Meetings and Conferences

On May 17-18 and June 22, 2004, NIDA convened a meeting of the Medications Development Program Work Group in Bethesda, Maryland. This meeting was coordinated by Dr. Denise Pintello, OSPC. The purpose of this Work Group was to evaluate NIDA's Medications Development program and advise the Institute on strategies to maximize the clinical development of new medications for the treatment of drug abuse and addiction. The Work Group members and Chair, Dr. Peter Kalivas, have prepared a report based on their findings and recommendations.

On July 26-27, 2004, NIDA convened the first meeting of the Minority Health Disparities Work Group in Washington D.C., which was coordinated by Dr. Denise Pintello, OSPC. The primary objective of this Work Group is to review NIDA's Minority Health Disparities Program and to make recommendations to effectively address research needs and priorities, research training, collaborations, and outreach and dissemination activities for minority populations. The Work Group is chaired by Dr. Jose Szapocznik who is a member of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

NIDA, in collaboration with SAMHSA, hosted a pre-conference meeting for State Directors, Strengthening Federal-State Partnerships to Enhance Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices, at the annual NASADAD conference in Portland, Maine on June 5, 2004. The chief purpose of the meeting was to inform State Directors about the CTN and ATTC dissemination efforts and assist them in linking with CTN nodes and ATTCs. OSPC, DESPR, and CCTN staff from NIDA participated in the meeting.

NIDA held a Tutorials Workshop on June 12, 2004, prior to the 2004 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The presentations this year included: (1) "Cultural sensitivity, human subject protection, community requirements, and data quality in addictions research" by Dr. Arlene Stiffman, (2) "Anti-craving medications: A potential target for medication development" by Dr. Charles O'Brien, (3) "Behavioral pharmacology (pre-clinical and clinical)" by Dr. Linda Dykstra, and (4) "Effects of drugs of abuse on the immune system, including HIV expression" by Dr. Jean Bidlack. Approximately 30 NIDA Director's Travel Awards were issued to current NIDA fellows and trainees. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, coordinated and chaired this annual workshop.

NIDA, along with seven T32 research training sites, hosted the Training Mixer on June 14, 2004, at the 2004 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Mixer, which was attended by over 100 current NIDA trainees and fellows, offered a casual forum for networking with T32 training directors as well as mingling with NIDA staff. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, organized this event.

NIDA held a Grant Writing Workshop on June 15, 2004, at the 2004 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Approximately 50 early-career scientists participated in learning how to apply for grants and the grant process at NIDA. Drs. Cindy Miner, David Shurtleff, Mark Green from NIDA and Dr. Scott Lukas, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, presented. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, chaired and coordinated this event.

On June 15, 2004, NIDA sponsored a symposium at the Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence entitled Aging and Substance Abuse: What Problems Lie Ahead? The meeting was organized by Drs. Timothy P. Condon and Susan Weiss. Speakers included Drs. Thomas Patterson from the University of California, San Diego, Wilson Compton from NIDA, Frederic Blow from the University of Michigan, David Oslin from the University of Pennsylvania, and Timothy P. Condon from NIDA. Among the topics discussed were: prediction of treatment needs from existing databases; misuse and abuse of prescription drugs and alcohol in elderly populations; and challenges in assessment and treatment of elderly individuals. The purpose of this symposium was to increase awareness, begin discussion, encourage interest, and help generate a research agenda in this area.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) participated in a number of sessions at the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Meeting, July 28-August 1, 2004 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Some of the topics in the program included: Treatment for Methamphetamine Abuse: Effectiveness and Prospects; Decision Making and Drug Abuse; Cross-Cutting - Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and HIV/AIDS; and Drug Abuse Treatment Issues in Adolescent Girls. NIDA also organized and collaborated with Divisions 28 and 50 of the APA to host a Young Investigators Poster Session that was very well received. In addition, NIDA produced and disseminated a brochure of all the NIDA activities at the APA meeting.

On September 8-9, 2004, NIDA sponsored a science meeting entitled Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience and Behavioral Treatment Development: New Directions for Translational Research. The meeting was co-chaired by Drs. Lisa Onken and Joseph Frascella, and organized with Dr. Mary Ann Stephens. Experts in neuroscience and behavioral treatment research were brought together to discuss how neuroscience might inform the development of new and improvement of existing behavioral treatments, and to aid in the development of a research agenda in this area. This meeting was part of NIDA's ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between basic and clinical science.

