This is a revised application for the continued support of an Institutional Training Grant in the Neurobiology of Drug Abuse. The long range goal of this program is to prepare and develop scientists who will be in a position to continue to define mechanisms underlying the effects of drugs of abuse using interdisciplinary approaches. The 12 core training faculty and 12 supporting faculty are drawn from 2 clinical and 7 basic science departments on the Main Campus and in the Medical Center. Their NIDA relevant research is focused on several areas including the 1) role of stress in augmenting the adverse effects of drug addiction, 2) structure and function of nicotinic receptors and genetic predisposition to addiction and 3) the involvement of excitatory amino acids in CMS disorders and their participation in the neurotoxic effects of addictive drugs. These focused research areas are integrated with faculty who have expertise in 1) cognition and computational neuroscience, 2) the role of role of neurotrophic factors in development and 3) receptor pharmacology and mechanisms of signal transduction. The training environment is excellent for collaborative, multidisciplinary research efforts of both faculty and trainees. Many of the faculty have previous or ongoing collaborations and students are encouraged to seek co-mentorship between faculty with complementary research interests. We are requesting support for 6 predoctoral trainees during the first 2 years of their training and course work. Thereafter, students are encouraged to apply for fellowships and nearly 80% of the trainees have been successful in obtaining awards from NIH or DoD to complete their thesis research. An aggressive recruitment of students in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups is a top priority of Georgetown and has been a particular strength of this program. The predoctoral trainees will receive their Ph.D. from either the Pharmacology or the Interdisciplinary Program in Neurosciences at Georgetown. The training program includes broad-based didactic coursework, as well as rotations in laboratories of the training faculty. In addition to their formal course work, the trainees participate in a number of ongoing seminar series, joint Neurology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience grand rounds, national professional meetings and a journal club with special emphasis of the neurobiology of drugs of abuse. Outside experts in the field are invited to lecture in a required course dedicated to the most recent advances in the effects of addictive drugs. Trainees are also required to take courses related to improving professional skills (writing and reviewing manuscripts, grantsmanship, mentorship, teaching, conflict resolution, career choices, oral presentations) and understanding the ethical issues surrounding biomedical research.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32DA007291-12
Application #
7106403
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Lawrence, Diane M
Project Start
1992-09-28
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$190,359
Indirect Cost
Name
Georgetown University
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
049515844
City
Washington
State
DC
Country
United States
Zip Code
20057
Ullrich, Lauren; Dumanis, Sonya B; Evans, Tanya M et al. (2014) From student to steward: the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown University as a case study in professional development during doctoral training. Med Educ Online 19:22623
Herman, Melissa A; Gillis, Richard A; Vicini, Stefano et al. (2012) Tonic GABAA receptor conductance in medial subnucleus of the tractus solitarius neurons is inhibited by activation of ?-opioid receptors. J Neurophysiol 107:1022-31
West, Elizabeth A; Forcelli, Patrick A; Murnen, Alice T et al. (2012) Transient inactivation of basolateral amygdala during selective satiation disrupts reinforcer devaluation in rats. Behav Neurosci 126:563-74
Forcelli, Patrick A; Janssen, Megan J; Vicini, Stefano et al. (2012) Neonatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs disrupts striatal synaptic development. Ann Neurol 72:363-72
Forcelli, Patrick A; West, Elizabeth A; Murnen, Alice T et al. (2012) Ventral pallidum mediates amygdala-evoked deficits in prepulse inhibition. Behav Neurosci 126:290-300
Forcelli, Patrick A; Gale, Karen; Kondratyev, Alexei (2011) Early postnatal exposure of rats to lamotrigine, but not phenytoin, reduces seizure threshold in adulthood. Epilepsia 52:e20-2
West, Elizabeth A; DesJardin, Jacqueline T; Gale, Karen et al. (2011) Transient inactivation of orbitofrontal cortex blocks reinforcer devaluation in macaques. J Neurosci 31:15128-35
Avdoshina, Valeriya; Becker, Jody; Campbell, Lee A et al. (2011) Neurotrophins modulate the expression of chemokine receptors in the brain. J Neurovirol 17:58-62
Forcelli, Patrick A; Kim, Jinsook; Kondratyev, Alexei et al. (2011) Pattern of antiepileptic drug-induced cell death in limbic regions of the neonatal rat brain. Epilepsia 52:e207-11
Nugent, Alexandria L; Houghtling, Richard A; Bayer, Barbara M (2011) Morphine suppresses MHC-II expression on circulating B lymphocytes via activation of the HPA. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 6:130-41

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