National Institute on Drug Abuse
Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse
September, 2000
Meetings/Conferences
NIDA hosted a meeting on May 9, 2000, "Bringing It All Together: Drug Use, HIV, and Hepatitis," in Baltimore, MD with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the meeting, NIDA released a Community Drug Alert Bulletin on Hepatitis C designed to provide information to the public and health professionals on the intertwined problems of substance abuse and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
NIDA's Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research sponsored the Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), which met in Baltimore on June 13-16, 2000, to discuss current and emerging patterns and trends in drug abuse. The CEWG, established by NIDA in 1976, is a network of researchers and public health officials from 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas and the state of Texas. The group meets twice a year to discuss current patterns and trends of drug abuse. Mr. Richard Millstein moderated the session at which NIDA Divisions presented on their activities and discussed collaborative, expanded activities with the 21 CEWG reporters.
More than 1,000 researchers met in Puerto Rico at the annual College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) to discuss the latest studies on drug dependence and abuse. The international aspects of drug abuse were discussed at a meeting convened by NIDA on June 16-17, 2000. The 62nd annual meeting of the CPDD was held June 17-23, 2000, and featured the latest news on drug dependence and abuse as it relates to adolescents, gender differences, technological advancements, and treatment.
On May 31st and June 1st, 2000, Drs. Tony Simon, CAMCODA, Vince Smeriglio, CAMCODA, and Joe Frascella, DTR&D, hosted the NIDA meeting, "Neuroimaging of Brain & Behavioral Development Following Early Drug Exposure". The main goal of this meeting was to explore the value of combining the two emerging scientific fields of pediatric neuroimaging and the assessment of early exposure to drugs of abuse. In order to most effectively advance new work in this area almost 100 researchers from the drug abuse field were invited and attended. Three "foundational" papers were presented by Diana Dow-Edwards, Linda Mayes and Adele Diamond, outlining key issues concerning the effects of drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine on the developing fetus. Barry Kosofsky highlighted themes emerging from those talks that were relevant to neuroimaging imaging techniques. Then Jay Giedd, Linda Chang, Peter Basser, Susan Bookheimer and Dennis Molfese presented talks on the relevance of a specific imaging method to pediatric drug exposure research. On the second morning, four discussants, (Monique Ernst, Peter Fried, James Olds and Bruce Rosen) presented interpretive summaries and then played the role of organizing, facilitating and directing interaction between the non-speaker attendees and the speakers, and between different non-speakers (since they represented a broad range of considerable expertise). The meeting engendered tremendous enthusiasm for this novel and timely brand of research and new collaborations as well as grant proposals have already resulted. There is also a full videotaped record of the meeting which can be viewed online using the RealPlayer at: http://videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp
A symposium entitled "Drug Addiction Treatment for Women: Does Gender Matter,?" was co-chaired by Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington, NIDA's Women's Health Coordinator, and Dr. Betty Tai, Director of NIDA's Clinical Trials Network, at the June 2000 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Speakers were Drs. Cora Lee Wetherington, Kenneth Perkins (University of Pittsburgh), Karla Moras (University of Pennsylvania), Kathleen Brady (Medical University of South Carolina), and Hendree Jones (Johns Hopkins University). The symposium was co-sponsored by NIDA's Women and Gender Research Group and NIDA's Treatment Workgroup.
Dr. Minda Lynch, BSRB, DNBR, was the discussant for a symposium at the Society for Prevention Science annual convention in Montreal, Quebec, held in June 2000. The symposium, entitled "The Role of Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Psychopathology: Implications for Prevention," explored the malleable nature of developmental trajectories to positive or deleterious behavioral outcomes. The discussion focused on environmental influences across classes of variables, e.g., maternal nurturing, enrichment versus social isolation, and stress, and how the identification of variables conferring protective influences may be optimized in preclinical investigations.
Drs. David Shurtleff, Susan Volman, Herb Weingartner and Karen Skinner of DNBR organized and chaired a NIDA sponsored 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 participants saw a great potential for collaborations that would apply computational methodology to areas 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.
