A Program of Research and Mentorship on Alcoholism and Co-occuring Disorders

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): I want to achieve two goals in the next 5 years through this K24 award: to deepen my own program of research, focusing on the treatment of dually diagnosed persons, and to facilitate the development of a more extensive program of clinical research in addictions at the University of New Mexico by helping to develop the next generation of clinical researchers at our facilities. My research to date has focused on clinical trials, mutual help approaches for the dually diagnosed, and other research on comorbidity and 12-step programs. Current grant funding includes an R01 grant to study the efficacy of a modified 12-step facilitation therapy for seriously mentally ill alcoholics (R01AA015419), and a U10 grant for the Southwest Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (U10DA1533). I have extensive research mentoring experience with junior faculty, fellows, psychiatric residents, Ph.D. candidates, and medical students. Institutional resources for research and mentorship in addictions include faculty, trainees, and infrastructure at the UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addiction, the School of Medicine, and the MIND Imaging Center, as well as diverse and accessible clinical populations. Six Specific Aims are proposed. The research Specific Aims are 1) To leam methodologies critical to the development of programmatic clinical research on comorbid conditions; 2) To conduct preliminary studies supporting the development of a novel pharrnacotherapeutic approach for individuals with alcohol dependence and co-occurring anxiety disorders, involving the co-administration of disulfiram and a benzodiazepine a 16-week model of treatment; 3) To develop, submit, and obtain funding for an R01 grant studying this pharrnacotherapeutic approach. The mentorship Specific Aims are 4) to mentor at least 3 junior faculty members to the point of submitting proposals for independent NIH funding; 5) to provide research training to at least three addiction psychiatry fellows, graduate students, or psychiatry residents per year through participation in ongoing research projects; and 6) To provide ongoing training and education to a broader group through a variety of lower-intensity mentorship and educational activities. Relevance: Mental illness and alcoholism frequently occur together, resulting in disproportionate suffering and cost. There is a need for better understanding and more effective treatments for these conditions. This grant supports the development of new research approaches and new researchers in this important field.