Mentoring Clinical Investigators in Patient-Oriented Adolescent Alcohol Research

This K24 Midcareer Investigator Award will provide Dr. Lindsay Squeglia with protected time to conduct research in adolescent alcohol use disorder treatment development, mentor junior clinical investigators in adolescent alcohol research, and continue her own career development in patient-oriented alcohol use research initiatives. The research aims of this grant are focused on utilizing inflammation markers, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive assessment to test a potential pharmacological agent to treat adolescent alcohol use disorder. This study will provide a strong training platform for junior investigators interested in patient-oriented alcohol research to gain experience in clinical trial methods, adolescent substance use assessment, alcohol and inflammation biomarkers, neuroimaging, neurocognitive assessment, pharmacotherapy development, and statistical analysis. It will also provide a platform for Dr. Squeglia to develop a new direction for her patient-oriented research by incorporating peripheral measures of inflammation and central measures of neuronal health, which could provide additional venues for identifying both treatment efficacy markers and candidate treatments for adolescent alcohol use disorder. She will utilize her network of national and international collaborators to provide networking opportunities for mentees and broad dissemination of research findings. Career goals will focus on areas critical to growth and development as a mentor and leader and will help ensure continued success with independent funding in neuroscience-informed alcohol use disorder treatment development. Goals will be achieved through hands-on research experiences guided by experts in the field; coursework; seminars, workshops, and conferences; and leading publications with trainees and expert colleagues in the field. In sum, this award will provide a platform for training the next generation of adolescent alcohol use researchers and expand the reach of adolescent alcohol use treatment research.