NIDA and NIMH cosponsored a conference entitled "Assessing the Impact of Childhood Interventions on Subsequent Drug Abuse" to develop research on the impact of mental health treatments for childhood psychopathologies on later risk for drug abuse. The meeting was developed by NIDA's Origins and Pathways Work Group, chaired by Dr. Meyer Glantz, DESPR. It was attended by over 150 researchers from around the country and was held May 23-24, 2000 in Washington, D.C. Special funding was provided so that 14 young scholars could attend. The primary purpose of the meeting was to encourage those already engaged in trials of mental health interventions for childhood psychopathologies to incorporate a focus on substance abuse outcomes and to encourage researchers involved with prevention research to consider a special focus on children and adolescents with psychopathology related vulnerabilities to drug abuse. Background papers were commissioned and these materials along with the excellent presentations by panels of experts provided the attendees with resources and encouragement to develop research in this important but understudied area. Papers based on the meeting will be published, probably in a special journal section. Dr. Meyer Glantz chaired the meeting with topic sections chaired by Drs. Naimah Weinberg, DESPR, James Colliver, DESPR, Elizabeth Robertson, DESPR, and Vincent Smeriglio, CAMCODA. Dr. Kathleen Etz, DESPR, chaired the Young Scholars program and Dr. Lynda Erinoff, DESPR, served as logistics coordinator. Mr. Richard Millstein, NIDA Deputy Director and DESPR Acting Director, presented welcoming remarks.
Mr. Richard A. Millstein, NIDA Deputy Director and Acting Director, DESPR, is a member of the Expert Panel advising the Robert Wood Johnson funded ImpacTeen Illicit Drug Abuse project. In this capacity, on August 1, 2000, he met with Dr. Duane McBride, project director, to plan for enhanced NIDA activity relating to the project.
On August 30-31, 2000 NIDA's Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research and Division of Treatment Research and Development held a meeting entitled New Directions in Therapeutic Community Research, in conjunction with the World Conference of Therapeutic Communities in San Francisco, CA. The purpose of this meeting was to inform NIDA regarding the direction future therapeutic communities (TC) research should be going and included presentations, open forum panel discussions, and breakout sessions.
Drs. David Shurtleff , DNBR and Steven Grant, DTR&D participated in a NIDA-sponsored symposium at the year 2000 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) entitled "Antecedents, Consequences, and Treatment of Drug Abuse: A Cognitive Science Perspective."
Drs. Minda Lynch and Susan Volman, DNBR organized and co-chaired a workshop at the Society of Biological Psychiatry's annual convention in Chicago, Illinois in May 2000. The workshop, sponsored by NIDA's cognitive workgroup, was entitled "Frontal Cortical Function and Drug Abuse." Participants explored recent directions using multidisciplinary approaches for studying the role of frontal cortical function (e.g., inhibition, working memory, impulse control, self-monitoring, reward anticipation, obsessive behavior, incentive motivation learning, and attentive mechanisms) in behaviors believed to be important for understanding drug addiction.
Drs. Minda Lynch, Lucinda Miner, Mark Swieter and David Shurtleff co-chaired a daylong "Career Development Workshop" in Washington, D.C. on August 3, 2000 as a pre-convention activity for the American Psychological Association annual meeting. This event was sponsored by NIDA's Behavioral Science Working Group and recruited 50 junior investigators from graduate programs throughout the United States to learn about contemporary issues in drug abuse research and attend a grants writing workshop. Presentations were given from drug abuse scientists actively involved in cutting-edge research representing prevention interventions, treatment strategies, gender and pregnancy issues, genetic influences, special populations and AIDS, club drug use, field studies, neurobiological factors and co-morbidity.
The Behavioral Science Working Group, in collaboration with the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Science Divisions of APA hosted a series of eight invited lectures around the theme of "Vulnerability to Drug Abuse" during the APA convention (August 4-6, 2000) held in Washington D.C. The invited speakers and their topics were Drs. JosŽ Szapocznik, Ecological Developmental Approach to Vulnerability; Ralph Tarter, Etiology of Substance Abuse: From Individual Differences to Different Individuals; Kathleen Merikangas, The Search for Genes for Drug Abuse: Promises and Pitfalls; John Falk, Environmental Sources of Vulnerability to Drug Abuse; Marilyn E. Carroll, Vulnerability to Drug Abuse: How It Can Be Avoided or Accelerated; Nicholas E. Goeders, Role of Stress in the Motivation for Drug Abuse-Preclinical Models; Howard B. Moss, Behavioral Undercontrol and Family Liability for Substance Abuse; and Alan I. Leshner, Vulnerability to Drug Abuse and Addiction: A Quintessential Biobehavioral Issue.