On September 20-21, 2004, NIDA sponsored a science meeting entitled Integrating HIV Prevention Into Drug Abuse Treatment Research. The meeting was co-chaired by Lisa Onken and Debra Grossman, and organized with Jacques Normand and Elizabeth Lambert. The purpose of this workshop was to bring together NIDA researchers and experts in HIV/AIDS, infectious disease prevention, and drug abuse treatment to discuss the need for the integration of infectious disease prevention in drug abuse treatment research. The workshop will focus on the current status of research efforts to integrate these activities, obstacles to getting research started, and recommendations to NIDA for its program of research that facilitates the integration of HIV prevention research into treatment research.

NIDA's Services Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Services & Prevention Research, in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—sponsored a research conference entitled Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions: Harnessing Services Research to Improve Care for Mental, Substance Use, & Medical/Physical Disorders, June 23-25, 2004, Washington, DC.

On June 13, 2004 a workshop entitled Integration of Toxicology- and PK-related Testing into Early Medications Discovery: A Workshop for NIDA Medicinal Chemists, was chaired by David McCann, Rik Kline, and Jane B. Acri, all of DPMCDA, at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence in San Juan, PR. The workshop included presentations by Arthur Brown (Chan Test), In Vitro Assays to Predict QT Prolongation, Arthur Weissman (NovaScreen Biosciences), In Vitro CYP Assays to Predict Drug-Drug Interactions, James Terrill (PMC, NIDA), In Vitro Assays for the Early Prediction of Mutagenic Potential, and Edwin Matthews (FDA), In Silico Prediction of Drug Toxicity. These assays have been incorporated into NIDA's preclinical medication Discovery Programs in PMC and are available to medicinal chemists who submit compounds for evaluation. The workshop covered methods and interpretations, as well as relevance for medication development.

Dr. Jag Khalsa, DPMCDA, organized a symposium on The Role of Hormones and Nutrition in Drug Abuse and Co-occurring Infections: HIV and HCV, August 9-10, 2004, Bethesda Marriott Suites Hotel, Bethesda, MD. Past symposia discussed various metabolic and endocrine disorders and interventions for these complications of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. This meeting presented the state-of-the-art information on the role of hormones and nutrition in drug abuse and co-infections of HIV and hepatitis C. It is anticipated that the proceedings will be published as a supplement in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Ming Shih and Dr. Jacques Normand in collaboration with CTN's HIV/AIDS Special Interest Group organized a workshop entitled Current Epidemiology and Intervention Approaches for HIV/AIDS among Drug Users that was held in Bethesda, MD on August 12-13, 2004. The meeting presented current HIV epidemiology in the United States along with cutting edge approaches to structural and peer-driven intervention/prevention approaches among adult, adolescent, and minority drug using populations.

NIDA's Translationally Oriented Approaches, Devices, and Strategies workgroup sponsored a Workshop on Deep Brain Stimulation on Aug 3, 2004 at the Neuroscience Center in Rockville, MD. Several experts spoke to NIDA staff, and engaged in discussion on how this technology is being researched and used clinically. Discussion focused on issues in the potential application of this technology to drug abuse treatment. Mr. Hirsch Davis and Dr. David Thomas organized the meeting.

Drs. Robert Riddle, Jonathan Pollock and Jag Khalsa organized a meeting on RNAi as A Therapeutic Intervention For Treatment of Hepatitis C and HIV that was held on September 14-15th, 2004 at the Pooks Hill Marriott, Bethesda, MD.

Drs. Paul Schnur (NIDA/DBNBR), and Kay Wanke (NCI), co-chaired a NIDA/ NCI sponsored symposium entitled Gene-Environment Interaction in Disorders of Addiction on May 22, 2004 at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society in Chicago, IL.

The CTN Dissemination Subcommittee Face-to-Face Meeting was held on May 13-14, 2004 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This meeting focused on creating a strategy to disseminate training materials of completed protocols within the CTN and interfacing with existing Blending Teams that are responsible for dissemination to the outside community. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, coordinated and organized this meeting with the Dissemination Subcommittee Workgroup leaders. OSPC and CCTN staff participated in this meeting.

The inaugural Hand-Off Meeting to coordinate dissemination efforts of research results for the CTN's Motivational Interviewing Protocol (Dr. Kathleen Carroll, P.I.) took place on May 17-18, 2004, in Bethesda, Maryland. At this meeting, research results from the protocol were presented followed by discussion among NIDA researchers and ATTC members of potential dissemination product(s) that can help address the critical needs in the treatment field. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC organized and Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Deputy Director, chaired this meeting which was designed to discuss dissemination strategies for a specific target audience.

