Clinical Research Education for Drug Abuse Professionals

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DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) In response to PA 99-093, the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs submits this application for funding of the Clinical Research Education for Drug Abuse Professionals training program. The program will develop professionals in health disciplines involving clinical research pertaining to the study of drug abuse and its treatment, starting in the first year with two M.D. or Ph.D.-level trainees and expanding in future project years to three per year. This comprehensive education program will consist of a two-year period of coordinated clinical research training combining coursework, seminars, and practical experience. Trainees will acquire (1) a comprehensive education in a variety of disciplines, ranging from epidemiology of drug abuse to neurobiology of addiction and consequent effects on the brain; and (2) in-depth clinical research experience, with a focus on conduct of clinical trials research in both institutional and community-based settings. After the first three-quarters of the first year of the program, in which trainees gain knowledge in a core curriculum, trainees will spend the remainder of their time in "hands-on" clinical research at inpatient and outpatient sites. Given the applicant organization?s vast research portfolio, its history of research training, its distinguished academic affiliation, and its interrelated capacities in drug abuse research, clinical practice, and clinical training for specific projects, the proposed program will fill a pressing need for dedicated formal training of clinical researchers, setting the foundation for a high-quality program that will continue to produce the drug abuse professionals required to investigate and address drug abuse and its consequences.