Research Support Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY: Research Support Core We propose a Research Support Core (RSC) in the context of a P50 Research Center of Excellence: The Center for Translational and Prevention Science (CTAPS). The RSC’s overarching goal is to facilitate a new generation of research focused on (a) stress-induced alterations in brain-immune signaling that create vulnerabilities to substance misuse and cardiometabolic disease, (b) the identification of malleable protective processes that can prevent or mitigate the downstream health consequences of stress, and (c) the development of interventions for African Americans that prevent substance misuse and cardiometabolic disease. To this end, the Research Support Core (RSC) will: (a) oversee and execute analyses of neurocognitive, inflammatory, cardiometabolic, and biostatistical data collected by Center Research Projects (RPs) and Pilot Studies; (b) provide intellectual consultation to Center scientists regarding design protocols, promising targets for research and intervention, and interpretation of results; and (c) sponsor educational and training experiences for CTAPS scientists and the broader scientific community. This Core represents a continuation of a highly productive collaboration between scientists at the University of Georgia and Northwestern University, who together have established pipelines for generating inflammatory, cardiometabolic, and neuroimaging data relevant to African Americans’ substance use and overall health. The RSC comprises substantial intellectual capital and state-of-the science facilities for analysis of neuroimaging data and assaying biomarkers of inflammatory and cardiometabolic functioning. It is composed of three subscores: Neurocognitive (NCO), Inflammatory (INF), and Biostatistical (BSC). The RSC’s aims are to: (1) provide intellectual consultation to RP directors, transdisciplinary work groups, and pilot project investigators, (2) help develop protocols for collecting high-quality neuroimaging, inflammatory, and cardiometabolic data, (3) assay biospecimens for inflammatory and cardiometabolic biomarkers, (4) process and analyze data collected in neuroimaging paradigms, and (5) provide educational experiences to CTAPS scientists, mentees, and affiliates, as well as serving as a resource for the scientific community by providing education through online seminars and preconference workshops.