The Blending Team for the CTN Motivational Interviewing Protocol met in Portland, Oregon on July 15-16, 2004. The objective of the meeting was to review, expand, and prioritize the brainstormed list of potential dissemination products identified at the Hand-Off meeting in May 2004. Three ATTC members and three NIDA researchers comprised the Blending Team. NIDA/OSPC and SAMSHA staff also participated in facilitating this Blending Team in determining dissemination packages from this first set of CTN results.

The Hand-Off Meeting for the Buprenorphine Detox CTN protocol (Dr. Walter Ling, P.I.) took place on July 19, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. The protocol team reported on the results of the Buprenorphine/Naloxone for opiate detoxification study in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. Lessons learned from three different CTN sites that conducted the study were presented along with different models for training Buprenorphine detoxification. Dissemination product ideas were brainstormed by the NIDA researchers and ATTC members as well as NIDA and SAMHSA staff who all participated in this meeting. The Blending Team for this protocol is tentatively scheduled to meet in mid-November 2004. Dr. Suman Rao, OSPC, coordinated and organized this dissemination meeting and Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Deputy Director, NIDA chaired this meeting.

A second CTN National Recruitment, Retention, and Return for Follow-Up Meeting was held September 13-14, 2004 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As in the past, the session included expert panels, breakout groups, review of current CTN protocols and problem solving cases. The workshops were open to all participants in the CTN and representatives from all 17 Nodes attended. The session focused on strategies for recruitment in drug abuse treatment clinical trials as well as plans for retention and follow-up of participants.

A CTN symposium chaired by Dr. Maxine Stitzer (Mid-Atlantic Node) and Dr. Betty Tai (NIDA CCTN Director) was held at the CPDD 2004 annual meeting in June in Puerto Rico. CTN Presenters included Betty Tai, Sam Ball, Walter Ling and Maxine Stitzer on the outcome results of Wave 1 protocols; Dr. Warren Bickel was the discussant.

The CTN presented an invited workshop: Collaborations in TRIP: Lessons from NIDA's Clinical Trials Network at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) annual meeting on "Translating Research into Practice: Advancing Excellence from Discovery to Delivery" July 12 - 14, 2004, in Washington, DC. The panel discussed the development of the bi-directional practice and research collaboration using the Motivational Incentives protocol to illustrate its story. Maxine Stitzer (Mid-Atlantic Node) summarized the protocol and trial findings. Pat Stabile (HARBEL, Mid-Atlantic Node) shared the CTP perspective and the challenges associated with protocol participation. Scott Kellogg (New York Node) described his work facilitating the adoption of the motivational incentives intervention in treatment programs in New York City. Betty Tai (NIDA, CCTN) summarized the challenge of bridging the gap between research and practice. Other CTN participants in the conference included: Dennis McCarty (Oregon Node) moderated the panel. Jim Dahl (Long Island Node) was a co-presenter of a seminar, "Partnering to Improve Quality of Care in Substance Abuse Treatment," and Theresa Montini (CCTN) and Joe Guydish (California/Arizona Node) were co-presenters of "Gaps between Nicotine Dependence Research and Clinical Practice in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs."

The CTN was featured at a Symposium at the American Psychological Association Meeting held in Honolulu, HI, July 28 - August 1, 2004. Drs. Betty Tai (NIDA CCTN Director) and Kathleen M. Carroll (New England Node) chaired the session, entitled "National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network: Findings of the First Four Studies. Dr. Dennis McCarty (Oregon Node) described the participating treatment centers; Dr. Steve Shoptaw (Pacific Node) addressed buprenorphine detoxification in community treatment centers; Dr. Kathleen Carroll (New England Node), presented motivational interviewing (MI) to improve engagement and outcome in addiction treatment, and Dr. Maxine Stitzer (Mid-Atlantic Node) described the effects of motivational incentives on retention in treatment and drug use.

CTN National Steering Committee Meetings were held in Gaithersburg, Maryland May 10-14, 2004.

