Meetings/Conferences

On May 22 and 23, 2003, the Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research hosted a meeting entitled The Heterogeneity of Drug Abuse. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together diverse researchers to discuss and identify ways to better describe, discriminate, and predict the nature and course of drug use disorders so as to offer more precise phenotypic indicators of underlying genetic and environmental risk. The meeting summary will be made available, and plans are underway to disseminate papers derived from this meeting in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal.

A NIDA-sponsored workshop entitled Developing Behavioral Treatments for Drug Abusers with Cognitive Impairments, organized and co-chaired by Debbie Grossman, DTR&D, Herb Weingartner, DNBR, and Lisa Onken, DTR&D was held on June 4-5, 2003 in Gaithersburg, MD.

NIDA's Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research (DESPR) sponsored a seminar on Family-Provider Partnerships for Treating Youth with Comorbid Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders on June 6, 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The seminar was conducted as part of the Systems of Care Community Meeting, sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The seminar, organized by Dr. Beverly Pringle, featured the following three NIDA grantees who presented findings from their research: Dr. Craig Anne Heflinger of Vanderbilt University, Dr. Howard Liddle of the University of Miami, and Dr. Kim Mueser of Dartmouth College.

NIDA sponsored a 3-day meeting titled Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors and Ligands: Targets for Medications on June 12-14, 2003 in Bal Harbor, Florida, prior to the meeting of the College of Problems of Drug Dependence. The meeting, chaired by Drs. Bill Corrigall and Rao Rapaka, DNBR and Dr. Frank Vocci, DTR&D, was translational in nature, in that its purpose was to introduce medicinal chemists to the biology of the nicotinic cholinergic receptor, in order to advance the synthesis of new molecular species to target the receptor. Presentations by national and international experts in receptors biology, molecular modeling and chemistry, coupled with an active audience of more than 100 people contributed to the success of the meeting. NIDA is following up recommendations from the meeting with concrete steps, specifically to examine the feasibility of establishing a compound database and repository, and encouraging collaborative research interactions.

During CPDD, Dr. Vocci and Dr. Ahmed Elkashef, DTR&D, were co-chairs of a workshop entitled Analysis of Clinical Trials Involving Substance Abuse Populations: Strategies for Missing Data on June 16, 2003.

NIDA's Women & Gender Research Group sponsored Women and Gender Junior Investigator Travel Awards at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 14-19, 2003, Bal Harbour, FL. A total of 77 applications were submitted and 31 awards were made.

NIDA's Women & Gender Research Group sponsored the "Focus on Women and Gender Differences: Mini-Program" book at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 14-19, 2003, Bal Harbour, FL.

In June 2003, Drs. Wilson Compton, DESPR, and David Shurtleff, DNBR, organized and co-chaired a symposium at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence entitled Linking Basic And Applied Research: Finding New Solutions Through Multidisciplinary Drug Abuse Research in Bal Harbour, FL.

NIDA's National Hispanic Science Network Summer Research Training Institute was held in June 2003 at the University of Houston, Houston TX. A number of NIDA staff gave presentations on a variety of topics including the following: NIDA Deputy Director, Mr. Richard A. Millstain gave two talks entitled "Bringing the Power of Science to Bear on Drug Abuse and Addiction" and "Funding Mechanisms at NIH: What You Need To Know"; Ana Anders, Senior Advisor on Special Populations, presented at a session on June 21-23; Dr. Cece McNamara, DTR&D, presented an overview of Treatment Research and Development on June 24, 2003; and Dr. Joseph Frascella, DTR&D, gave a presentation entitled "Grant Writing: Some Strategies for Success" on June 27, 2003.

NIDA's Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research (DESPR) held a research agenda-setting seminar on Primary Care and Drug Abuse on July 17-18, 2003. The seminar, organized by Drs. Jerry Flanzer and Jack Stein, brought together researchers and service providers to review what is known about current linkages among drug abuse treatment and prevention services and primary care systems and to develop a research agenda for examining the role that primary health care services can play in the early identification, prevention, and ongoing treatment of drug use problems.

On July 24-25, 2003, NIDA convened the first of three meetings of the Health Services Research Blue Ribbon Task Force in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The purpose of the Task Force is to conduct a comprehensive review of NIDA's existing health services research portfolio and to provide recommendations for future research at NIDA within the context of facilitating the rapid transfer of research to practice. This Blue Ribbon Task Force was developed at the request of the NIH Director, Dr. Elias Zerhouni. The Task Force is co-chaired by Drs. A. Thomas McLellan and Constance Weisner, both members of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. Representatives from other agencies, including the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), are also members of the working group.

