International Activities

Funding Initiatives

NIDA Commits $1.5 million for International Research Collaborations to Study HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse
NIDA will award up to $1.5 million during FY 2008 in Exploratory/Developmental (R21) research grants to stimulate research, particularly collaborative efforts between U.S. and foreign scientists, to investigate aspects of the HIV/AIDS - drug abuse nexus. The 1-year, maximum $100,000 awards are designed to address important research questions that cannot be easily or readily addressed within the United States but would have implications for the United States; build research capacity in resource limited countries where HIV/AIDS associated with drug abuse is prevalent; bring basic and clinical science to bear on public health needs; and stimulate new R01 and other applications.

NIDA, Dutch Addiction Program Fund Four New Binational Research Teams
Continuing the uniquely successful binational funding agreement between NIDA and the Dutch Addiction Program (DAP), four new research teams have received funding to use brain imaging, animal models, and Ecological Momentary Assessment to explore ways to address the use of and dependence on marijuana, cocaine, and nicotine. NIDA funds the U.S. researchers; DAP supports the Dutch scientists. The four teams presented their research plans at the Fifth U.S.-Netherlands Binational Research Symposia, held November 28-29, 2007, in Amsterdam. In addition to learning about the newly funded projects, meeting participants heard updates on previously funded projects, met with national experts, and explored topics of mutual interest. The nine research teams who have already received funding have been highly productive, resulting in a NIDA research grant, three new collaborative links inspired by the U.S.-Netherlands projects, 14 books/chapters/reports, 19 scientific journal articles, and 42 presentations at scientific meetings. Dr. Wim van den Brink, University of Amsterdam, and NIDA Deputy Director Dr. Timothy Condon discussed recent advances on addiction research in their respective countries. Nick Ramsey, University Medical Center Utrecht, chaired a discussion of topics for future collaboration between NIDA and DAP that featured NIDA staff, including Dr. David Shurtleff (DBNBR), Dr. Joseph Frascella (DCNBR), Dr. Ivan Montoya (DPMCDA), and Dr. Eve Reider (DESPR). The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Sineke ten Horn, Dutch Addiction Program, and IP Director Dr. Steven W. Gust. The newly funded research teams include the following:

Linda Porrino, Wake Forest University, and A.E. Goudriaan, University of Amsterdam, will use fMRI and cognitive testing to study the neurobiological correlates of poor decision making in chronic marijuana users.

Anna Rose Childress, University of Pennsylvania, and Wim van den Brink, University of Amsterdam, will conduct brain imaging studies to evaluate the effects of Varenicline in the brains of patients who use cocaine to test that compound as a potential cocaine pharmacotherapy.

Andrew Waters, Uniformed Services University, and I.H.A. Franken, Erasmus University, will study how cognitions in drug abusers may influence the success or failure of treatment (i.e., abstinence or relapse) using remote monitoring of craving or urges, with data entered by the subject into a hand-held computer.

Paul Phillips, University of Washington, and Matthijs Feenstra, Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, will compare compulsive drug use with learning to obtain a natural reward (sugar) in animals that have been characterized as risk prone or risk averse in an effort to discover if there are changes in the neural activity that underlie the formation of habits.

NIDA/CICAD Research Awards and Call for New Applications Announced
Through its Latin America Initiative, NIDA and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) cosponsor the Competitive Research Award Fund to support drug use research in the region. Awards support pre- or postdoctoral students conducting research in any area of the drug use field. Priority is given to projects involving secondary analysis of existing research databases, such as national drug use surveys. The national drug commissions in Organization of American States member countries review initial applications and forward appropriate projects to the CICAD Inter-American Observatory on Drugs for review by representatives from NIDA, CICAD, and the U.S. National Hispanic Science Network. The call for applications for the second round of awards was issued in October 2007. The first-round awards include:

Bolivia
Christian Arce Vargas Magne and Maria del Pilar Navia Bueno, Universidad Mayor de San Andres - Risk Factors Associated with Drug Consumption Among Adults in the City of La Paz during 2006.

Chile
David Huepe and Jorge Manzi, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile - How Family Relationship and School Factors Relate to the Different Drug Consumption Profiles in the Secondary School Population in Chile: In Search of a Predictive Model.

Erika Eliana Queipul Vera and Gaston Pulido, Universidad de playa Ancha - Self-esteem and its Relationship with Drug Consumption Among Eighth-year Students of "Basic Education" in the Municipal Schools of Manuel Rodriguez and Rudicindo in the Copiapo Community.

