Mind/Brain/Body Interactions in Stress-Related Disorders

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Several common chronic disorders including chronic visceral and somatic pain syndromes, disorders of mood and affect, and addictive behaviors can be related to alterations in the neurobiology of the central stress system. Some of these disorders, including functional GI disorders, depression and anxiety are significantly more common in women, cause considerable morbidity and impairment in quality of life and satisfactory, cost-effective treatments are generally not available. The UCLA Center for Neurovisceral Sciences & Women's Health (CNS/WH), a recently NIH-funded P50 Center has assembled a large number of clinical and basic investigators interested in Mind/Body interactions with a particular interest in the role of stress and sex-based differences in altering these interactions in health and disease. In view of many ongoing interdisciplinary and interdepartmental, as well as outside collaborations, spanning a wide range of molecular, behavioral, brain imaging and health outcomes studies, the proposed infrastructure support grant would greatly expand the breadth and depth of the existing center and leverage the existing NIH center support. In the current application, we are therefore proposing the establishment of 4 scientific cores together with a supplementary support for a small existing administrative core. In addition, we are proposing several developmental and public infrastructure components. During the first two years of the grant, each of the 4 research cores (Health Outcomes, Neuroimaging, Animal Models, Psychophysiology and Pain Assessment) will have 2-3 development projects attached to it. The primary goal of these projects is the development of novel, cutting edge expertise and technologies for each core. After the full build up of the cores, we propose a Pilot and Feasibility program for years 3-5 of the grant with 4 annual awards. These projects will utilize the resources of the cores as well as the expertise of the involved faculty. In addition, we propose a career development program in form of a Named New Investigator award limited to a maximum of 2 years. Based on the unusual number of clinical and basic scientists interested in various aspects of Mind/Brain interactions in health and disease, the infrastructure support would greatly contribute to the visibility of Mind/Body medicine at UCLA, to the generation of highest quality research and to the training of first rate translational researches in this emerging field.