On August 19-20, NIDA sponsored the Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Workgroup in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The objectives of this workgroup are to review the current and future scope of the CTN's research portfolio and to identify research strengths, gaps, and opportunities for drug abuse and addiction research. Dr. David Rosenbloom, National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse member, chairs the Workgroup.

On September 7, 2003, NIDA co-hosted a Single State Agency Directors' Meeting at the Westin Westminster, Westminster, Colorado in order to provide an overview of the CTN and create a forum to exchange important strategies for States as research findings are disseminated into practice.

NIDA hosted Blending Clinical Practice & Research: Forging Partnerships in the Rocky Mountain States to Enhance Drug Addiction Treatment at the Westin Westminster, Westminster, Colorado, September 8-9, 2003. This conference provided an opportunity for clinicians and researchers to examine cutting-edge findings about drug use and addiction and their application to clinical practice.

Dr. Tom Kresina, CAMCODA, participated in a workgroup entitled "A Working Group on the Use of Directly Observed Therapy and Other Community Based Efforts to Get HAART to Those Who Aren't Getting It" at Tufts University, Boston, February 2003. The Tufts Nutrition Collaborative, the Lifespan/Brown/Tufts Center for AIDS Research, NIDA/Center for AIDS and Other Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (CAMCODA), and the Centers jointly sponsored this workgroup for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 70 people attended the workgroup. Investigators at Brown and The Miriam Hospital collaborated with Greg Lucas, M.D. at Johns Hopkins and Alice Tang, Ph.D. The workgroup focused on four different models of providing antiretroviral therapy among active substance users in the United States, and two different adherence models providing antiretroviral therapy in the developing world, specifically Haiti and South Africa. Lessons learned in these projects were emphasized and a very active discussion focused on engaging substance users into HIV related medical care and retaining them within the context of adherence to antiretroviral medications. The importance of preventing the emergence of resistant HIV was among the key points emphasized at the conference. The proceedings of this workgroup are being prepared as a special supplement in the Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) journal.

Dr. Henry Francis and Dr. Tom Kresina, CAMCODA, co-sponsored with Meharry Medical College in Atlanta and organized a meeting on bioethics entitled "Issues, Ethics, and You: A Community Discussion of HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse, Research and Treatment", Atlanta, June 23-24, 2003. The objectives of the meeting were to: (1) identify ethical challenges in developing and maintaining partnerships among government, academic, clinical, and community-based organizations working on various aspects of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse; (2) identify ethical complexities facing a collaborative effort to address the issues in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse research and treatment; and (3) recognize regulatory and practical issues in the inclusion of minorities and underserved populations in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse.

CTN Meetings

National Steering Committee Meetings were held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June 19-21, 2003.

• The CTN Executive Committee met on June 19 and June 20 in Fort Lauderdale. The EC discussed the following: NIDA-CTN partnership with ATTCs; potential buprenorphine liver toxicity study; CTN page in upcoming NIDA Notes; and protocol related issues.
• The CTP Caucus met on June 19 in Fort Lauderdale. The group heard reports on how the CTN Nodes are moving to incorporate consumers into CTN activities. Several new protocols were reviewed and discussed. A member from Dr. Paul Roman's grant which is studying the CTN presented some initial findings and answered questions regarding future activities.
• The Portfolio Coordinating Committee met on June 20, 2003. The members finalized the revised protocol review process and addressed issues regarding selection of Community Treatment Programs for studies in the CTN.
• The Operations Coordinating Committee met on June 20, 2003. Among the topics covered were the review and approval of the DMAS executive summary and recommendation of DMAS dated 6/12/03 to "require more than one data acquisition for the CTN".
• The External Affairs Coordinating Committee met on June 20, 2003. The group heard reports from several subcommittees. It was announced that NIDA Notes will include a regular column on the CTN. Upcoming publications and guidelines for dissemination were also addressed.
• The Executive Committee met on July 14, 2003, in Bethesda, Maryland, to develop the CTN roadmap for the next five years.
• Other groups met during the June Steering Committee Meeting such as the CTN Common Assessment Battery, Behavior Therapy Interest Group, the Treatment Matching Interest Group, and a combined Minority and Gender Interest Group Meeting.