Drs. Jerry Frankenheim and Minda Lynch organized a day-long international colloquium entitled "All About GHB" sponsored by NIDA's Neuroscience Consortium in its "Cutting Edge" series, in Rockville, MD, on June 27, 2000. Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB, also known as "liquid ecstasy," "grievous bodily harm," or "Georgia home boy") recently emerged in the medical literature and lay press as a prominent drug of abuse and a drug used in rape. The organizers, and Drs. Timothy P. Condon, NIDA Associate Director, and Stephen R. Zukin, Associate Director, DTRD, introduced and co-chaired the meeting. Eminent researchers described GHB's trafficking, illicit use, dangers, and caring for patients under its influence; biochemistry, behavioral and neuropharmacology and toxicology, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics; physiological functions, and disorders involving this endogenous compound (e.g. petit mal epilepsy); and therapeutic potential (e.g. in narcolepsy and alcoholism).
The "NIDA DTR&D Preclinical Workshop on Cocaine Medication Discovery and Development" was held on the evening of June 20, 2000 during the Annual CPDD Scientific Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dr. David McCann organized and chaired the workshop, which included presentations on Estimates of Market Size (Dr. Frank Vocci), Early Safety Assessment with Small Compound Quantities (Dr. James Terrill), In Silico Estimations of Safety and Chemical/Pharmacokinetic Properties (Dr. Richard Kline), "Hot" Receptor Targets (Dr. Jane Acri), and a Status Update on the Search for a "Dopamine-Sparing Cocaine Antagonist" (Dr. Nathan Appel). The workshop was well attended and received enthusiastically by chemists and pharmacologists working in the field of medication discovery.
NIDA co-sponsored and worked with ONDCP in the design, planning and organizing the U.S./Mexico Drug Abuse Demand Reduction Conference that took place in Phoenix, Arizona on May 30-31, 2000.
On July 15, 2000, in collaboration with CSAT, HRSA and OMH, NIDA and the Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons held a conference for primary care physicians entitled "Substance Abuse in Primary Care Settings: Treating Hispanic Patients" in Miami, Florida.
NIDA's Special Populations Office sponsored the workshop "Opiate Substance Abuse: Potential for HIV Associated Complications," in Rosemont, Illinois, June 26-28, 2000. The three-day workshop offered minority and female scholars opportunities to learn about current NIDA-supported research in the field and to see demonstrations of the latest techniques in computer-assisted microscopic image analysis. A portion of the workshop was devoted to the NIH research grants process. The workshop was chaired by Pamela Goodlow, Special Populations Office, Dr. Joseph Frascella, Division of Treatment Research and Development, and Dr. George Stefano, State University of New York at Old Westbury.
On May 15-16, 2000, the Special Populations Office convened the first meeting of the NIDA Native American Researchers and Scholars Work Group at the Neuroscience Center.
On July 27-28, 2000, Lula Beatty co-planned and co-chaired a CSAT/NIDA meeting held in Rockville, MD on increasing minority participation in clinical/treatment research. At the meeting participants advised NIDA on how to increase researchers of color involved in treatment and clinical research. Presentations were made by Drs. Alan Leshner, Lucinda Miner, Eric Moolchan, Betty Tai, and Lula Beatty. Recommendations from the group were made to Dr. Tim Condon.
The Special Populations Office planned and supported activities of the Diversity 2000 Program, Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs, American Psychological Association at the annual convention of the association held in August, 2000 in Washington, DC. Dr. Lula Beatty presented a session on careers in drug abuse research for psychology students. In addition, a former minority supplement recipient who is active with Johns Hopkins' summer research program for high school and undergraduate students sponsored by NIDA presented a session for students participating in the Diversity 2000 project. Further, Diversity 2000 participants visited the NIDA established Center for Drug Abuse Research, Howard University, and discussed graduate education and research careers.
A CTN National Steering Committee Meeting was held May 23-24, 2000, in Hartford, CT. Dr. Thomas Kirk, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Addiction Services, gave a welcoming address. This meeting focused on updating the progress on first three protocol implementation teams and procedures for submitting the second round of new protocol concepts. Dr. Nancy Petry held a panel discussion with treatment providers and previous study participants in her motivational incentives trials.
