thomsen, Morgane; Caine, S Barak (2011) False positive in the intravenous drug self-administration test in C57BL/6J mice. Behav Pharmacol 22:239-47

Showing the most recent 10 out of 64 publications