T35 NIAAA Summer Research Program

Project Summary/Abstract This application seeks to establish a T35 NIAAA Summer Research Program to enhance medical student research training in alcoholism and the effects of alcohol abuse at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The proposed program will provide short-term training opportunities for medical students in basic and clinical biomedical research focused in areas supported by the NIAAA. Based on our extensive experience gained from other NIH Research Training grants, we will develop a short-term training program for those medical students enrolled at UT Southwestern as well as outstanding applicants from medical schools across the country. Building upon our collective experience in the identification and pairing of students and mentors, we anticipate that these experiences will continue to enrich the research background of participating medical students with an interest in psychiatry and alcohol abuse. Besides the mentor-based teaching within the laboratories and clinics, trainees will also receive a comprehensive course in Research Methodology with NIAAA-specific journal clubs and participation in a works-in- progress psychiatry lab seminar series. The program described in this application will employ the outstanding faculty and resources already in place at UT Southwestern that are focused in areas of NIAAA interest. This program will serve as a focal point to further enrich medical student research activities at UT Southwestern and will enhance existing elements of NIAAA-funded research on campus.