A CTN Quality Assurance Sub-Committee Meeting was held on June 8-9, 2000, in Bethesda, MD. A second Quality Assurance Sub-Committee was held in Philadelphia, PA, on July 7, 2000.
A CTN National Steering Committee Meeting was held on July 19-20, 2000, in Portland, Oregon. The two-day meeting focused on implementation plans for the first seven protocols and status reports from various subcommittees.
A CTN National Training Meeting was held on July 21, 2000, in Portland, Oregon. The meeting was a "train the trainer" session with materials distributed on Good Clinical Practice, Science and the CTN, and tips and tricks for training various audiences.
On July 12, 2000, a meeting was held to discuss the standardization of urine tests for CTN protocols. Dr. J. Michael Walsh was invited to present information on the current availability of types of urine test cups, sensitivity for illicit drugs to be tested, and issues on the pros and cons of on-site versus central drug testing.
On July 13, 2000, a CTN Protocol Review Board met to review the first six protocols to be implemented among the community addiction treatment programs this fall. The panel consisted of six member experts from the NIH community, academia, and the pharmaceutical industry.
A NIDA Ad Hoc Oversight Board Meeting, chaired by Dr. Alan Leshner, was held on August 23, 2000 to review the second round of protocol concepts for the CTN.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, gave an update on NIDA's new Anabolic Steroid and Club Drug initiatives at the American Medical Association National Coalition on Adolescent Health in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 2000.
Drs. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA and Jack Stein, Deputy Director, OSPC, gave an update on NIDA Initiatives at a National Leadership Forum Meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 19, 2000.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, made a presentation at the plenary session titled "Challenges and Opportunities in Drug Demand Reduction: What We Have Learned from Research," at the U.S.-Mexico High Level Contact Group: Third Bi-National Drug Demand Reduction Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on June 1, 2000.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, presented Dr. Michael Picucci with the National Institute on Drug Abuse Leadership in Research Award for Outstanding Leadership in Applying Research on Drug Abuse and Addiction at the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors' 24th Annual Conference on Addiction Treatment on June 28, 2000 in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, served on the screening jury and presented an award at The Face of Drugs Awards, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival on August 4, 2000 in Palm Springs, California.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, presented and moderated the session "U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse Research on How Smoking Changes the Brain: Big Findings, Big Opportunities," at the 11th World Congress on Tobacco OR Health in Chicago, Illinois on August 8, 2000.
Dr. Timothy P. Condon, Associate Director, NIDA, made a presentation "Club Drugs in the LGBT Community," at the 18th Annual Conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in Vancouver, Canada on August 10, 2000.
Dr. Jack Stein, OSPC, presented "Understanding Drug Abuse: What Science Says" at the Pennsylvania 10th Annual Prevention Conference, State College, PA on April 12-13, 2000.
Dr. Jack Stein, OSPC, presented "What's New at NIDA?" at the Ohio Annual Summer Institute of Addiction Studies, Columbus, OH on July 21, 2000.
Dr. Jack Stein, OSPC, presented "Update on Drug Addiction Research" at the South Florida Hispanic Physician Training Seminar, Miami, FL on July 15, 2000.
Dr. Jack Stein, OSPC, presented "Research Opportunities with Sexual Minority Populations" at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. on August 4, 2000.
Dr. Cindy Miner, OSPC, presented an update of NIDA's Club Drug Initiative at the June 9, 2000 meeting of the National Consortium for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services held in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Cindy Miner, OSPC, organized and participated in the "NIDA Grant Writing Workshop" at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence held in San Juan Puerto Rico, June 20, 2000. Drs. Mark Swieter, OEA, and David Shurtleff, DNBR, also participated in the workshop.
Dr. Cindy Miner, OSPC, participated in a panel discussion on club drugs at the Gay Men's Health Summit, held in Boulder, Colorado, July 20-23, 2000.
Drs. Cindy Miner, OSPC, Mark Swieter, OEA, and David Shurtleff, DNBR, organized and participated in a grant-writing tutorial at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association held in Washington, D.C., August 3, 2000.
Angela M. Martinelli, RN, DNSC, OSPC, presented "NIDA Funding and Training Opportunities" at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Dr. Angela Martinelli, OSPC, discussed funding opportunities at the International Cannabinoid Research Society meeting held in Baltimore, MD on June 24, 2000, and at the NIDA Grant Writing Workshop held at Fordham University, School of Social Work, NY in July, 2000.
