Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Psychiatric Conditions

Project Summary/Abstract This renewal application for the T32 institutional training grant (now in its 10th year), Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Psychiatric Conditions (NIDA DA037183), will serve as an essential hub of education, training and career enhancement for a diverse group of clinical, translational, and basic scientists studying comorbidity in substance abuse research and its intersection with other differences (as age, race, and social vulnerability) within the University of Minnesota (UMN) community. The training program provides research training for 4 postdocs annually and has provided training for 13 postdoctoral trainees, with 4 currently in training (17 total trainees). The program's long-term goal is to cultivate a cohort of scientists with research expertise in topics relevant to addiction comorbidity, including mechanisms, antecedents and correlates, diagnostics, and psychosocial and pharmacological interventions. Component objectives are to provide each trainee with a working knowledge of comorbidity research, including (a) translational science from early phase clinical trials to community-based participatory research perspectives; (b) effective research strategies for comorbid conditions across populations and ethnic and cultural groups (e.g., American Indian, Hmong, Somali). A goal of the renewal addresses the growing need for training in addiction comorbidity research across the lifespan. Accomplishing programmatic features will capitalize on (a) the spectrum of faculty expertise providing mentoring across multiple areas and (b) Integration across training programs and departments. Key elements of the program include (1) the involvement of scientists and clinicians with diverse expertise and a core internal advisory group; (2) Recruitment, including underrepresented group outreach, of rigorously screened Ph.D. candidates with SUD and comorbidity as a primary career focus; (3) Training with an interdisciplinary mentoring team with complementary expertise; (4) Formal training plans with clear milestones including trainee development of an NIH application initiated in Year 1; (5) Active research, seminars, didactic coursework, workshops, and development of management, ethics, and regulatory expertise; (6) Dynamic program administration entailing monitoring with enhancements and problem resolution along with continued contact with trainees after completion and; (7) Annually convened advisory committee. Resources: Mentor funding sources include NIH Institutes, NSF, and Minnesota Medical Foundation, Key Personnel and Primary Mentors are directors of clinics, centers, or departments with significant resources.