The CTN Protocol Review Board met in Bethesda, Maryland, on August 13-14, 2003 to review the fourth wave of new protocols.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, presented the keynote address at the Chief Resident Immersion Training Program (CRIT) in Brewster, Massachusetts on May 15th, 2003.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, unveiled the grand prize artwork from the "Heads Up: Real News About Your Drugs and Your Body" poster contest at the Scholastic Headquarters in New York, New York on May 16, 2003.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, Dr. David Shurtleff, DNBR, Mark Swieter, OEA, and Dr. Scott Lucas, McLean Hospital presented a Grant Writing Workshop at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Annual Meeting in Bal Harbour, Florida on June 16, 2003.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, presented "Science to Service: Blending Research and Practice" at the District of Columbia 2003 Summer Institute at Gallaudet University on July 16, 2003.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, participated in a plenary session "Addiction is a Brain Disease: Blending Research and Practice" at the 4th Annual Arizona Summer Institute in Sedona, Arizona on July 24, 2003.

Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, presented at the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, 8th Annual Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, as part of the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, which was held on May 18, 2003 in San Francisco, California.

Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, presented "NIH Research Funding Opportunities: Overview and Suggestions" at the Society for Prevention Research annual meeting on June 12, 2003 in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, organized and coordinated the 2003 NIDA Tutorials at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) annual meeting on June 14, 2003 in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, organized and coordinated both the 2003 NIDA Grant Writing Workshop and Training Mixer at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) annual meeting on June 17, 2003 in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Dr. Suman Rao and Monica Jones, OSPC, participated in the 5th Annual NIH/SBIR/STTR Conference held on June 2-3, 2003 at the Natcher Conference Center, NIH. Drs. Pushpa Thadani, DNBR, and Larry Seitz, DESPR, participated in the 1-on-1 sessions. This conference served as an opportunity for the SBIR/STTR community to talk with NIH staff about new/emerging interests at NIH, the application, review and award process as well as to discuss their innovative ideas.

Dr. Lula Beatty, Chief, Special Populations Office (SPO), participated in a panel at CPDD on June 17, 2002 in Bal Harbour, Florida. She presented a talk entitled "NIDA's Programs to Train and Support Racial/Ethnic Minority Drug Abuse Researchers."

Dr. Lula Beatty presented a session on drug abuse research opportunities to the NIH EARDA program participants on June 24, 2003 in Rockville, Maryland.

Dr. Lula Beatty participated as a faculty advisor in a research development seminar for racial/ethnic investigators sponsored by the Minority Fellowship Program, American Psychological Association, on July 17, 2003 in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Lula Beatty presented a session on NIH funding mechanisms at a workshop for minority investigators in HIV prevention research sponsored by the NIH Office on AIDS on July 26-27, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ana Anders presented information on NIDA's National Hispanic Science Network to faculty from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities on July 31, 2003 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Ana Anders participated in a meeting of CSAP's Hispanic Initiative Steering Committee on August 4-6, 2003 in Miami, Florida.

Drs. Karen Skinner and Herbert Weingartner from DNBR, and Bill Bukoski from DESPR, were invited discussants at the NIH Bioengineering Consortium Symposium "Catalyzing Team Science" held June 23 and 24, 2003 at the Natcher Conference Center.

Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington, NIDA's Women & Gender Research Coordinator, chaired the session, "Sex/Gender Differences" at the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health 3rd Annual Program Directors' Meeting, sponsored by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, July 7-8, 2003, Bethesda, MD.

Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington, NIDA's Women & Gender Research Coordinator, gave the keynote address at the Alcohol & Drug Problems Association of North America (ADPA) national women's conference, September 14 --16, 2003, Buffalo, NY.

Dr. Frank Vocci, Director, DTR&D, attended the CSAT sponsored workshop: Methadone Associated Mortality: A National Assessment Workshop in Arlington, VA on May 8-9, 2003.

Dr. Frank Vocci attended the BIO meeting in Washington, DC. On June 23, 2003, Drs. Vocci and Corrigall from NIDA, and Dr. Robert Lipsky of NIAAA spoke at a session on unmet needs for medications in addictions and how to interact with the Federal government.

Dr. Vocci traveled to Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 27, 2003. While at Eli Lilly and Company, he presented Grand Rounds on August 28, 2003.

On May 27, 2003, Dr. Cece McNamara, DTR&D, presented a talk on Behavioral Therapies highlighting Contingency Management Interventions to a group of visitors to the State Department interested in drug abuse research.

Dr. Cece McNamara attended the Annual Meeting on the College on Problems of Drug Dependence in Bal Harbour, Florida to update the Contingency Management Working Group on the current Contingency Management Grant Portfolio and discuss future initiatives and directions with the Working Group.

Dr. Steven Grant represented NIDA on the trans-institute Cognitive Neuroscience Consortium during the planning and conduct of the conference on Executive Function held as a satellite to the annual meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in New York City, June 15-17, 2003.