Claudia Hernandez Madrid and Bianca Dapelo, Universidad de Vina del Mar - Drug Consumption Among University Students: Protective and Risk Factors.

Jorge Gaete and Ricardo Araya, Universidad de Bristol - Effects of the Student-School Relationship on Cigarette Consumption Among Adolescents in Chile.

Juan Luis Barria and Roberto Moreales Urra, Universidad Austral de Chile - School Attendance and Prevention: The Adolescent View.

Colombia
Mildred Alexandra Viancha Pinzon and Andres Barreto Agudelo, Universidad de Colombia - Evaluation of the Association between Psychoactive Substance Use and Physical Abuse Among Youth within the Social Protection System.

Carlos Andres Mejia Mosquera and Alberto Palacio Acosta, Universidad de Antioquia - Determining the Association between Antisocial Personality Disorder and the Factors Attributable to Exposure and Population According to Psychoactive Substance Use in the Bellavista Prison in Medellin.

Costa Rica
Ernesto Cortes Amador and Julio Bejarano, Instituto sobre Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia - Patterns of Alcohol Use Among First-year Students at the University of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Facio Campus.

Ecuador
Myriam Guerra and Rene Unda, Universidad Politecnica Salesiana - The Social Conditions that Predispose Adolescents to Psychoactive Substance Addiction Among Adolescents Attending the Therapeutic Communities Virgilio Gerrero and Buen Pastor.

Uruguay
Higinio Perez and Eleuterio Umpierrez, Facultad de Quimica Polo Tecnologico de la Republica - Application of a Study on Drug Consumption Among New Inmates, 2004-2005.

Soledad Brescia Tudesco, Pablo Fielitz, Gabriela Lopez Rega, and Veronica Santos Spagnuolo, Universidad de la Republica Oriental de Uruguay - Effects of Coca Paste Consumption on Intellectual Performance.

Rodrigo Zaragoza Tejera and Rafael Bayce, Universidad de la Republica - Consumption of Psychoactive Substances Among Secondary School Youth.

Maria Soledad Olave Silva and Ana Valentina Sosa Ontaneda, Centro Latinoamericano para la Economia Humana - Prevention of Drug Consumption Among Secondary School Students in Uruguay.

Gabby Recto and Adriana Insua, Instituto Universitario Centro Latinoamericano para la Economia Humana - Epidemiological Study on the Population Involved in the Plan de Asistencia Nacional a la Emergencia Social (PANES) convoked through the Construyendo Rutas de Salida Prevention Program in Uruguay between October 2006 and March 2007.

Research Results

INVEST Fellows End Productive Fellowships with Publications and Presentations
A pair of South Korean researchers, Dr. Doug Hyun Han and Dr. Young Hoon Sung, have completed productive INVEST Fellowships with their mentor, Dr. Perry F. Renshaw, Harvard Medical School McLean Hospital. Dr. Han was the lead author of a study suggesting that there is a genetic component of reward dependence, and of another study demonstrating that acamprosate produces nonselective effects on craving for drinking and eating in alcoholic patients. In an oral presentation at the 2007 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) meeting and an article in the Journal of Addiction Medicine (1(3), pp. 133-138, 2007), Dr. Han and his colleagues suggested that the DRD2 Taq1A1 allele seems to be associated with reward dependence in adolescents who engage in excessive Internet video game play (EIGP). The study on acamprosate was electronically published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence on November 3, 2007. Dr. Sung was lead author of a study that appeared in Drug and Alcohol Dependence (88(1), pp. 28-35, 2007) suggesting that the methamphetamine-related abnormalities in the brains of drug users may, in part, recover with abstinence in gray matter, but not in the white matter regions. In a poster presentation at the 2007 CPDD meeting, he reported preliminary results on a study of cocaine abusers that found cortical thinning in the prefrontal and temporal cortex areas, suggesting that these deficits may be associated with craving behavior and impaired cognitive function in cocaine abusers. Dr. Sung also conducted research on MDMA-induced changes in -adenosine triphosphate levels, which may provide insight into neurotoxicity mediated by mitochondrial protein uncoupling.

U.S. - Spain Joint Research Supports Community Reinforcement Approach Plus Vouchers in Treating Spanish Cocaine Abusers
A binational team of researchers from the University of Oviedo, Spain, and the University of Vermont has concluded that community reinforcement approach (CRA) plus vouchers treatment is effective and generalizable to a community treatment setting outside the United States. Writing in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2007.03.006), Dr. Roberto Secades-Villa and his colleagues report on a study of Spanish cocaine abusers who sought treatment that found patients who received CRA plus vouchers treatment were more likely than those who received standard care to complete 24 weeks of treatment and remain abstinent from cocaine.

Study Finds International Program Fellowships Contribute to Scientific Productivity
A study of NIDA International Program Fellowship alumni has concluded that participation in the research training and exchange programs appears to contribute to the Fellows' scientific productivity. Between 1990 and 2006, the NIDA International Program has funded 107 fellows from 47 countries, 72 percent of them from low- or middle-income countries. The International Program also recruited 49 DISCA partners and INVEST mentors representing 34 institutions in 20 U.S. states. A web-based survey was distributed in December 2006 to former NIDA INVEST, Humphrey, and Distinguished Scientist (DISCA) program participants, asking them to report on their scientific productivity after completing the research and exchange program. Scientific productivity was defined as scientific publications, presentation at scientific conferences, and acquisition of research funding. The response rate varied from 38% to 70% among participants in the three Fellowships. The outcomes for the INVEST and Humphrey program were combined because these program target early career scientists; the DISCA outcomes are presented separately because the program is restricted to senior level scientists. DISCA scientists represented 11 countries; 55 percent reported a scientific publication, 55 percent reported a scientific presentation, and 100 percent reported receiving a research grant. Four DISCA scientists received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health; three, from government agencies in their home country; and one, from a non-governmental organization. The former INVEST and Humphrey Fellows represented 37 countries; 32 percent reported a scientific publication; 32 percent reported a scientific presentation; and 30 percent reported receiving a research grant. Seven former INVEST and Humphrey Fellows received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health; 20, from government agencies in their home country; 7, from government agencies outside their home country; and 11, from non-governmental organizations. The study was coauthored by Shyla John, M.B.A., IQ Solutions; International Program Director Steven W. Gust, Ph.D.; and Erin L. Winstanley, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Ms. John presented the study results orally at the International Conference on Urban Health, held October 31-November 2, 2007, in Baltimore, Maryland, and as a poster at American Public Health Association Meeting held November 3-7, 2007, in Washington, D.C.

NIDA-Supported Meetings

NIDA Sponsors International Workshop on "Reducing HIV in Drug User Populations" at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Conference
The international session at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) conference in San Diego (October 20-24, 2007) was developed by the IP (Dr. Steven Gust) and the CTN (Dr. Petra Jacobs) at NIDA. One of the workshop objectives was to discuss the role of evidence-based drug treatment in preventing HIV transmission in drug users. Dr. Zunyou Wu (Director, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China) presented how HIV national preventive and treatment programs are addressing HIV in the population of drug users in China. This included the information about availability, accessibility, and structure of methadone programs. In addition, data from two NIDA-funded studies were presented: the impact of naltrexone on reducing HIV in Russia (Dr. George Woody, University of Pennsylvania) and buprenorphine maintenance treatment with behavioral counseling in Malaysia (Dr. Marek Chawarski, Yale University School of Medicine).

NIDA Poster Session at SfN Highlights Young International Neuroscience Researchers
NIDA organized an Early Career Investigators Poster Session on Friday, November 2, 2007 as part of NIDA's mini-convention on Frontiers in Addiction Research at the Society for Neuroscience Research meeting in San Diego, California. The invited poster session showcased drug abuse and drug-related neuroscience research by: Francis Bambico, Canada; Alicia Brusco, Argentina; Resat Cinar, Hungary; Alline Cristina de Campos, Brazil; Daniele De Filippis, Italy; Francois Georges, France; Christ Henstridge and Amy Milton, United Kingdom; Kimo Jensen, Demark; Naoko Kuzumaki, Japan; Manuel Mameli, Switzerland; Petra van Nieuwenhuijzen, Australia; Einav Sudai, Israel; Daifei Wu, Germany; Magdalena Zaniewska, Poland; and Teresa Summavielle, Portugal. The international poster presenters were supported, in part, by NIDA and the International Union of Pharmacology, International Brain Research Organization, International Narcotics Research Conference, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, International Cannabinoid Research Society, and International Drug Abuse Research Society.

NIDA Participates in Peruvian Congress on Addiction
Dr. Jag H. Khalsa, Chief, Medical Consequences Branch, NIDA Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (DPMCDA), delivered four talks at the Peruvian 5th National Congress on Addiction, held November 26-28, 2007, in Lima. Representing NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow, Dr. Khalsa discussed the Neurobiology of Addiction and Drug Abuse Research Priorities at NIDA. Dr. Khalsa also presented about DPMCDA work on nicotine vaccines and on medical consequences of drug abuse and infections. NIDA also supported participation by Dr. James Anthony, University of Michigan, who spoke on genomic epidemiology of drug addiction. Following the conference sessions, Dr. Khalsa visited a 60-bed drug abuse treatment center in NaNa, Peru, which treats alcohol and drug abuse patients with excellent recovery rates. The in-patient treatment center is directed by Rafael Navarro, M.D., who was also the President of the National Congress.

NIDA Assesses Its Impact on Southern Africa
The NIDA Special Populations Office meeting, Southern Africa Initiative: Research Progress and Perspectives, assembled NIDA officials and representatives from the binational research teams supported by NIDA's Southern Africa Administrative Supplements and other grant funds to discuss ongoing research in Southern Africa, the impact of NIDA funding on research and capacity development, and barriers encountered while conducting research in the region. Presenters discussed findings from projects investigating the etiology, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of drug abuse, tobacco use, and HIV and hepatitis - particularly among vulnerable populations such as women, children, adolescents, and prisoners. Significant accomplishments included the installation of the first fMRI unit in Africa and the adaptation and validation of several U.S. interventions for use in South Africa. The research teams also reported that the administrative supplement research has already resulted in three R01 research grant awards and one R21 exploratory/developmental research grant, more than 30 publications in international scientific journals, 137 presentations at scientific meetings, and significant capacity building efforts within South Africa. Capacity building included mentoring for individuals pursuing advanced academic degrees and training programs in research methods, treatment protocols, and prevention interventions. Based on research conducted, two researchers were awarded Ph.D. degrees and one researcher was awarded a Master's degree.

Fellowships

NIDA Selects New INVEST Fellow
NIDA named Dr. Sheng Liu, Ningbo Addiction Research and Treatment Center, China, as an INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellow. Dr. Liu will work with Dr. Gary Aston-Jones, Medical University of South Carolina, to investigate the role of brain neuromodulatory systems in drug abuse. At the Ningbo Center, Dr. Liu uses immunohistochemistry, intracranial implants, behavioral testing, and imaging studies to conduct neurobiological and psychological studies of heroin addiction and treatment. He will work with Dr. Aston-Jones on studies to examine the roles of lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons and VTA orexin receptors in persistently increased drug preference during abstinence using rat models of behavioral neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology. Dr. Liu will concentrate on learning electrophysiology techniques, which along with Dr. Aston-Jones's orexin research, has implications for Dr. Liu's research on electroacupuncture.

First INVEST/CTN Fellows Are Named
NIDA has selected the first three researchers to be named INVEST/CTN Drug Abuse Research Fellows. The Fellows will spend 1 year working with a mentor who is affiliated with one of the 17 NIDA Clinical Trials Network Regional Research and Training Centers. Former NIDA Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow Dr. Amit Chakrabarti, India, will work with Dr. Roger Weiss, McLean Hospital. A professor of pharmacology and epidemiology at the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Chakrabarti will focus on clinical research experience in the treatment of prescription opioid dependence, participating in the CTN Northern New England Node Prescription Opioid Analgesic Treatment Study (POATS), a randomized, controlled, open-labeled clinical trial of buprenorphine/naloxone and the effect of ethnicity on treatment outcome. Drs. Chakrabarti and Weiss intend to develop a collaborative research project based on the POATS project for implementation in the ethnically diverse Sikkim state in India. Dr. Gvantsa Piralishvili, Georgia, will work with Dr. George E. Woody, University of Pennsylvania. As a physician and treatment researcher at the addiction/HIV prevention centers Union Alternative Georgia and New Way Center for Psychosocial Information and Counseling, Dr. Piralishvili will focus on assessing outcomes of methadone maintenance treatment programs. He and Dr. Woody intend to prepare a grant application to investigate methadone maintenance and HIV risks in Georgia, and Dr. Piralishvili will observe CTN Delaware Valley Node studies to learn about integrating research with practice, human subjects protection, good clinical practice, identifying adverse events, quality assurance, Web-based systems, and various research instruments. This fellowship builds on the relationship established between Dr. Woody and former NIDA Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow Dr. David Otiashvili, Union Alternative Georgia. Dr. Chen Hanhui, China, will work with Dr. Walter Ling, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A psychiatrist at the Shanghai Mental Health Center (SMHC), Dr. Hanhui will study how ethnicity and cultural differences affect the outcomes of contingency management programs designed to address drug use and HIV risk behaviors. Dr. Hanhui intends to learn more about the UCLA model of comprehensive, integrated drug abuse treatment services as China moves to expand both pharmacological and behavioral treatments for opioid dependence. His INVEST/CTN Fellowship award builds on numerous ties between the two institutions: SMHC is affiliated with the CTN Pacific Node and the UNODC TreatNet project, both of which are centered at UCLA. In addition, former NIDA INVEST Fellow and Distinguished International Scientist Dr. Min Zhao has been collaborating with Dr. Ling.

NIDA, State Department Select 2007-2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Drug Abuse Research Fellows
NIDA and the U.S. Department of State have selected nine international drug abuse professionals as 2007-2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Drug Abuse Research Fellows. The two agencies co-sponsor competitive, 10-month awards that provide academic training at the Virginia Commonwealth University and six-week professional affiliations with NIDA-supported researchers. The new VCU Humphrey Fellows include:

Raina Abou El-enein, Egypt
Rawnak Aqrawi, Iraq
Arian Boci, Albania
Fatima El Omari, Morocco
Marisa Felicissimo, Brazil
Rushit Ismajli, Serbia
Boonsiri Junsirimongkol, Thailand
Ruhullah Nassery, Afghanistan
Zar Soe, Myanmar

Travel Support

NIDA supported the participation of Dr. Beatriz Champagne, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Latin American Congress and the Iberoamerican Conference on Tobacco Control, which were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 5 - 7, 2007. Dr. Champagne was president of the SRNT conference.

NIDA supported the participation of Dr. James Hall, University of Iowa, at the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) meeting of national drug observatories November 27-30, 2007, in Santa Marta, Columbia.

International Visitors

On October 15, 2007 a large group from the Norlien Foundation visited NIDA. Created in 1997 the Norlien Foundation is a private foundation that initiates strategic projects to enhance the quality of life for all Canadians, particularly of those living in Alberta, Canada, with an emphasis on addiction in children and teenagers. The purpose of the meeting was to hear about recent updates to NIDA's research. The group met with NIDA Director Nora Volkow and representatives from each of NIDA's divisions, offices and centers. That evening the Norlien Foundation sponsored a reception at the Canadian Embassy. Several NIDA staff attended the reception.

Representatives of the Chinese Education through Labor Academic Society visited NIDA on October 26, 2007. The Chinese visitors met with Dr. Liz Ginexi and Dr. Akiva Liberman, DESPR, Dr. Cece McNamara Spitznas, DCNBR, Dr. Linda Erinoff, AIDS Research Program, Mary Ellen Michel, Center for Clinical Trials Network and Dr. Steve Gust and Dale Weiss, International Program. The discussion centered on drug abuse research and addiction treatment.

The United States Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored a visit to NIDA by six central and regional officers from the Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers in Mexico. The main interests of the group were to hear about research dealing with alternatives for at risk youth, school based prevention programs and media campaigns for drug abuse prevention. While at NIDA the visitors met with Dr. Liz Ginexi, Dr. Liz Robertson, Dr. Augie Diana, and Dr. Eve Reider, DESPR, Dr. Cindy Miner, OSPC and Dale Weiss, International Program.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon, NIDA Deputy Director, presented "National Institute on Drug Abuse Progress, Priorities & Plans for the Future" on November 29, 2007, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Dr. David Shurtleff, Director, DBNBR, gave a presentation entitled "An Overview of and Future Directions for NIDA's Basic Science Research Program" at United States-Netherlands Bi-National Addiction Workshop. "Amsterdam, Netherlands on November 29, 2007.

Dr. Wilson M. Compton, M.D., M.P.E., Director, DESPR, participated in the World Health Organization/American Psychiatric Association Joint ICD-DSM workgroup to harmonize revisions to the classification of mental disorders meeting as well as the WHO/APIRE Conference on Public Health Aspects of Diagnosis and Classification of Mental Disorders, 26-28 September 2007, Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr. Wilson M. Compton, M.D., M.P.E. participated in the WHO international meeting on addiction, AIDS and hepatitis, Biarritz, France (October 23-25, 2007), where he Chaired a panel on Drug Abuse Prevention and presented a paper called: "Drug Abuse and Prevention: Preventable Brain Diseases".

On December 6th and 7th, 2007, Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, DESPR, provided consultation to members of the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction on the development of the next iteration of the EU-DAP (European Union - Drug Abuse Prevention). EU-DAP was implemented in six European Union countries, the second iteration of the program will be targeted to high risk groups and individuals and will be implemented in eight countries. Representatives of the UNODC (United Nations Office of Drug Control) were also present at the meeting and hope to implement the program in under-developed countries. The meeting was held in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Eve Reider, Ph.D., represented DESPR at the 2007 U.S.-Netherlands Workshop on Bi-National Research Collaboration on Drug Abuse and Addiction, held November 29, 2007, at the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson participated in the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction planning meeting for the 8 country replication of the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial. The meeting was held on December 6 - 7, 2007 in Vienna, Austria.

On October 10, 2007, Dr. Peter Hartsock met with representatives from Norway concerning Norwegian advances in reaching high-risk groups in order to research the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and related problems and interventions using this epidemiology to improve and evaluate their impact. Plans were discussed for joint U.S.-Norwegian research efforts.

Drs. Frank Vocci and Jag Khalsa, DPMCDA, attended and spoke at the SAA clinic's 30th anniversary celebration in Reyjkavik, Iceland on October 1-2, 2007. Dr. Vocci spoke on Addiction as a Brain Disease and Cognitive Deficits in Stimulant Users. Dr. Jag Khalsa gave a talk on Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse and Infections.

Dr. Frank Vocci attended the European College of NeuroPsychopharmacology meeting in Vienna, Austria from October 13-17, 2007. Dr. Vocci presented in the Efficacy of Disulfiram and Modafinil for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence.

Drs. Frank Vocci and Jag Khalsa attended and spoke at the FederSerD meeting in Sorrento Italy from October 28-31, 2007. Dr. Vocci spoke on Cognitive Deficits in Stimulant Abusers: Types and Possible Modulation. Dr. Vocci also attended the presentation by Dr. Giorgio Barbarino of the book: Management of Medical Disorders Associated with Drug Abuse and Addiction. Drs. Khalsa and Vocci have a chapter in the book and Dr. Vocci wrote a preface for the book. Dr. Jag Khalsa participated as the invited guest and delivered a talk on 'Management of Dually (HIV/HCV) Infected Drug Addicts'.

Drs. Frank Vocci and Ahmed Elkashef attended the World Psychiatric Association meeting in Melbourne Australia from November 28- December 1, 2007.

Dr. Vocci presented on the US Experience with Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opiate Dependence and on the Emerging Targets for Stimulant Dependence in a symposium that he and Dr. Ahmed Elkashef co-chaired on Pharmacotherapies for Methamphetamine Dependence.

On September 12-14, 2007, Ivan Montoya gave a seminar in San Jose, Costa Rica about treatment of cocaine and opioid addiction, and drug abuse treatment evaluation.

Drs. Frank Vocci, Ivan Montoya, Ahmed Elkashef and Jag Khalsa participated in the International Society of Addiction Medicine meeting in Cairo, Egypt on October 22-25, 2007. Dr. Vocci spoke on Emerging Targets for the Treatment of Stimulant Dependence and Cigarette Smoking-A Worldwide Pandemic. Dr. Jag Khalsa presented a symposium on: Why Should Addictionologists Care about Infections in Drug Addicts? Dr. Elkashef chaired a symposium on pharmacotherapies for addictions and participated in the nicotine symposium and presented on medications for smoking cessation. Dr. Monotya presented two presentations: 1) Immunotherapies of Drug Addiction and 2) Nicotine Vaccines to Help Smokers Quit. They also participated in a post-conference workshop about drug abuse research opportunities in NIDA that took place in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt on October 26th, 2007.

Dr. Ivan Montoya was a guest speaker at the International Conference on Cocaine Addiction organized by the Ministry of Health of Spain, in Madrid, Spain, on November 15-16, 2007.

Dr. Ivan Montoya participated in Drug Abuse Treatment Workshop organized by the World Health Organization and the Government of Valencia, Spain, in Valencia, Spain, on November 19-23, 2007.

Dr. Ivan Montoya participated in the U.S.-Netherlands Bi-national Collaboration meeting that took place in Amsterdam, on November 28-29, 2007.

Dr. Jag Khalsa participated and co-chaired a session on drug-drug interactions at the OAR/NIH IC-and India-sponsored meeting in New Delhi, India, September 24-27, 2007.