Identifying the Effects of Race-Related Stressors on Laboratory- Induced Stress and Craving among African Americans with Alcohol Use Disorder

The primary aim of this K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award is to provide the candidate (Dr. Delisa Brown) with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to become an independent investigator focused on alcohol use disorder (AUD) and health disparities. Social stress (SS) is common and is associated with increased risk of developing AUD. However, little research has focused on SS and AUD, especially in underresourced individuals. Given the dearth of scientific information available on the effects of SS among individuals with AUD, the proposed study will employ a well-controlled human laboratory paradigm to identify the subjective (craving, stress), physiological (heart rate, galvanic skin conductance), and neuroendocrine (cortisol) reactivity to personalized imagery cues (i.e., SS, alcohol, and neutral) among underresourced individuals (N = 60) with AUD. The relationship between individual-level factors and reactivity to SS cues will be examined to further inform the science in this highly understudied area and support the future development of targeted interventions. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) will be used to obtain real-time information on alcohol craving, affect, and drinking patterns following exposure to SS. The data obtained from this project will provide new knowledge and insights to inform our understanding of the link between SS and AUD in ways not previously possible. The candidate has assembled a mentorship team of experienced and nationally renowned investigators with a history of collaboration who bring expertise in AUD, health disparities, human laboratory paradigms, EMA, clinical trials, and treatment development. On-site mentors and consultants include Drs. Sudie Back, Colleen Halliday, and Erin McClure at MUSC. Off-site mentors and consultants include Dr. Kathleen Burlew at the University of Cincinnati and Dr. Rajita Sinha at Yale University. The K23 project will provide the mentorship, formal coursework, hands-on data collection, and career development opportunities needed to ensure the candidate achieves the following career goals: 1) enhance knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology of AUD among individuals experiencing social stress, 2) develop competence in best practices for conducting alcohol research across a broad range of AUD conditions, 3) obtain new training in EMA methods and advanced statistical analysis, 4) enhance understanding of research ethics, and 5) increase scholarly productivity through manuscript writing, conference presentations, and grant writing.