• The CTN Dissemination Subcommittee met face-to-face at the May Steering Committee Meeting. Plans for dissemination of the completed protocols and for "handing off' the protocols to other NIDA staff for external dissemination were discussed.
• The Genetics Special Interest Group of the CTN met and Dr. Joni Rutter, from NIDA's Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology Research Branch, described NIDA's Genetics Consortium. Dr. Betty Tai outlined mechanisms for using the CTN infrastructure for genetics studies, and led discussion of possible studies and future directions.
• The HIV/AIDS Special Interest Group and the Minority Special Interest Group met as well.

CTN National Steering Committee Meetings were held July 22-23, 2004 in Washington, DC.

• The SC discussed budget issues, the CTN implementation of future larger scale trials, and a plan to prioritize ongoing efforts.
• The CTP Caucus and the newly-formed PI Caucus met on July 22, 2004.
• The CTN Executive Committee met on July 22-23, 2004. The committee reviewed plans for prioritization of trials and protocols under development.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Deputy Director, NIDA, presented the NIDA Deputy Director's Report at the Clinical Trials Network Steering Committee meeting in Gaithersburg, Maryland on May 12, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon presented "Drug Abuse Research and the Criminal Justice System" at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) Training Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 3, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon delivered the welcoming remarks at the NIDA pre-conference workshop at the National Association for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) conference in Portland, Maine on June 5, 2004.

Drs. Timothy P. Condon and Susan Weiss co-chaired the NIDA Symposium, "Aging & Substance Abuse: What Problems Lie Ahead?" at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on June 15, 2004. Dr. Condon presented "Research Priorities for the Study of Substance Abuse in the Elderly" as part of this session.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon delivered the welcoming remarks at the Advancing Research to Reduce Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS Health Disparities Methodological Considerations meeting in Bethesda, Maryland on June 21, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon participated in the Motivational Interviewing Blending Team external meeting in Portland, Oregon on July 15, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon participated in the Buprenorphine Detox Hand-Off Meeting in Los Angeles, California on July 20, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon delivered the welcoming remarks and provided an update on NIDA dissemination activities at the Clinical Trials Network Steering Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. on July 22, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon gave the Charge to the Minority Health Disparities Work Group in Washington, D.C. on July 26, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon presented the keynote address, "Advances in Drug Abuse and Addiction Research: Implications for Prevention," at the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.) conference in Seattle, Washington on July 29, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon presented, "Blending Practice and Research: What's New from the National Institute on Drug Abuse," at the Northwest Institute of Addiction Studies in Portland, Oregon on July 30, 2004.

Dr. Timothy P. Condon presented the keynote address, "Addiction Research: Implications for Blending Research and Practice," at the Summer Institute on Addiction and Prevention (CASAT) in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 4, 2004.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, co-chaired a workshop with Dr. Dorothy Hatsukami, University of Minnesota, entitled "Transdisciplinary Research on Tobacco Addiction" at The 66th Annual College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 15, 2004 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, presented "The Brain, The Body, and Addiction" at the DC 2004 Summer Institute on July 19, 2004 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Cindy Miner, Deputy Director, OSPC, presented "Addiction as a Brain Disease: Blending Research and Practice" at the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations' 4th Annual "Moving from Research to Practice in Behavioral Health" Conference on August 6, 2004 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dr. Susan Weiss presented at the 25th Annual Long Island Conference on Chemical Dependency "Anabolic Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Drugs: A Silent Epidemic" on May 21, 2004.

Dr. Khursheed Asghar, OEA, conducted a mock review panel meeting at a NIDA sponsored workshop entitled "NIDA Research Development Seminar Series: Minority Institutions Drug Abuse Research Development Program" on July 22, 2004.

Drs. Teri Levitin and Mark Green, OEA, were co-chairs of a workshop "Career Development: A Perspective from Junior and Senior Researchers" at the June meeting of CPDD.

Drs. Green and Levitin were co-chairs of a workshop "What's New at NIDA and NIH: How will it Affect You?" at the June meeting of CPDD.

Dr. Green made a presentation about peer review at the Grant Writing Workshop sponsored by NIDA at the June meeting of CPDD.

Drs. Rita Liu, OEA, David Shurtleff, DBNBR, and Cathrine Sasek, OSPC, served as guest editors for a special supplement issue to the Journal of Neuropharmacology, entitled "Frontiers of Addiction Research," to celebrate NIDA's 30th anniversary. More than 30 NIDA neuroscience grantees, have contributed to this special neuroscience issue.

Dr. Mark Green conducted a mock review on July 16, 2004 at a NIDA sponsored meeting for young investigators.

