Clinical and Preclinical Models in Drug Abuse: Training and Development

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this Senior Scientist Research and Mentorship Award (K05) application is to allow me (Richard W. Foltin, Ph.D.) protected time so that I may continue to mentor junior faculty. In this way I will share with the junior faculty much of what I learned from my mentors and in turn have my research benefit from what I learn from the junior faculty. Specifically, I will share my experience in conducting well-controlled, laboratory- based studies in areas that are difficult to model (relapse, putative medication effects on drug self- administration, estimating reinforcing values of behavior) with junior colleagues who are hoping to bring similar powerful methodologies to bear on their areas of expertise. Goal 1. Research: Aim 1. Maintain active research programs using laboratory models of drug abuse in non-human primates and drug-experienced human volunteers. My active support has always played a role in providing both research opportunities and salary support for junior faculty. I have 2 active R01s and 2 pending R01 submissions that will be used to support my research and provide training opportunities. Aim 2. Expand my research interests by incorporating the expertise of junior faculty I am mentoring in neuropsychology, magnetic resonance imaging, eating disorders and geriatric psychiatry. Goal 2. Training: Aim 1. Continue to be a valuable resource to the more senior faculty in our research group whom I have mentored since they completed their postdoctoral fellowships. Aim 2. Help the individuals whom I mentored on their K awards who are in their 4th and 5th years and now transitioning to independent status. Aim 3. Provide guidance to the individuals whom I mentor that are in the first several years of their K awards. Aim 4. Keep a discernible profile in departmental affairs so that I can be an advocate for drug abuse research and the needs of junior faculty. I have sufficient mentoring responsibilities to account for my mentoring effort over the next 5 years. Generally the junior faculty I mentor will first conduct projects that will be funded as part of one of my R01s, and then apply for divisional funds for pilot studies where possible prior to submitting a K application. This model has worked well in the past and will be used to develop new K awards for junior faculty.