Predictors of Alcohol Recovery and Relapse Among Female Drunk Drivers

描述（由申请人提供）：该指导研究科学家发展奖将为候选人的职业目标做好准备，重点是遗传和环境因素的相互作用，因为它们影响酒精使用障碍女性的缓解和复发以及其后代的酒精和药物使用过程。候选人的近期职业目标是：（1）精通设计和进行临床研究，包括观察性研究，（2）获得对酒精使用障碍的遗传影响的知识和分子遗传学培训，（3）定义酒精使用表型和相关的环境措施，用于检查遗传和环境对妇女康复和复发的影响，以及（4）发展统计遗传学和结构方程建模方面的高级定量技能。该研究计划旨在描述酒精使用的模式，并检查严重酒精使用障碍妇女缓解和复发的预测因素，对来自酒精中毒高危家庭研究（酒精中毒遗传学合作研究[COGA]）的数据进行二次分析，并从因酒精影响下驾驶（DUI）而被定罪的妇女中收集新数据。 新的数据收集将为候选人提供参与研究的经验，这是历史上难以定位和保留的人群，这是朝着招募后代和收集DMA的长期目标迈出的重要的第一步。酒精使用表型和环境影响，可以最大限度地提高能力，检查基因-环境相互作用，因为它影响妇女的缓解和复发，将通过仔细整合的研究和培训计划，利用新的数据和二次分析的数据从COGA和双胞胎样本可通过中西部酒精中毒研究中心定义。华盛顿大学精神病学系和中西部酒精中毒研究中心提供了一个培训环境，可以获得具有精神病遗传流行病学和统计学及分子遗传学专业知识的导师。此外，候选人还获得了在临床和治疗研究以及与酒后驾车人群合作方面具有专业知识的共同导师的帮助。相关性（见说明）：妇女的酒精依赖对妇女及其子女有深远的影响。有证据表明，今天的年轻女性比老一辈女性更容易依赖酒精，但大多数酒精研究都集中在男性身上。这项研究将特别侧重于妇女，以更好地了解环境和遗传因素如何有助于妇女的酒精使用和恢复，并改善她们及其子女的结果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will prepare the Candidate for career goals focused on the interplay of genetic and environmental factors as they influence remission and relapse among women with alcohol use disorders and the course of alcohol and drug use among their offspring. The Candidate's immediate career goals are to: (1) become proficient in designing and conducting clinical, including observational, research, (2) gain knowledge of genetic influences on alcohol use disorders and training in molecular genetics, (3) define alcohol use phenotypes and associated environmental measures for use in examining genetic and environmental influences on recovery and relapse among women, and (4) develop advanced quantitative skills in statistical genetics and structural equation modeling. The research plan is designed to characterize patterns of alcohol use and to examine predictors of remission and relapse among women with severe alcohol use disorders, in secondary analysis of data from a high-risk family study of alcoholism (Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism [COGA]) and in new data to be collected from women with convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). New data collection will provide the Candidate with experience in engaging in research a population that is historically difficult to locate and retain, an important first step towards the long-term goal of enrolling offspring and collecting DMA. Alcohol use phenotypes and environmental influences which can maximize the ability to examine gene-environment interplay as it influences women's remission and relapse will be defined through careful integration of the research and training plans, utilizing new data and secondary analysis of data from COGA and from twin samples available through the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center. The Washington University Department of Psychiatry and the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center provide a training environment with access to mentors with expertise in psychiatric genetic epidemiology and statistical and molecular genetics. In addition, the Candidate has enlisted the help of co-mentors with expertise in clinical and treatment research and in working with DUI populations. RELEVANCE (See instructions): Alcohol dependence among women has profound consequences on women and on their children. There is evidence that today's young women are more likely to become dependent on alcohol than women of older generations, yet most alcohol research is focused on men. This research study will focus specifically on women to better understand how environmental and genetic factors contribute to women's alcohol use and to their recovery, and to improved outcomes for them and their children.