In May, Dr. Teri Levitin and Dr. Paul Schnur joined other NIH Institute representatives and NSF at the 16th annual convention of American Psychological Society in Chicago for a workshop for graduate students and new faculty on obtaining grant support.

In late June, Dr. Levitin organized a conversation hour at the annual meeting of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The meeting was held in Washington D.C. and Dr. Levitin spoke about NIH extramural program and review policies and procedures.

In August 2004, Dr. Levitin joined Dr. Minda Lynch and Dr. David Shurtleff at the American Psychological Association's 112th Annual Convention for a workshop on "Funding Opportunities for New Researchers" that included representatives from several NIH Institutes.

Mr. Eric Zatman, OEA, attended the 6th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference at the Natcher Conference Center on June 23 - 24, 2004.

Mr. Richard Harrison attended the Interagency Workgroup on American Indian and Alaska Native Education meeting in Washington D.C. on June 30, 2004.

Mr. Richard Harrison attended the African American Researchers and Scholars Meeting in Washington D. C. on July 12 — 13, 2004.

Dr. Lula Beatty, Chief, Special Populations Office, attended the NAPAFASA regional meeting on June 28, 2004 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Lula Beatty participated in a number of sessions at the American Psychological Convention, July 28 - August 1, 2004 in Honolulu, Hawaii including the following: panelist on a symposium entitled "Funding for Research on Women and Girls: Myths and Strategies," presentation entitled "Myths and Realities of Federal Funding About and To Women"; participant/Presenter on Funding Opportunities at NIH, Public Interest Suite Program; and panelist on conversation hour on NIH funding with colleagues from OD/NIH, NIAAA and NIMH, presentation entitled "Research Needs of the National Institute on Drug Abuse"

Dr. Lula Beatty participated in the following sessions at the convention of the Association of Black Psychologists, August 11-14, 2004 in Washington, DC: presenter/faculty in pre-convention workshop entitled "Mental Health Issues Influencing HIV Disease and Care among African Americans," presentation entitled "Prevention of HIV Infection: Risk Factors and Interventions"; presenter in professional development workshop entitled " Obtaining Federal Research Funds: Strategies, Grant Writing, and Opportunities," presentation on Health Disparities at NIDA/NIH; and developed session entitled "Meeting the Challenges of Service and Mentoring through Sponsored Research: Women Psychologists in Substance Abuse and HIV Research."

Ana Anders, Senior Advisor on Special Populations, gave the welcoming remarks for Dr. Nora Volkow at the Summer Training Institute of the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse on June 1, 2004 at the University of Texas in Houston, Texas.

Ana Anders participated in the NIDA International Forum on June 11, 2004 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ana Anders participated in the Co-Occurring Conference on June 23, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

Ana Anders gave remarks at the NAPAFASA conference on June 28, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

Ana Anders participated on the CSAP Hispanic Initiative Expert Panel on August 4 and 5, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ana Anders presented at the CSAP RADAR Program Steering Committee held on August 10-11, 2004 in Miami, Florida.

Ana Anders moderated a panel at the Caribbean Basin ATTC on August 18-19, 2004 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Pamela Goodlow, Public Health Analyst, Special Populations Office, chaired 2-day Research Development Seminar workshops on April 13-14, 2004 and July 22-23, 2004 for new investigators interested in applying for NIDA funding. The technical assistance workshops focused on NIDA's Minority Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program (R-24 grant mechanism). Participants met with NIDA senior staff and funded investigators in small groups and one-on-one settings. They learned about NIDA's research priority areas, the NIH grants process and they received assistance in developing their research concepts into successful grant applications.

Pamela Goodlow presented an overview of NIDA research opportunities available to minority researchers and students at the Association of Black Psychologists Annual Conference on August 12, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Betty Tai, Director, CCTN, presented at the New Clinical Drug Education Unit (NCDEU) Meeting May 31-June 4, 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Tai participated in a panel focusing on developing networks for clinical research. Her presentation was entitled: "NIDA Clinical Trials Network Update: Challenges and Opportunities."

Dr. Janet Levy, Statistician, CCTN presented a talk on Interim Analysis and Sample Size Re-Estimation at the "face-to-face" meeting of the CTN Design and Analysis Workgroup on May 10, 2004.

Dr. Paul Wakim, Mathematical Statistician, CCTN, lead discussions on measurement burden, adaptive randomization, and interim analysis at the "face-to-face" meeting of the CTN Design and Analysis Workgroup in May 2004.