Dr. Joseph Frascella, DTR&D, participated in the ONDCP/CTAC meeting to define a developmental plan to improve technological tools for substance abuse research in San Diego, CA, July 7-9, 2003.

Mr. Robert L. Walsh, DTR&D, gave presentations on HIPAA to the Methamphetamine Clinical Trials Group's site physicians, and research personnel, at the Bupropion Study Initiation Meeting on May 22, and 23, 2003, in San Diego, California.

Dr. Roberta Kahn, Ms. Ann Montgomery and Mr. Robert Walsh participated in the RPR 102681 Study Initiation Meeting held on July 9, 2003 in the Clinical Pharmacology Unit at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, Maryland.

On June 19, 2003 at the CPDD meeting in Bal Harbour Florida, Dr. Jane B. Acri presented a poster entitled "NIDA Medications Discovery Programs I: Efficacy-Related Testing" and Dr. David McCann presented a poster entitled "NIDA Medications Discovery Programs II: Safety-Related Testing."

Drs. William Corrigall, DNBR, and Ivan Montoya, DTR&D, participated in a series of work group meetings on "Addressing Tobacco Dependence among Smokers with Mental Illness or Addiction" sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dr. Ivan Montoya, DTR&D, presented at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco meeting in New Orleans, LA, the results of a study examining the prevalence of nicotine problems in patients seen in routine psychiatric practice and comparing the sociodemographic, clinical, and health care characteristics of psychiatric patients with and without nicotine problems.

Dr. Ivan Montoya, DTR&D, was invited to present at the seventh annual meeting of the National Hispanic Medical Association in Washington DC on. The topic of his presentation was "Hispanic Drug Abuse Research."

Dr. Ivan Montoya, DTR&D, organized and chaired two symposia at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Conference in Washington, D. C. April 13-16, 2003. One was entitled "Treatment of Opioid-Dependent Adolescents" and the other "Treatment Needs of Pregnant Women Receiving Methadone Treatment."

Dr. Wilson Compton, Director, DESPR, presented at a training workshop lead by Dr. Bill Bukoski at the College on Problems of Dependence Annual Meeting held in Bal Harbour, FL in June 2003.

In May 2003, Dr. Wilson Compton participated in meetings at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco on preparing for DSM-V.

Dr. Kevin Conway, DESPR, presented a paper entitled "Familial/Genetic Vulnerability in Drug Abuse Epidemiology" at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 14, 2003.

Dr. Yonette Thomas, DESPR, presented a paper entitled "The Social Epidemiology of Drug Abuse: Bringing Social Environment into Focus" at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 14, 2003.

Dr. Moira O'Brien, DESPR, gave a presentation, "Assessing Drug Abuse Patterns and Trends: Drug Abuse Surveillance and Research at the National and Local Levels," for the Society for Epidemiologic Research Meeting, in Atlanta, Georgia, June 12-14, 2003.

Dr. Lynda Erinoff, DESPR, was the discussant for a panel on "Drug Studies Focusing on Racial and Ethnic Populations: Giving More Attention to Minorities" held July 29, 2003 at the National Institute of Justice's Annual Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation.

Dr. Moira O'Brien, DESPR, chaired the meeting of the NIDA Community Epidemiology Work Group, in St. Louis, Missouri, June 24-27, 2003.

On May 22 and 23, 2003 Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, DESPR, provided technical assistance to the Wyoming Division of Substance Abuse in developing program and evaluation plans for a state-wide wilderness-based drug abuse prevention program intervention. The meeting was sponsored by The Daniels Fund Wyoming and was held in Jackson Hole, WY.

On June 12, 2003, Dr. Elizabeth Robertson was a panelist on "A Framework for Understanding Evidence in Prevention Research and Programs" and a discussant on a paper titled, "Can Sequential Experimentation Hasten the Progress of Prevention Science?" at the 11th Annual Society for Prevention Research meeting held in Washington, DC.

On June 14, 2003 Drs. Elizabeth Robertson (NIDA) and Belinda Sims (NIMH) co-hosted a symposium titled "The Impact of Universal Interventions on High-risk Populations, at the 11th Annual Society for Prevention Research meeting held in Washington, DC. Symposium presenters were Richard Spoth and Max Guyll, Iowa State University; Mark Greenberg, Chi-Ming Kam and Carol Kusche, Pennsylvania Statue University; Mark Lipsey, Vanderbilt University; and C. Hendricks Brown, University of South Florida.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson participated in the OBBSR planning committee for an NIH conference on Designs for Translational and Effectiveness Research at the Community Level. This committee met on August 20, 2003.

Dr. Susan Martin participated in a meeting on Positive Youth Development sponsored by the Annenberg School of Communication in Philadelphia on May 28-30, 2003.