Dr. Lula Beatty, Director, Special Populations Office, served on the planning committee for the Student National Medical Association and Student Health Fair activities sponsored by NIH and held on June 3-4, 2000. She attended the health fair and met with students and others at NIDA's exhibit table.
Dr. Lula Beatty attended the CPDD meeting in Puerto Rico in June 2000 where she participated in the underrepresented populations committee activities.
Dr. Lula Beatty met with participants in the Extramural Associates Program, OD, NIH, on June 23, 2000. She presented an overview of NIDA programs and discussed their interest and plans for drug abuse research.
Ana Anders, Senior Advisor on Special Populations, was invited to participate as NIDA's representative in SAMHSA's (CSAT) "Changing the Conversation", a National Plan to Improve Substance Abuse Treatment.
Ana Anders worked with the NIH Office on Minority Health for the placement of four (4) Hispanic interns, through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). The four interns spent the summer at NIDA, and worked in their area of scientific interest. The main objective was to provide the interns the exposure to scientific research that would ignite their interest in the drug abuse research field.
Ana Anders convened a NIDA Internal "Asian American and Pacific Islander NIDA Research Workgroup" (AAPI) whose mission is to establish and maintain the Expert Panel of AAPI and to provide expertise and guidance to the NIDA - AAPI Initiative.
Ana Anders participated in outreach and meetings with the Executive Director of the National Council of La Raza, and the Executive Director of the National Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organization.
On June 29, 2000, Flair Lindsey, Special Populations Office, presented a poster on NIDA programs centered on youth and adolescents and NIDA funding opportunities at the Head Start Research Conference.
Dr. Frank Vocci, Director, DTR&D, was the co-chair of the NIDA Symposium "Treating the Multiple Drug Abuser: Science-Based Approaches" at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and addressed the opening ceremony of the 31st Annual Medical Scientific conference on April 14, 2000 in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Frank Vocci attended the American Psychiatric Association Conference on May 15-16, 2000 in Chicago and presented on "Buprenorphine Treatment: Research and Practice." While at the conference, Dr. Vocci addressed the APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry on the Medications Development Program.
Dr. Vocci summarized the status of the opiate and cocaine treatment development programs to the CPDD Board of Directors on June 17, 2000 in Puerto Rico.
Dr. Frank Vocci presented at a NIDA international satellite symposium on The Impact of Basic Research on Drug Abuse Treatment at CPDD. His presentation was entitled: " New Development in the Neurobiology of Drug Abuse" on June 16, 2000.
Dr. Frank Vocci was a co-chair and discussant at a June 19, 2000 workshop at the CPDD meeting. The workshop was entitled: "Where 'STOP?' meets 'GO!'" (And Guess Who Wins?) Treatment Implications of Inhibitory Deficits for Addiction & Relapse.
Dr. Betty Tai presented an overview of the CTN at the HAFCI 2000 Conference on Research to Practice, San Francisco, CA.
Debra Grossman, DTR&D, participated in a meeting of investigators conducting research on tobacco use among youth in Lakewood, Co on June 8-9, 2000.
Dr. Elizabeth Rahdert, DTR&D, presented a poster entitled '"rogress Report on the Development of an HIV/STD Risk-of-Future-Exposure Screen for Drug Using Adolescents" at the 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 17-22, 2000, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dr. Elizabeth Rahdert, DTR&D, organized and chaired the symposium, "Family-Focused Therapies for Adolescent Drug Abuse: Research and Practice," at the 108th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, August 4-8, 2000, in Washington, DC.
Dr. Elizabeth Rahdert, Ph.D., DTR&D, presented a workshop entitled "Adolescent Assessment and Use of the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT)," at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Adolescent Conference, September 11-12, 2000, in Charlottesville, VA.