Carmen Rosa, M.S., CCTN liaison to the CTN Minority Special Interest Group, presented an overview of the Clinical Trials Network and its efforts in addressing addiction treatment in minorities to the NIDA African American Workgroup on July 12, 2004 in Washington, DC.

Carmen Rosa, M.S., CCTN liaison to the CTN Minority Special Interest Group, and Theresa Montini, Ph.D., Program Officer, CCTN attended the APA Minority Fellowship Program July 19, 2004 in Washington, DC. Ms. Rosa spoke about "Emerging Issues in Ethnic Minority Research," highlighting CTN activities that target racial and ethnic minorities. Dr. Montini spoke about training opportunities within NIDA and NIH, and provided detailed information about specific funding mechanisms.

Carmen Rosa, M.S., CCTN liaison to the CTN Minority Special Interest Group, presented an overview of the CCTN and details of several CTN protocols targeted to minority populations to the NIDA Minority Health Disparities Workgroup on July 26, 2004 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Steven Grant, DCNDBT, was a discussant in the session on "Design and Analysis Issues for Pediatric Development Studies" during the trans-NIH workshop on Pediatric Functional Neuroimaging held in Bethesda, MD on May 25-26, 2004.

On May 11-12, 2004, Dr. Laurence Stanford, DCNDBT, participated in the NIH MRI Study of Normal Human Brain Development Annual Workshop in Cincinnati, OH.

Dr. Harold Gordon, DCNDBT, was an invited "external advisor" to a discussion conference on "Resilience and Recovery: Refocusing Research and Services on the Restoration of Health" convened by the Neuroscience and Behavioral Health Board of the Institute of Medicine, Washington, D.C., June 10, 2004.

Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington served as the discussant in the workshop, "Sex, Drugs and No Rock 'N Roll," held at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 12-17, 2004, San Juan, PR. Organized by Rachel Peltier and Therese Kosten, the workshop speakers were Marilyn Carroll, Nancy Mello, Rachel Peltier and Therese Kosten.

Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington gave an invited plenary talk, "Gender Differences in Drug Abuse Across the Life Span," at the conference, "Women Across the Life Span: A National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery," sponsored by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, July 12-13, 2004, Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor.

Drs. Cora Lee Wetherington and Shakeh Kaftarian, DESPR, co-chaired the roundtable discussion, "Drug Abuse and Psychopathology in Women: Blending Research and Practice," at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association annual meeting, July 28-August 1, 2004.

Dr. David Shurtleff gave a presentation entitled " Research and International Activities in the Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research" at the 2004 NIDA International Forum: Progress Through Collaboration" on June 12, 2004 at the annual meeting the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Frank Vocci, Director, Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (DPMCDA), presented at the 2004 International Forum: Progress Through Collaboration, at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) and other parts of CPDD.

Dr. Ivan Montoya, DPMCDA, chaired a workshop at the American Psychiatric Association to discuss the topic of addiction psychiatry as a career choice in psychiatry.

Dr. Ivan Montoya participated in a consultants meeting organized by the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine and Dentistry to discuss the nature and extent of nicotine dependence in severely mentally ill individuals and ways to approach this issue from a public health perspective.

Dr. Ivan Montoya participated in the ASAM meeting in Washington in the symposium entitled Buprenorphine Around the World. The title of his presentation was "The Influence of Psychotherapy on Buprenorphine Treatment Outcome.

Dr. Ivan Montoya and Dr. Vocci co-chaired a consultants meeting in Rockville MD to discuss and provide guidance for the design and implementation a program in NIDA-DPMC of medications development for the treatment of cannabis dependence.

Dr. Wilson Compton presented a paper on "Marijuana Use Disorders in the United States: 1991-1992 and 2001-2002" and co-chaired a workshop on "Treatment of Patients with Drug Dependence and Psychiatric Illness" at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, New York, New York, May, 2004.

Dr. Wilson Compton and Bill Bukoski, DESPR, co-chaired a symposium on cutting edge methods in prevention and epidemiology, Dr. Compton presented a paper (co-authored with Dr. James Colliver) on "Using Existing National Surveys to Project Future Drug Use Among Aging Baby Boomers" and Dr. Compton served as discussant in a symposium on "Drug Abuse and Suicidal Behavior: Causation, Comorbidity, or Common Etiology" at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June, 2004.

Dr. Kevin Conway, DESPR, presented a paper (co-authored with Dr. K. Merikangas) on "Epidemiology of Psychiatric and Addictive Behaviors." at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, New York, New York, May 4, 2004.

