University of Houston Drug Abuse Research Development Program II

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Houston (UH) Drug Abuse Research Development Program renewal (UHDARDP II) will develop and sustain the capacity of diverse faculty, including women and minorities, and other faculty and graduate students from UH, to conduct research on drug abuse. This will be accomplished through the development of a transdisciplinary infrastructure that focuses on treatment of heroin use among Mexican Americans. The research will have implications for drug abuse prevention, intervention, and service delivery and build upon the previous funded UHDARDP that only focused on aging Mexican American males. Specific aims for the renewal include: 1) Further develop institutional research capacity to engage in competitive drug research by coalescing resources, leadership, management, and research expertise; 2) Provide a structure for conceptual, methodological and statistical support to develop minority project directors and graduate students; 3) Execute an innovative trans disciplinary and translational research program consisting of a virtual reality extinction primary research project with HIV/AIDS prevention components, and three additional pilot projects meant to develop capacity and collect data for larger grant submissions; 4) Recruit diverse project directors to develop studies on the nutritional health, social-geographical, and pharmacological consequences of drug abuse; 5) Bridge gaps between social work, psychology, and health and human performance fields; basic and applied research; and research and service delivery systems, through the development of trans disciplinary, translational research courses, curricula and workshops on drug abuse; and 6) Recruit an exceptional team of internal and external mentors and consultants from diverse academic and medical backgrounds to enhance UHDARDP II's professional development activities and proposed scientific enhancement programs. Complementary core activities include: Institutional Drug Abuse Res