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Researchers Report on Progress of NIDA's Southern Africa Initiative
Research projects conducted under NIDA's Southern Africa
Initiative help universities and other organizations in southern
Africa build research capacity and infrastructure in the area of
addiction, particularly drug-related HIV transmission. The Initiative,
administered by NIDA's Special Populations Office (SPO)
with assistance from the International Program, comprises 12
research projects. NIDA-funded investigators based in the United
States and African collaborators recently reported on the
progress of their projects, most of which have taken place or are
ongoing in the Republic of South Africa.
Dr. Torrance Stephens of Morehouse School of Medicine and
Dr. Sibusiso Sifunda of the South African Medical Research
Council described the development and testing of a peer-led
intervention to prevent about-to-be-released prison inmates
from spreading sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV,
to community residents. The intervention—which included
cultural perspectives on manhood and responsibility, videotaped
stories from role models, and group discussions—improved participants'
attitudes regarding safe sex and their motivation to
reduce risky behaviors. The research team worked closely with
the South African minister of corrections and the Department
of Correctional Services (DCS) in nine provinces and four
prisons to provide training for DCS staff and peer education
for ex-inmates.
Dr. Murelle Harrison of Southern University in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana and Dr. Dorothy Malaka of the University of Limpopo,
South Africa, reported on a comparison of African-American and
South African families living in rural areas. They observed similar
sociodemographic and family characteristics and youth
behaviors in both populations. For example, children who spent
more time interacting with their mothers also showed better
self-control and cognitive development. The team hopes the
baseline data will serve as a foundation for a subsequent family
intervention. In other project results, 22 South African students
were trained in epidemiological data collection methods, two
South African researchers observed rural data collection in the
United States and sharpened skills with computer software for
data analysis, and 18 primary school teachers and nine principals
received assistance with educational computer technology.
Dr. Donnie Watson of the Friends Research Institute in
Torrance, California and Dr. Solomon Rataemane of the
University of Limpopo reviewed preliminary findings from a
comparison of three different approaches to teaching
experienced drug abuse counselors cognitive-behavioral therapy:
(1) in-person training with subsequent supervision, (2) distance
learning of the same training with subsequent telephone-based
supervision, and (3) self-study with a therapy manual after an initial
orientation. The in-person and distance-learning approaches
were well-received, and the team continues to recruit licensed
clinicians who work in 30 South African National Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence treatment centers.
"The Southern Africa Initiative represents a relatively small
investment, $2 to $2.5 million, with a tremendous payoff for all
participants," says SPO Chief Dr. Lula Beatty. "After hearing
reports on the research projects, my colleagues and I were struck
by the immediate impact that some of the collaborations had on
communities." NIDA hopes that information obtained from the
projects will facilitate the use of evidence-based interventions
that are culturally appropriate for southern Africa and that the
training activities will strengthen addiction research in the region.
Scientific Society Honors Dr. Kenner Rice's Research
Dr. Kenner Rice, Chief of NIDA's
Chemical Biology Research Branch, has
received the 2007 Smissman Award
from the American Chemical Society
(ACS). The award recognizes
significant contributions to fundamental
knowledge in medicinal chemistry,
and the ACS presented the honor to Dr.
Rice in August at its National Meeting
and Exposition in Boston. Dr. Rice's
basic research on neurochemicals led to the development of
compounds with the potential to prevent and treat drug
addiction (for example, a medication that prevents cocaine self-administration
in monkeys).
Dr. Rice joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1972
and NIDA in 2006. During his 35-year career at NIH, Dr. Rice
mapped the location of cannabinoid receptors, demonstrated
biochemical differences in the receptors of opioid-exposed
animals, and determined how abused drugs affect brain cells. His
research led to the discovery of a radiotracer that neuroscientists
can use in imaging studies of opioid addiction. Dr. Rice designed
and developed the NIH Opiate Total Synthesis, a practical
method for the large-scale production of medicinal opioids and
opioid blockers.
Volume 21, Number 5 (March 2008)
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