Drs. Elizabeth Robertson and Shakeh Kaftarian, DESPR, participated in planning a conference sponsored jointly by NIH, CDC, AHRQ and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation titled "Research Designs for Complex Multi-level Health Interventions and Programs." This conference was convened on May 4-5, 2004, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson presented a paper titled Going to Scale: Type II Translational Research at the Prevention Leadership Conference in Snowbird, UT on April 20, 2004.

On June 14, 2004, Elizabeth Robertson, Ph.D. moderated a panel discussion at the National Forum on Evidence-based Crime and Substance Abuse meeting titled Rigorous Evidence: The Key to Progress Against Crime and Substance Abuse? Lessons from Medicine, Welfare, and Other Fields.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson served on the planning committee for the annual National Prevention Network meeting, Cultivating the Past — Pioneering the Future, held in Kansas City, MO on August 22-25, 2004.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson was a discussant for a panel titled Addressing Stages of Diffusion in Taking Evidence-based Programs to Scale, at the Society for Prevention Research meetings on May 28, 2004 in Quebec, Canada.

Drs. Elizabeth Robertson and Belinda Sims, NIMH, co-chaired a Scientific Dialogue/ Roundtable Discussion at the Society for Prevention Research Conference in Quebec City, Canada on May 26, 2004. The title of the Roundtable Discussion was "Allocation of Resources for School-based Prevention Interventions"." The panel of discussants included: Drs. Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Mellon University, E. Michael Foster, Pennsylvania State University, and Beverlie Falek, SAMHSA.

Dr. Beverly Pringle, Services Research Branch, DESPR moderated a pre-conference methodology workshop entitled Enhancing Evidence: Causal Modeling Using Observational Treatment Data—featuring grantees Andrew Morral, Ph.D.; Daniel McCaffrey, Ph.D.; and Greg Ridgeway, Ph.D., of RAND Corporation—at the NIDA-sponsored research conference on Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions: Harnessing Services Research to Improve Care for Mental, Substance Use, & Medical/Physical Disorders, June 23, 2004, Washington, DC.

Drs. Jack Stein, and Beverly Pringle, Services Research Branch, DESPR provided technical assistance to potential grantees at a NIDA-sponsored workshop for State Directors of Drug Abuse at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Alcohol & Drug Abuse Directors.

Arnold Mills represented DESPR at the National Hispanic Science Network Summer Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse held in Houston, Texas June 1-8, 2004.

Arnold Mills represented DESPR at a Consortium Meeting of Historical Black Colleges and Universities in Georgia hosted by Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia on July 30, 2004. His presentation focused on NIH grant mechanisms and fundamentals of grantsmanship.

Dr. Naimah Weinberg, DESPR, served as chair and discussant for a symposium at the May 2004 meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in New York City, entitled ADHD Subtypes and Subgroups at Risk for Substance Use Disorders, as part of the special NIDA track at this meeting.

Dr. Naimah Weinberg co-chaired a panel on epidemiology and assessment at the NIMH Workshop on the Prevention of Depression in Children and Adolescents, on June 21-22, 2004, at the Doubletree Hotel in Rockville. She also served on the planning committee for this meeting.

Dr. Eve Reider, DESPR, organized a NIDA meeting, Linking Drug Abuse and HIV Prevention inYouth, held on April 29, 2004 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

On July 11, 2004, Dr. Lynda Erinoff, DESPR, presented on "Drug Abuse and Suicidal Behavior: An Overview" to young investigators at the Summer Research in Suicide Prevention at the University of Rochester. She also represented NIDA at the Uuniversity of Rochester R-13 meeting "Preventing Suicide and Attempted Suicide Among Women Across the Lifecourse" on July 16, 2004, in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Peter Hartsock, DESPR, participated in a meeting co-sponsored by the Center on International and Strategic Studies Task Force on HIV/AIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation and covering two major topics: "Routine Testing: Pitting Public Concerns Against Human Rights" and "Addressing the HIV/AIDS Threat in Militaries and Peacekeeping Operations," June 17, 2004, Washington, D.C.

Dr. Shakeh Kaftarian chaired and Drs. Elizabeth Robertson and Wilson Compton were discussants at a roundtable discussion session titled "Challenges Facing Fidelity and Adaptation of Prevention Programs" at the Society for Prevention Research Conference, on May 27, 2004, in Quebec City, Canada.

