39th Annual International Narcotics Research Conference

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This grant is to request support for the 39th annual meeting of the International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC) to be held in Charleston, South Carolina from July 7-11, 2008. INRC has been for many years the most prestigious international meeting for the dissemination and exchange of information about biomedical research on opiate drugs and the endogenous opioid system. The topics range from molecular to behavioral and clinical studies. While the main topic is still opiate drugs and abuse, there is increasing discussion of other abused drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol, since extensive interactions have been documented between these drugs and the endogenous opioid system. Support is requested primarily for partial travel support to enable young scientists, i.e. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, to participate in the Conference. Invited symposium speakers, not normally INRC participants, will receive partial support. Funds requested for administrative and meeting expenses represent ~10% of the total. This year, INRC has three confirmed plenary speakers on various topics, including Drs. Peter Kalivas and Gary Aston-Jones, Medical Univ. of South Carolina, Dr. Sam Deadwyler, Wake Forest University. Dr. Jan van Ree from the Univ. of Utrecht, Netherlands was elected the Founders' Lecturer for the 2008 Meeting. Seven symposia will cover a wide range of topics as described in the application, including drug seeking, opioid regulation of reward system, genetics and genomics in drug abuse, opioid receptor regulation and signaling, translational studies in depression and opioids, molecular dysregulation in the KOR system and in vivo opioid imaging. A number of relevant contributed papers will be chosen for oral presentation at each symposium. There will be three poster sessions, at which there is always much exchange and discussion. There will be a NIDA workshop focusing on the NIH roadmap initiative on the Molecular Libraries Screening Centers Network (MLSCN). For participants from many countries, this international meeting is their only chance to meet and exchange ideas. We feel that participation by many pre- and post- doctoral trainees has resulted and is likely to continue to result in recruiting promising scientists to a career of drug abuse research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Drug addiction is an increasing health concern. The 39th International Narcotics Research Conference provides an opportunity for investigators in the field of drug abuse research to meet and exchange ideas about the latest developments in this important area of research.