Computational Models: Applications to Drug Abuse

May 30-31, 2000

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is interested in developing and fostering a computational modeling program that can use new perspectives, models and paradigms to better understand drug abuse and addiction. NIDA sponsored a workshop held May 30-31, 2000 on "Computational Models: Applications to Drug Abuse," to explore how computational and theoretical modeling could be used in drug abuse research. Workshop participants included researchers studying the neurobiology and behavior of drug abuse and researchers using computational modeling techniques in a variety of other applications. The purpose of this meeting was to explore with experts in drug abuse research and in computational and theoretical modeling the needs, gaps and promising areas of research, and to begin a discussion of possible approaches NIDA could take to foster computational and theoretical approaches to drug abuse. In the course of the two-day meeting, the participants considered these broad issues and, at the same time, discussed some specific challenges and questions facing this potential and emerging field in their presentations and discussions. These questions included:

1. Can we model our current knowledge related to substance abuse and addiction to gain additional insight into underlying neurobiological, cognitive and behavioral processes?

2. What are the most promising areas of research that could benefit from a modeling approach in the near term?

3. What additional cognitive, neurobiological and behavioral data would be useful for developing models of drug abuse and addiction?

4. What existing models and computational techniques can be applied to substance abuse and addiction, and is there a need for substantial development of new techniques? For example, do we need new reinforcement models, and do we need additional dynamic models to accommodate drug effects on cellular homeostasis?

Conclusions

1. The participants saw a great potential for collaborations that would apply computational methodology to problems of importance for a scientific understanding of drug abuse and addiction, such as neural modulation, cellular homeostasis, learning and memory, decision making and economics, and behavioral flexibility.

2. Participants saw value, and application to drug abuse and addiction, in developing computational models at all levels of analysis from macro level economic and behavioral models through micro-level cellular regulation and homeostasis models.

3. Both theoretical modeling approaches as well as those more integrated with experimental data were thought to be equally important for drug abuse research.

4. The participants saw a particular need for pre- and post-doctoral training in computational approaches and the need to strongly support newly independent faculty trained to use and develop computational methods.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

WORKSHOP
Computational Models: Applications to Drug Abuse

May 30-31, 2000
PARTICIPANT LIST

Antoine Bechara, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Neurology Department of Neurology University of Iowa Health Care 200 Hawkins Drive Iowa City, IA 52242 (319) 356-4913 (319) 356-4505 FAX antoine-bechara@uiowa.edu	Regina M. Carelli, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB 3270, Davie Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270 (919) 962-8775 (919) 962-2537 FAX rcarelli@unc.edu
Gregory S. Berns, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Suite 4000, 1639 Pierce Drive Atlanta, GA 30322 (404) 727-2556 (404) 727-3233 FAX gberns@emory.edu	Michael E. Hasselmo, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Psychology and Program in Experimental and Computational Neuroscience Boston University 64 Cummington Street Boston, MA 02215 (617) 353-1397 (617) 353-1424 FAX hasselmo@bu.edu
Colin F. Camerer, Ph.D. Axline Professor of Business Economics Division of Humanities and Social Sciences California Institute of Technology M/C 228-77 Pasadena, CA 91125 (626) 395-4054 (626) 432-1726 FAX camerer@hss.caltech.edu	Gene M. Heyman, Ph.D. Research Psychologist Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory McLean Hospital Harvard University Medical School East House III Belmont, MA 02478 (617) 855-2719 (617) 855-3711 FAX gmheyman@mclean.harvard.edu
Steven Hursh, Ph.D. Program Manager for Biomedical Modeling Science Applications International Corp. Adjunct Professor Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine Suite 301, 626 Towne Center Drive Joppa, MD 21085 (410) 538-2901 (410) 679-9800 FAX hurshs@saic.com	Eve E. Marder, Ph.D. Professor of Neuroscience Volen Center Brandeis University Waltham, MA 02454 (781) 736-3140 (781) 736-3142 FAX marder@brandeis.edu
Julie A. Kauer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neurobiology Duke University Medical Center Box 3209 Durham, NC 27710 (919) 681-6168 (919) 684-4431 FAX juliek@neuro.duke.edu	James L. McClelland, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology and Computer Science Codirector of CNBC Carnegie Mellon University 115 Mellon Institute 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268-3157 (412) 268-5060 FAX mcclelland@cmu.edu
Eugene A. Kiyatkin, M.D., Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow Cellular Neurophysiology Behavioral Neuroscience Branch Intramural Research Program National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health 5500 Nathan Shock Drive Baltimore, MD 21224 (410) 550-5551 (410) 550-5553 FAX ekiyatki@intra.nida.nih.gov	P. Read Montague, Ph.D. Associate Professor Division of Neuroscience Baylor College of Medicine 1 Baylor Plaza Houston, TX 77030 (713) 798-3134 (713) 798-3946 FAX read@bcm.tmc.edu
Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D. Director National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Room 5274, MSC 9581 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-9581 (301) 443-6480 (301) 443-9127 FAX al16m@nih.gov	Steven R. Quartz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences California Institute of Technology 228-77 Pasadena, CA 91125 (626) 395-4401 (626) 793-8580 FAX steve@hss.caltech.edu
Jeremy K. Seamans, Ph.D. Research Associate Computational Neurobiology Laboratories The Salk Institute 10010 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 453-4100, ext. 1148 (858) 587-0417 FAX jeremy@salk.edu	Nora D. Volkow, M.D. Associate Laboratory Director for Life Sciences Medical Department Brookhaven National Laboratory Building 490 30 Bell Avenue Upton, NY 11973-5000 (631) 344-3335 (631) 344-5260 FAX volkow@bnl.gov
David Shurtleff, Ph.D. Acting Deputy Director Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Room 4282, MSC 9555 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 (301) 443-1887 (301) 594-6043 FAX ds17la@nih.gov	Susan F. Volman, Ph.D. Program Director Behavioral Neurobiology Research Branch Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Room 4282, MSC 9555 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 (301) 435-1315 (301) 594-6043 FAX susan_volman@nih.gov
Karen J. Skinner, Ph.D. Acting Director Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Room 4282, MS 9555 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 (301) 443-1887 (301) 594-6043 FAX ks79x@nih.gov	Rudy E. Vuchinich, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychology Auburn University Auburn, AL 36849 (334) 844-6493 (334) 844-4447 FAX vuchire@mail.auburn.edu
Herbert Weingartner, Ph.D. Health Scientist Administrator Behavioral Sciences Research Branch Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Room 4282, MSC 9555 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 (301) 443-6036 (301) 594-6043 FAX herbw@nih.gov	Francis J. White, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Chicago Medical School Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Finch University of Health Sciences 3333 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064-3095 (847) 578-3270 (847) 578-3268 FAX whitef@mis.finchcms.edu
R. Mark Wightman, Ph.D. W.R. Kenan Jr. Professor Department of Chemistry University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB 3290, Venable Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290 (919) 962-1472 (919) 962-2388 FAX rmw@unc.edu

NIDA Home | Site Map | Search | FAQs | Accessibility | Privacy | FOIA (NIH) | Employment | Print Version _ The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Questions? See our Contact Information. Last updated on Monday, March 20, 2006.