Dr. Elizabeth Ginexi, DESPR, chaired a Scientific Dialogue/Roundtable Discussion at the Society for Prevention Research Conference in Quebec City, Canada on May 26, 2004. The title of the Roundtable Discussion was "Translating Basic Science Discoveries into Effective Preventive Interventions." The panel of discussants included: Drs. Elizabeth Robertson, PRB, DESPR, Kenneth Dodge, Duke University, Richard Milich, University of Kentucky, Robert Pandina, Rutgers University, John Reid, Oregon Social Learning Center, and Thomas Valente, University of Southern California.

Dr. Aria Crump, DESPR, chaired an NIH new investigator workshop in collaboration with program staff from NIMH and NIAAA for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research in Quebec City, Canada on May 24, 2004.

Drs. Aria Crump and Dionne Jones, DESPR, convened a science meeting titled "Advancing Research to Reduce Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS Health Disparities: Methodological Considerations" in Bethesda, Maryland on June 21-22, 2004.

Dr. Eve Reider participated in the planning of and moderated two panels for the NIMH Workshop on the Prevention of Depression in Children and Adolescents, held June 21 and 22, 3004 at the Doubletree Hotel, Rockville, MD.

Dr. William S. Cartwright, Services Research Branch, DESPR moderated a panel on cost and outcomes at Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions: Harnessing Services Research to Improve Care for Mental, Substance Use, and Medical/Physical Disorders, June 23-25, 2004, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.

Dr. William S. Cartwright lectured on rational budgeting at the George Mason University, School of Public Policy, July 7, 2004.

Drs. Peter Delany, Jerry Flanzer and Jack Stein, Services Research Branch, DESPR chaired the panel "Emerging Interdisciplinary Social Work Research Programs: Moving HIV/AIDS from Research to Practice;" Dr. Jerry Flanzer presented a talk on "Social Work, HIV and NIDA's Commitment"; and Drs. Peter Delany and Jerry Flanzer led a NIDA-focused grants workshop at the HIV/AIDs 2004: The Social Work Response — the 16th Annual National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS, at the Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C, May 28-29, 2004.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer, Services Research Branch, DESPR presented NIDA's portfolio and future research interest in the application of Buprenorphine treatment as part of the panel Buprenorphine in the Primary HIV Care Setting at the Forum for Collaborative Health Research in HIV, George Washington University, Washington, DC, June 4, 2004.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer presented NIDA's portfolio and future research interests at the OBSSR/NIH sponsored Forum at the Washington, DC area, Deans of Schools of Social Work Forum, held at Catholic University, June 21, 2004.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer with Dr. James Bell of James Bell Associates, presented a poster "Intervention Services Records (ISR) Developed for the HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence, Health Outcomes and Cost Study, at the Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions Conference, Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. June 23-25.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer, Services Research Branch, DESPR moderated a panel, Complexities of Co-Occurring Mental Illness, Substance Abuse and HIV/Hepatitis C, at the Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions Conference, Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. June 23-25, 2004.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer, Services Research Branch was a panel participant on opportunities for Mixed methods research at NIH at the OBSSR, NIH Summer Institute: The Design and Conduct of Quantitative and Mixed-method Research in Social Work and Other Health Professions, Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC, August 5, 2004.

Dr. Thomas Hilton, Services Research Branch, DESPR, participated in a pre-conference seminar for grant applicants at the Complexities of Co-occurring Conditions Conference June 22, 2004. He also organized and chaired a workshop of the application of Rausch models at the same conference on June 23, 2004.

On August 5-11, 2004, Dr. Hilton represented NIDA at the annual Academy of Management Conference in New Orleans during which he co-chaired a workshop on applying for NIH grants and facilitated a seminar on organizational survival among public health service providers.

Dr. Dionne Jones, Services Research Branch, DESPR organized, planned and chaired a panel "Current Trends and Development in Drug Use & HIV/AIDS Research on Women and Girls" and a "Grant Development Workshop" at the Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Africa and the African Diaspora Conference, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, June 10-12, 2004.

Dr. Dionne Jones made a presentation on "Research Needs and Development Opportunities at NIH" at the Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Africa and the African Diaspora Conference at Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, June 11, 2004.

Dr. Dionne Jones made a presentation on "Research Opportunities: 2004 and Beyond at NIH" at a NIDA-sponsored Satellite Meeting of the Caribbean Health Research Council Annual Meeting, St. Georges, Grenada, April 23, 2004.