Project Grant T32DA060142

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING IN THE BIOLOGY OF DRUG ABUSE - ABSTRACT: THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRAINING GRANT IS TO PROVIDE POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING TO EARLY-STAGE BASIC SCIENTISTS AND PHYSICIANS IN THE AREA OF NEUROBIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AT THE GENETIC, MOLECULAR, CIRCUIT AND BEHAVIORAL LEVELS. TRAINING WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY SETTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. THIS IS AN EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH WORLD CLASS FACILITIES AND FACULTY NEEDED TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS WORKING IN DRUG ABUSE. THE FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON OPIOID AND PSYCHOSTIMULANT DRUGS. THE FOCUS OF THE PROPOSAL IS THE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING OF POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS USING STATE-OF-THE-ART APPROACHES FOR STUDYING MECHANISMS UNDERLYING DRUG ABUSE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF "SOFT SKILLS" NEEDED FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS (E.G., WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION, MENTORSHIP). SCIENTIFIC TRAINING INCLUDES STUDYING THE GENETIC, DEVELOPMENTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT LEAD TO VULNERABILITY TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE; THE MODE OF ACTION OF DRUGS OF ABUSE AT THE MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, ANATOMICAL AND BEHAVIORAL LEVELS; THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS ON THE BRAIN, AS MEDIATED THROUGH MECHANISMS OF NEURAL PLASTICITY; AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICATIONS, AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES. THE WORKING ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BRAIN REMODELING ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC DRUG USE LIES AT THE BASIS OF TOLERANCE, SENSITIZATION, PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADDICTION TO THESE DRUGS. THE DRUG ABUSE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IS OF HIGH QUALITY AND HAS A LONG HISTORY IN THE FIELD. BEYOND THEIR INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS, THE TRAINING FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE LONG-STANDING COLLABORATIVE SCIENTIFIC AND TRAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. THESE HISTORICAL STRENGTHS ARE ENHANCED BY A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN DESIGNED TO FACILITATE LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH IN GENERAL, AND NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH IN PARTICULAR. THEY INCLUDE STATE-OF-THE-ART TOOLS FOR MOUSE AND RAT GENETICS, GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS, AND INFORMATICS AND SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAMMING AND RESOURCES FOR POSTDOCTORAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THUS, OUR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS WILL PROFIT FROM A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED, YET SUPPORTIVE, RESEARCH AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENT.