National Institute on Drug Abuse
Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug
Abuse
May, 1997
Meetings/Conferences
On February 6, 1997, NIDA co-sponsored a day-long symposium with the
journal Hospital Practice (a publication of McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.).
The symposium, entitled "New Understandings of Drug Addiction"
was chaired by Dr. Alan Leshner. The purpose of this meeting was to bring
primary care physicians current information on the biology of drug addiction
and its implications for treatment. Proceedings from the symposium were
published in a Hospital Practice Special Report which was distributed in
April 1997 to over 60,000 practicing physicians.
On Friday April 18, 1997 NIDA co-sponsored with the American Society
of Addiction Medicine a day long Symposium entitled "Maximizing Treatment
Effectiveness: Applying Research to Practice." This session was held
at the annual medical-scientific conference of the American Society of Addiction
Medicine, in San Diego California. This was planned by NIDA staff from the
Treatment Research Workgroup and the Health Services Research Workgroup
as one of the activities for the new NIDA Treatment Initiative. The Symposium
was co-chaired by Stephen R. Zukin, M.D., Director of the Division of Clinical
and Services Research and Frank Vocci, Ph.D., Acting Director, Medications
Development Division.
NIDA organized a "Town Meeting" in Dallas, Texas entitled "Understanding
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Myth vs. Reality" on March 24, 1997. Dr.
Leshner and NIDA researchers discussed ways that policy makers, organizations,
schools, and communities can utilize the latest scientific research to assess
state and local drug problems and develop programs to meet these needs.
On April 1-2, 1997, Institute staff represented NIDA in an NIH Office
of AIDS-sponsored FY 1999 Planning Workshop on AIDS Research. Each member
worked for several months to prepare a Draft Plan that was finalized at
the Workshop. Katherine Davenny and Harry Haverkos, M.D., worked on issues
related to the Natural History of AIDS and Drug Abuse; Henry Francis, M.D.
(Chief, CMB), worked on Etiology and Pathogenesis, and Vaccines; Jag Khalsa,
Ph.D., worked on various aspects of Therapeutics including chemopreventive
interventions for HIV/AIDS in drug abusers; and Richard Needle, Ph.D. and
Steven Gust, Ph.D., represented NIDA on the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Research Workgroup.
NIDA Director Alan I. Leshner and Deputy Director Richard A. Millstein
held a mini-retreat with CSAT Director David Mactas and CSAT Deputy Director
Camille Barry to discuss drug abuse research and the SAMHSA Knowledge Development
and Application (KDA) program, December 30, 1996.
On March 20-21, 1997, the Special Populations Office sponsored a two-day
research development seminar in Bethesda, MD, for recipients of NIDA minority
supplement awards. The workshop provided technical assistance to 15 recipients
at the post-doctoral and investigator levels.
On April 21, 1997, the Special Populations Office as part of its Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative held a one-day meeting
with HBCU administrators.
On April 15, 1997, as part of NIDA's HBCU Initiative, a half-day university
seminar on drug abuse and neuroscience was held at Howard University. Dr.
Leshner was the keynote speaker and presentations were made by NIDA grantees
and Howard faculty members engaged in drug abuse research.
On February 14-15, 1997, as part of NIDA's HBCU Initiative, a technical
assistance workshop was held with faculty members from approximately 10
HBCU.
NIDA Deputy Director Richard A. Millstein gave a presentation on what
we know about drug abuse before Montgomery County Public School Security
Officers at the University of Maryland, Shady Grove Campus, on January 31,
1997.
NIDA Deputy Director Richard A. Millstein met with ONDCP Deputy Director,
Dr. Hoover Adger and ONDCP Deputy Director for Demand Reduction Ricia McMahon
on NIDA's history, goals, mission and research program on February 12, 1997.
NIDA Deputy Director Richard A. Millstein was a speaker at the Special
Populations Research Development Seminar Series for Recipients of Research
Supplements for Underrepresented Minorities on March 20, 1997 in Bethesda,
MD.
NIDA Deputy Director Richard A. Millstein spoke to the newly formed CEWG
Advisory Group at its initial meeting on March 26, 1997.
On April 11, 1997, Pamela Goodlow, Special Populations Office, and Arnold
Mills, Community Research Branch, presented NIDA's HBCU Initiative at the
Twenty-First National Conference on Blacks in Higher Education sponsored
by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)
in Washington, DC.
On April 18, 1997, Lula Beatty presented at a session on Faculty Research
and Training Opportunities in Social and Behavioral Sciences at a national
conference sponsored by the National Science Foundation held in New Orleans,
LA.
On February 7, 1997, Lula Beatty presented an overview of drug abuse
research for the NIH Extramural Scientists program.
On February 28, 1997, Lula Beatty held a round table on drug abuse research
at a meeting sponsored by the Office on Ethnic Affairs of the American Psychological
Association in Washington, DC.
Lula Beatty attended the meeting of the Committee for Women In Psychology
as liaison from the Division of Women, American Psychological Association.
Dr. Frank Vocci presented an overview on NIDA-VA clinical trials research
at a VA sponsored meeting entitled The Impact of VA Research on the Management
of Substance Abuse Disorders. The meeting was held in Washington, D.C. on
February 26, 1997.
Dr. Frank Vocci presented at a workshop entitled Buprenorphine: An Update
on its Development at the American Methadone Treatment Association meeting
in Chicago on April 14, 1997. Drs. Eric Strain of Johns Hopkins University,
Dr. Walter Ling of ULLA, and Dr. John Mendelson of UCSF were co-presenters.
Dr. Vocci and Mr. Joel Egertson also presented an update on the use of LAAM.
Dr. Frank Vocci and Dr. Steven Zukin (DCSR) co-chaired the NIDA/American
Society of Addiction Medicine Symposium entitled Maximizing Treatment Effectiveness:
Applying Research to Practice on April 18, 1997 at the ASAM meeting in San
Diego, CA.
Dr. Peter Cohen, MDD participated in a Symposium at the annual meeting
of the American Society of Addiction Medicine held on April 18, 1997, entitled
Maximizing Treatment Effectiveness: Applying Research to Practice, co-sponsored
by NIDA and ASAM.
Dr. David McCann, Chief of the Pharmacology and Toxicology Branch, presented
an overview of efforts within the Medications Development Division to a
group of approximately 30 journalists on February 19, 1997. The presentation,
given at the NIDA Addiction Research Center in Baltimore, was part of a
week-long lecture series focusing on the war on drugs.
Dr. Jack Blaine, Chief, Treatment Research Branch, DCSR participated
in a meeting in New York City on May 1-2, 1997 to plan the analysis for
the Drug and Alcohol Use Disorders Reliability and Validity data from the
WHO-NIH Joint Project on Diagnosis and Classification of Mental Disorders,
Alcohol and Drug Related Problems.
On April 23-24, 1997, Drs. Lisa Onken and Jack Blaine, both of DCSR,
chaired the first meeting of NIDA Stage I investigators whose funding began
in fiscal years 1995-1997. The purpose of this meeting was to facilitate
NIDA's Stage 1 behavioral therapies development research program. Investigators
discussed inherent difficulties in conducting Stage 1 projects, and in progressing
from a successful Stage I project to Stage II. Senior Stage I investigators
(funded in 1993/1994) were present to share their experience in conducting
an early behavioral therapy development research project.
On February 20, Drs. Stephen R. Zukin and Lisa Onken met with representatives
of the American Society of Addiction Medicine to discuss NIDA's Treatment
Initiative. On March 3, they met with representatives of the National Association
of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors for the same purpose. Both groups provided
valuable input to NIDA on the Initiative, and expressed great interest in
the Initiative.
On April 15, 1997 NIDA held a meeting on the NIDA-funded Methadone Treatment
Quality Assurance Feasibility Study with State Methadone Authority representatives
and treatment providers participating in the field trial of MTQAS. This
session was held at the American Methadone Treatment Association in Chicago
and was co-sponsored by CSAT. The purpose of this meeting was to address
the feasibility of developing and implementing a performance-based monitoring
system in narcotic addiction treatment to improve program performance and
also to discuss using this approach in an accreditation process. NIDA participants
included Dorynne Czechowicz, M.D. and James Cooper, M.D. The CSAT participants
were Dr. Joyce Johnson, Richard Sampson and Robert Lubran.
On April 16, 1997 NIDA sponsored a workshop entitled "Developing
and Using an Outcomes-based Monitoring System In Narcotic Addiction Treatment"
at the American Methadone Treatment Association Meeting in Chicago. Representatives
from state agencies and providers participating in the NIDA-funded Methadone
Treatment Quality Assurance feasibility study field trial participated in
the workshop with NIDA staff, Dorynne
Czechowicz, M.D. and James Cooper, M.D. Information was presented on
how MTQAS may be used for monitoring and improving program performance.
Dr. Joseph Frascella, Chief of the Etiology and Clinical Neurobiology
Branch, Division of Clinical and Services Research, participated in a recent
NIDA Research Development Seminar for Minority Supplement Recipients where
he gave a presentation on the NIH grant process and served as a faculty
mentor. The meeting was held in Bethesda, Maryland on March 21-22, 1997.
Dr. David Shurtleff was a discussant at the National Bureau of Economic
Research sponsored meeting entitled The Economic Analysis of Substance Use
and Abuse: An Integration of Econometric and Behavioral Economic Research
in Boston, March 27-28, 1997.
Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington chaired a session at the National Bureau of
Economic Research sponsored meeting entitled The Economic Analysis of Substance
Use and Abuse: An Integration of Econometric and Behavioral Economic Research
in Boston, March 27-28, 1997.
Dr. Jaylan Turkkan and Dr. David Shurtleff presented a symposium at the
University of Maryland College Park about behavioral and cognitive approaches
to drug abuse and addiction, including recent program initiatives. The Behavioral
Sciences Research Branch will next be traveling to Columbia University,
and then to the University of Pennsylvania to interact with faculty and
students, and to present information about NIDA's initiatives.
Dr. Jaylan Turkkan attended the annual meeting of Chairmen of Graduate
Departments of Psychology (COGDOP) in Savannah, Georgia, where she presented
information about funding opportunities in behavioral and cognitive sciences.
Dr. Jag Khalsa of the Clinical Medicine Branch, DCSR, participated in
a NIH-sponsored meeting entitled On the Threshold of Discovery: Merging
Science and Supplements to Promote Health, A Strategic Plan for the Office
of Dietary Supplements. This was a major meeting where many NIH ICDs were
represented to finalize a plan for further research on dietary supplements.
Dr. Peter Delany participated with other NIH representatives on a panel
entitled How to Enhance Federal Funding Opportunities at the Annual Program
for the Council of Social Work Education in Chicago on March 7, 1997.
On April 7, 1997, Dr. Bennett Fletcher hosted a Health Services Research
Seminar on Findings from the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS).
Presentations were given by Dr. Fletcher, Dr. Dwayne Simpson from Texas
Christian University, Dr. Robert Hubbard from NDRI, and Dr. Douglas Anglin
from UCLA. The seminar presented a first look at DATOS post treatment outcomes.
On April 12, 1997, Dr. Fletcher served as a discussant on a panel that
presented research on conducting drug abuse treatment cost and cost-effectiveness
studies at the Eastern Psychological Association meeting.
On April 18, 1997, Dr. Fletcher presented a paper at the American Society
for Addiction Medicine meeting in San Diego describing changes in patients
and treatment programs observed in the DATOS study, and the impact of these
changes on how drug abuse treatment is delivered.
Dr. Zili Sloboda and Susan David of DEPR chaired two workshops highlighting
the prevention research of Karol Kumpfer and Leona Eggert at the national
PRIDE conference held in Atlanta, Georgia on March 6, 1997.
On February 11-13, 1997, Richard H. Needle, Ph.D., MPH, Chief of the
Community Research Branch, DEPR participated in the NIH Consensus Development
Conference on Interventions to Prevent HIV Risk Behaviors. The purpose of
the conference was to examine what is known about behavioral interventions
that are effective with different populations in different settings for
the two primary modes of HIV transmission: unsafe sexual behaviors and unsafe
injection practices.
Peter Hartsock, Dr.P.H., Community Research Branch, DEPR, participated
in the NIH Consensus Development Conference on the Management of Hepatitis
C, held on March 24-26, 1997.
At the Hispanic Initiative Research Meeting January 28, 1997, Dr. Coryl
Jones ERB/DEPR presented a discussion paper on the need to integrate human
development research in minority research on drug abuse, particularly socialization
of the child in cultural, racial, and ethnic studies.
Dr. Coryl Jones, ERB/DEPR was the invited speaker at The Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health Seminar Series held January 29, 1997. Her presentation
focused on conceptualizing and operationalizing interdisciplinary drug abuse
research and career development.
Dr. Coryl Jones, ERB/DEPR, NIDA representative to the Federal Task Force
on Child Abuse and Neglect and member of its Interagency Research Committee
on Children, presented a report on the NIDA research portfolio on child
abuse at the Fifth Forum on Federally Funded Child Abuse and Neglect Research,
March 19, 1997.
On April 28, 1997, Dr. Coryl Jones, ERB/DEPR, and Dr. Bernie Auchter,
National Institute of Justice, in collaboration with representatives of
12 agencies collaborating in the NIH Consortium on Violence Against Women
and Within The Family will hold the first annual meeting of senior scientific
staff of the grants funded by the Consortium.
Larry A. Seitz, Ph.D., PRB, DEPR, presented at the American Association
of State Colleges and Universities' Office of Federal Programs Spring Meeting
held at the Washington Marriott Hotel on March 17, 1997. This Update on
Research Funding in the Area of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention discussed
the various research programs and funding opportunities in the area of ATOD
prevention.
Dr. Edythe D. London, IRP, gave Grand Rounds Brain Imaging Studies of
Substance Abusers at Beth Israel Medical Center held in New York, NY, on
February 20, 1997.
Dr. Steven J. Grant, IRP, presented a paper entitled Drug Abusers Show
Impaired Performance on a Test of Orbitofrontal Function at the Cognitive
Neuroscience
Meeting held in Boston, MA on March 23-25, 1997.
Dr. Steven J. Grant, IRP, gave a seminar entitled Positron Emission Tomography
Studies of Cocaine Craving: Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to Addiction
at Columbia University, New York, NY on March 26, 1997.
Sari Izenwasser, IRP, presented a lecture entitled Mechanisms of Cocaine
Addiction: Relationship to Dopamine Transporter Heterogeneity at Grand Rounds
in the Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine.
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