A Transdiciplinary Center Focused on Rural African American Families

描述（由申请人提供）：该核心卓越中心（CCOE）的总体目标是开展研究，以改变药物滥用和性风险行为的病因学模型，以及他们通常告知的预防计划，特别是针对农村非洲裔美国儿童，青年及其家庭的研究。对药物滥用和性危险行为预防工作的包容性审查表明，需要进行这种转变，结果喜忧参半，前后不一。这种不一致的影响是一个主要问题，表明需要采用新的方法来研究药物滥用和性风险行为的病因模型，特别是更清楚地阐明可以利用遗传、社会心理和发育过程之间的界面来改变它们的方式。为了实现这一目标，我们组建了一支由具有成功合作历史的高级和早期职业研究人员组成的团队，他们具有分子和统计遗传学、遗传流行病学、公共卫生、人类发展和预防科学方面的背景。这个调查人员网络将访问共享资源核心，这是数据集、遗传实验室和标本库资源、统计和生物信息学服务以及数据收集和计划实施团队的独特组合。七个核心项目的数据来自6000多名非洲裔美国人，其中约5000人（83%）生活在小城镇和农村社区。这些数据包括：(a)药物使用和滥用以及性风险行为表型的纵向评估；(b)遗传数据；(c)对自我调节过程进行与发展相适应的评估；(d)个体特征、社会适应、养育/家庭过程和邻里/社区背景的多层次评估。CCOE的组织和管理结构将组织和优先考虑CCOE科学家的研究工作，为将研究结果转化为药物滥用和性风险行为的病因学模型提供一个综合过程，从而提高其预测效用和预防进展的有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall aim of this Core Center of Excellence (CCOE) is to conduct research that will transform etiological models of drug abuse and sexual risk behavior and the prevention programs they inform in general and those for rural African American children, youth, and their families in particular. The need for this transformation is documented by inclusive reviews of drug abuse and sexual risk behavior prevention efforts that reveal mixed and inconsistent results. This inconsistent impact is a major concern that indicates a need for new approaches to etiologic models of drug abuse and sexual risk behavior, particularly greater articulation of the ways in which the interface among genetic, psychosocial, and developmental processes can be used to transform them. To reach this goal we have assembled a team of senior and early career investigators with a successful history of collaboration who have backgrounds in molecular and statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, public health, human development, and prevention science. This network of investigators will access the Shared Resources Core, a unique combination of data sets, genetic laboratory and specimen repository resources, statistical and bioinformatic services, and data collection and program implementation teams. Data from seven core projects were collected from more than 6,000 African American individuals, approximately 5,000 (83%) of whom live in small towns and rural communities. These data include (a) longitudinal assessments of drug use and abuse and sexual risk behavior phenotypes; (b) genetic data; (c) developmentally appropriate assessments of self-regulatory processes; and (d) multilevel assessments of individual characteristics, social adaptation, parenting/family processes, and neighborhood/community contexts. The organizational and administrative structure of the CCOE will organize and prioritize CCOE scientists' research efforts, providing an integrated process for translating findings into transformations of etiologic models of drug abuse and sexual risk behavior that increase their predictive utility and the efficacy of the prevention progress they inform.