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For Release September 14, 2007
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, will speak at the 2007 World Psychiatric (WPA) Regional Meeting & Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) Annual Congress in Shanghai in September. The meeting will provide a special opportunity to discuss some of the most important topics of the psychiatric field within an international framework. Such topics will cover forensic psychiatry, clinical diagnosis, approaches to care, and cultural issues.
| WHO: | Dr. Nora D. Volkow
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
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| WHAT: | Scientific Presentation on Drug Addiction in Shanghai entitled "The Neurobiology of Free Will in Addictive Disorders"
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| WHEN: | Friday, September 21, 2007
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
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| WHERE: | Shanghai International Convention Center, Grand Ballroom
Shanghai, China
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| BACKGROUND: | Nora D. Volkow, M.D., became the director of NIDA at the National Institutes of Health in May 2003. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. Dr. Volkow's work has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. As a research psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to investigate the toxic effects of drugs and their addictive properties. Her studies have documented changes in the dopamine system affecting the actions of frontal brain regions involved with motivation, drive, and pleasure and the decline of brain dopamine function with age. She has also made important contributions to the neurobiology of obesity, ADHD, and the behavioral changes that occur with aging.
The WPA is an association of psychiatric societies aimed to increase knowledge and skills necessary for work in the field of mental health and the care for the mentally ill. Its member societies are presently 130, spanning 113 different countries and representing more than 180,000 psychiatrists. The WPA organizes international and regional congresses and meetings, and thematic conferences. It has 65 scientific sections, aimed to disseminate information and promote collaborative work in specific domains of psychiatry. Further information on the WPA can be found on the website www.wpanet.org.
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| CONTACT: | To schedule an interview with Dr. Nora Volkow, please call Sharan Jayne in the NIDA offices at 301-594-6141 or 202-365-5646
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and further information on NIDA research can be found on the NIDA web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov
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For more information about any item in this Release Contact:
- Dorie Hightower
301-496-1545
Sara Rosario Wilson
301-594-6145
- Main Press Office:
301-443-6245
- Contacto en Español:
301-594-6145
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