Training in the Science of Co-Occurring Disorders

This renewal application proposal aims to sustain and enhance a unique predoctoral and postdoctoral training program in an emerging area of transdisciplinary research, co-occurring substance use and other psychiatric and medical disorders (COD). The need for this scientific focus continues to be vital given that COD are more the norm than the exception among those with addictive disorders. To effectively impact the problems of addiction and common psychiatric and health disorders, one must be fully aware of their co-existence, phenomenology, and clinical manifestations. Our evolving program leverages unique opportunities available at Dartmouth. Five research groups (Center for Technology and Behavioral Health - CTBH, The Dartmouth Institute, Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Dartmouth Cancer Center Population Science) provide CODs-focused mentored research and training opportunities in treatment development and evaluation, digital health innovations for assessment and intervention, mechanisms of change, implementation science, and health services research. The program has evolved such that the preponderance of our faculty’s research occurs in the digital health space related to the emergence of our NIDA-funded P30 Center, the CTBH, as an international leader in innovative digital approaches to the study of COD. Our T32 Leadership Team and most of our other training faculty are also leaders and affiliates of the CTBH. Accordingly, our training activities have increasingly focused on digital health research methods and applications. Trainees are exposed to a broad, transdisciplinary agenda that combines a rigorous course of didactic seminars, training in the responsible conduct of research and rigor and reproducibility in research, and career development training and experiences. Each trainee works directly with a primary mentor and at least one co- or secondary mentor to assure exposure to a diverse range of research approaches. During the first 9.5 years of the program, high quality trainees have filled program slots. We have trained or are in the process of training 9 predoctoral and 18 postdoctoral trainees, plus 6 affiliated trainees funded by other sources. The great majority have had outstanding publication and presentation records, and all have continued in research intensive positions. Program evaluations have been excellent. We recently engaged an External Advisory Board, and the first meeting yielded a highly positive report; and more importantly, excellent suggestions for enhancement of the program. This renewal proposes to maintain an active census of 3 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral trainees, which has worked well to date. The program will provide an enhanced, rigorous training environment that will continue to prepare young scientists to engage in collaborative, cutting edge, transdisciplinary research on COD.