On May 16, 2000, Dr. Dorynne Czechowicz, BTDB/DTR&D, represented NIDA at a Young Investigators Forum at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Dorynne Czechowicz, BTDB, DTR&D, and Carol Cushing, CTN, DTR&D, represented NIDA at a seminar, Women and Clinical Research: Breaking Through the Barriers to Recruitment and Retention, sponsored by the Society for Women's Health Research. This meeting was held on May 18, 2000 in New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Lisa Onken, BTDB, DTR&D organized and chaired a symposium, "Innovations in Behavioral Therapies for Drug Addiction." NIDA Council Member Dr. G. Alan Marlatt, and NIDA grantees Drs. Kathleen Carroll, Steve Higgins, and Rick Rawson participated in the symposium. The symposium was held on August 5, 2000 at the American Psychological Association Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Dr. Lisa Onken, BTDB, DTR&D organized a panel, "A Behavioral Treatment Research Perspective on Therapeutic Community Research," for the NIDA meeting, "New Directions in Therapeutic Community Research," held in San Francisco, CA on August 30-31, 2000.
Dr. Steven Grant of the Clinical Neurobiology Branch, DTR&D co-chaired a symposium with Dr. David Shurtleff, DNBR entitled "Antecedents, Consequences and Treatment of Drug Abuse: a Cognitive Science Perspective" at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 18, 2000.
Dr. Steven Grant presented a talk entitled "Brain Activity Differentiates Drug Abusers and Controls During Gambling Task Performance .......' As If '" at the symposium "Where 'STOP?' meets 'GO!' (and Guess Who Wins?): Treatment Implications of Inhibitory Deficits for Addiction and Relapse " at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 19, 2000.
Dr. Steven Grant gave a seminar entitled "Brain Activity Differentiates Drug Abusers and Controls During Gambling Task Performance ......' As If '" at the Treatment Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, on July 17, 2000.
Dr. Steven Grant represented NIDA at the Summer Training Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH on July 2 - July 8, 2000. The topic of the Summer Institute was Cognitive Development and Self-Regulation, and included a day of presentations on addiction and drug abuse.
Dr. Ro Nemeth-Coslett of the Clinical Neurobiology Branch, DTR&D represented NIDA and participated in the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium meetings and Steering Committee meetings.
Dr. Joseph Frascella, Chief of the Clinical Neurobiology Branch, DTR&D participated in the Special Populations Research Development Seminar Series: Opiate Substance Abuse: Potential for HIV-Associated Complications and gave presentations on the Neurobiology of Addiction and the Grant Process in Rosemont, Illinois, June 27, 2000.
Dr. Joseph Frascella participated in the NIDA/American Psychological Association Early Careers Workshop and the special scientific track on Vulnerability to Drug Addiction Lecture; he chaired an invited address session by Ralph Tarter, Ph.D. on Etiology of Substance Abuse: From Individual Differences to Different Individuals, Washington, D.C., August 3 - 6, 2000.
Dr. Jack Blaine, DTR&D, chaired a Workshop on Translating Substance Abuse Treatment Research to Practice: Innovative Trial Designs at the 40th Annual NCDEU Meeting on May 30, 2000. He also made a presentation during the workshop on the NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Ann Montgomery, RN, MA made a presentation on the LAAM study and Bob Walsh, RAC made a presentation on the Buprenorphine Best Practice study. Dr. Barbara Mason presented her data on the large acamprosate trial in alcohol dependence. Dr. Frank Vocci served as a discussant with Dr. Celia Winchell from FDA.
Dr. Jacques Normand served as a member of the Planning Board for the Surgeon General's Report on Youth Violence and participated in the Board's meeting held in Washington, DC on June 28-29, 2000.
Dr. James Colliver, DESPR, has become NIDA's representative to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics and also serves on the reports committee of that organization. He represented NIDA at the Forum's meeting on June 23, 2000 and has provided information regarding Monitoring the Future findings for use in the Forum's America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well Being 2000.
Dr. Leslie Cooper, DESPR, participated in the NIH Extramural Associates Program Advisory Board Retreat in St. Michaels, MD, July 16 -18, 2000.
Moira O'Brien, DESPR, served as NIDA representative on the NIH Planning Committee for the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences sponsored conference, Toward Higher Levels of Analysis: Progress and Promise in Research on the Social and Cultural Dimensions of Health, which was held in Bethesda, MD, June 27-28, 2000. Ms. O'Brien also moderated a conference panel session on, "Etiology: Interpersonal Processes" and served as the NIH representative during a research agenda setting session on the topic of "Etiology Research" in follow up to the Conference on June 29, 2000.
Moira O'Brien, DESPR, served on the planning committee for the 2001 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Military Personnel and participated in meetings on June 22 and July 20, 2000.