Dr. Susan Martin presented, "Dissemination of Scientific Findings from a NIDA Perspective: Bridging the Gaps between Research and Practice," on June 12, 2003 at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research in Washington D.C.

Dr. Aria Crump, DESPR, presented a talk titled "NIH Data and Safety Monitoring in Prevention Research" on June 12, 2003 at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research in Washington, D.C.

Drs. Aria Crump, Bill Bukoski, Kathleen Etz, Susan Martin, Shakeh Kaftarian, and Eve Reider of DESPR participated in a meeting held by the Early Career Preventionist Network of the Society for Prevention Research on June 12, 2003. The meeting was designed to provide early career investigators with opportunities to make contacts with staff from NIH and other federal partners to develop prevention research studies.

Drs. Eve Reider, NIDA, and Belinda Sims, NIMH, organized a symposium for Society for Prevention Research annual meeting on June 13 in Washington D.C., titled "Long-Term Impact of Prevention Interventions on Health Risking Behaviors." The symposium focused on the long-term outcomes of prevention interventions conducted by J. David Hawkins, University of Washington, David Olds, University of Colorado, and Irwin Sandler, Arizona State University.

Drs. Aria Crump, Kathleen Etz, Elizabeth Robertson, and Eve Reider of DESPR held a roundtable discussion, "Can Prevention Studies Inform Etiological Research? A Case Study Involving Gender Effects in Prevention Research," on June 13, 2003 at the Society for Prevention Research Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Aria Crump of DESPR collaborated with Dr. Cheryl Boyce of NIMH to present a New Investigators' Informational Forum on June 13, 2003 at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research in Washington, D.C.

Drs. Shakeh Kaftarian and Elizabeth Robertson presented a poster at the Society for Prevention Research titled, "From Research to Practice: What Helps and Hinders Program Selection, Implementation and Institutionalization," on June 13, 2003, in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Aria Crump attended the Family Research Consortium Fifth Annual Summer Institute, a forum for intellectual exchange among family researchers that was held in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico June 26-29, 2003.

Drs. Shakeh Kaftarian and Aria Crump attended the Scientific Advisory Panel Meeting of the National Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Institute (CADCA) on July 10-11, 2003 in Washington D.C., and participated in discussions related to multi-site evaluations of coalitions.

Dr. Jack Stein, DESPR, presented "Drug Dependence Blending Adolescent Treatment Research and Practice: Update from the National Institute on Drug Abuse" during the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's Satellite Session: From Science to Services: Effective Practices for Substance Abuse Treatment, at the Annual Scientific Meeting of The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, in Bal Harbour, Florida, on June 14, 2003.

Dr. Jack Stein participated in a roundtable discussion on research opportunities at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Effectiveness, in Bal Harbour, Florida, on June 15, 2003.

Dr. William S. Cartwright, DESPR, delivered a paper, "Applied Economic Research in Behavioral Health Care" at the International Health Economics 4th World Congress, Global Health Economics: Bridging Research and Reforms in San Francisco June 15th - 18th, 2003.

Dr. William S. Cartwright presented "Economic Impact of Substance Abuse Treatment and Benefits of Treatment" at the Drug Free Workforce Conference in Washington DC on July 10, 2003. The conference was sponsored by the Department of Labor to examine improving productivity and other employment outcomes through substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. Dr. Thomas Hilton served on the conference planning committee.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer, DESPR, presented a paper on "Drug Abuse Health Services Research: AIDS and the Elderly" at the AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Elderly Conference sponsored by the School of Social Work at Columbia University, in New York on March 8, 2003.

Edward Nunes, M.D. (Lead Investigator and Node PI) and Paul Wakim, Ph.D., chaired a CTN workshop titled "From Efficacy to Effectiveness in the Design of Multisite, Community-Based Clinical Trials for Drug Abuse" at the College on Problems of Drug Dependency (CPDD) Meeting June 14-19, 2003, in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Betty Tai, Ph.D., Director, CCTN, co-chaired with Raye Litten, Ph.D., from NIAAA, a pre-meeting symposium at the Research Society on Alcoholism meeting in Fort Lauderdale on June 21, 2003. This signified the first step of NIDA/NIAAA collaboration in translating research into practice.

Dr. Jonathan Katz, IRP, was the keynote speaker at the thirteenth annual "Training in Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Dependence Summer Retreat" held by the University of Vermont in Burlington. The title of his talk was "Drug Discovery Research on Cocaine Dependence."

Dr. Amy Newman, IRP, was invited to present a seminar in the Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC in June 2003.