Predictors of Alcohol Recovery and Relapse Among Female Drunk Drivers

描述(由申请者提供)：这个有指导的研究科学家发展奖将使候选人为职业目标做好准备，重点是遗传和环境因素的相互作用，因为它们影响患有酒精使用障碍的女性的缓解和复发，以及她们后代的酒精和药物使用过程。应聘者近期的职业目标是：(1)熟练设计和实施临床研究，包括观察性研究；(2)了解酒精使用障碍的遗传影响，并接受分子遗传学培训；(3)确定酒精使用表型和相关环境指标，用于检查遗传和环境对女性康复和复发的影响；(4)发展统计遗传学和结构方程建模方面的高级量化技能。该研究计划旨在描述酒精使用模式，并检查严重酒精使用障碍女性缓解和复发的预测因素，对酒精中毒的高危家庭研究(酒精中毒遗传学合作研究[COGA])的数据进行二次分析，以及将从有酒精影响下驾驶定罪的女性(DUI)收集的新数据。新的数据收集将为候选人提供从事研究的经验，这一群体历来很难找到和保留，这是朝着招募后代和收集DMA这一长期目标迈出的重要的第一步。酒精使用表型和环境影响可以最大限度地检查基因-环境相互作用的能力，因为它影响女性的缓解和复发，将通过仔细整合研究和培训计划，利用COGA和中西部酒精中毒研究中心提供的双胞胎样本的新数据和二次分析数据来确定。华盛顿大学精神病学系和中西部酒精中毒研究中心提供了一个培训环境，可以找到在精神病学、遗传流行病学、统计学和分子遗传学方面具有专业知识的导师。此外，候选人还获得了在临床和治疗研究以及与酒后驾车人群合作方面具有专业知识的共同导师的帮助。相关性(见说明)：妇女对酒精的依赖对妇女及其子女有深远的影响。有证据表明，今天的年轻女性比老一辈的女性更容易依赖酒精，但大多数酒精研究都集中在男性身上。这项研究将特别侧重于妇女，以更好地了解环境和遗传因素如何有助于妇女饮酒和她们的康复，并改善她们及其子女的结局。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will prepare the Candidate for career goals focused on the interplay of genetic and environmental factors as they influence remission and relapse among women with alcohol use disorders and the course of alcohol and drug use among their offspring. The Candidate's immediate career goals are to: (1) become proficient in designing and conducting clinical, including observational, research, (2) gain knowledge of genetic influences on alcohol use disorders and training in molecular genetics, (3) define alcohol use phenotypes and associated environmental measures for use in examining genetic and environmental influences on recovery and relapse among women, and (4) develop advanced quantitative skills in statistical genetics and structural equation modeling. The research plan is designed to characterize patterns of alcohol use and to examine predictors of remission and relapse among women with severe alcohol use disorders, in secondary analysis of data from a high-risk family study of alcoholism (Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism [COGA]) and in new data to be collected from women with convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). New data collection will provide the Candidate with experience in engaging in research a population that is historically difficult to locate and retain, an important first step towards the long-term goal of enrolling offspring and collecting DMA. Alcohol use phenotypes and environmental influences which can maximize the ability to examine gene-environment interplay as it influences women's remission and relapse will be defined through careful integration of the research and training plans, utilizing new data and secondary analysis of data from COGA and from twin samples available through the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center. The Washington University Department of Psychiatry and the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center provide a training environment with access to mentors with expertise in psychiatric genetic epidemiology and statistical and molecular genetics. In addition, the Candidate has enlisted the help of co-mentors with expertise in clinical and treatment research and in working with DUI populations. RELEVANCE (See instructions): Alcohol dependence among women has profound consequences on women and on their children. There is evidence that today's young women are more likely to become dependent on alcohol than women of older generations, yet most alcohol research is focused on men. This research study will focus specifically on women to better understand how environmental and genetic factors contribute to women's alcohol use and to their recovery, and to improved outcomes for them and their children.