On July 26, 2000, Dr. Elizabeth Robertson briefed the Secretary's Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative on NIDA's prevention programs. Dr. Bill Bukoski, DEPSR, and Beverly Jackson, OSPC were invited to the meeting as observers.
Drs. Kathy Etz and Elizabeth Robertson, PRB, DESPR chaired a symposium entitled Family-based Preventive Interventions for Drug Abuse: Factors Influencing Program Outcomes and Future Directions at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Montreal, Canada in June. Symposium speakers included Drs. Richard Spoth, Kate Kavanaugh, Susan Ennett, Karl Bauman and Richard Catalano. In addition, Drs. Robertson, Etz, Eve Reider, and Larry Seitz, PRB, DESPR, presented a discussion session entitled New Directions in Prevention Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. All four also participated in a Round Table session sponsored by the Early Career Preventionist Network.
On July 25, 2000, Drs. Elizabeth Robertson, Kathy Etz, Eve Reider, and Jacques Normand, DESPR met with researchers from three universities at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Prevention Research Center. NIDA staff presented information on new direction in prevention and community research. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and George Washington University presented information on their current research and future plans.
On April 24-25, 2000, Susan David, DESPR, convened a meeting of NIDA-supported Prevention & Communications Research grantees to present an overview of their research progress, and provide insights and recommendations for planners of the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The research, which ranges from the communications laboratory to multi-community field trials, are testing behavior change theories, message strategies, and individual differences that can improve knowledge about the use of the media to prevent substance abuse.
Ms. Susan David, DESPR, presented NIDA's prevention funding priorities on a panel at the International Communications Association (ICA) meeting, June 1-5, 2000, in Acapulco, Mexico. In addition, Ms. David met with several communications grantees who presented papers at the conference. Plans are underway for the May 2001 ICA conference in Washington, DC, which will feature a NIDA symposium on drug abuse communications research.
Ms. Susan David, DESPR, gave a presentation on NIDA prevention research to the National Mental Health Coalition in Alexandria, VA, on June 13, 2000. This group represents the concerns of national mental health organizations, and were interested in how NIDA prevention research intersects with mental health promotion and early intervention research for youth.
Ms. Susan David, DESPR, gave a presentation on community prevention research on June 27, 2000 as part of a panel at a National Community Empowerment Conference, sponsored by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Labor, in Columbus, OH.
Dr. Eve Reider, DESPR, represented NIDA at the Federal Interagency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect meeting on April 18, 2000 at Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Eve Reider, DESPR, represented NIDA at the Science and Ecology of Early Development (SEED) meeting on May 1, 2000 at the Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Eve Reider, DESPR, represented NIDA at an interagency planning meeting for the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health on July 14, 2000 at the Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Larry Seitz, PRB, DESPR, presented an overview of "Principles of Prevention" to a group of Montgomery County, Maryland teachers and school staff who were attending a substance abuse workshop sponsored by the Montgomery County Public Schools' Safe and Drug Free Institute on June 20, 2000.
Dr. Larry Seitz, PRB, DESPR, represented the Institute at the recent monthly POPOF (Project Officers and Program Officials Forum) Meeting held on June 29, 2000. The agenda included: (1) a presentation by Dr. Belinda Seto regarding "Data and Safety Monitoring Boards, Phase I and Phase II", and (2) IMPAC II priorities for program staff.
Dr. Elizabeth Robertson participated in two events at the American Psychological Association meeting in Washington, DC, on August 5, 2000: a panel on Future of Addiction Prevention and Treatment: Funding Agency's Perspective, and a funding breakfast to meet prospective grantees. Ms. Susan David participated in a panel on Behavioral and Social Science Contributions to Public Health on August 7, 2000 entitled Evaluating the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Dr. Kathy Etz chaired a session on vulnerability to drug abuse.
Dr. William J. Bukoski, DESPR, served (for the third consecutive year) as the program chair for the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research. This year's conference was held in Montreal, Canada, June 1-3, 2000.
Dr. William J. Bukoski, DESPR, served as co-chair and moderator for a plenary session at the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research titled: "Stress and Vulnerability: Implications for Prevention," that was held June 1, 2000 in Montreal, Canada.
On May 31, 2000, Dr. William J. Bukoski, DESPR, and William Cartwright, Ph.D., DESPR, co-chaired and presented on "Research Grant Opportunities: Economic Analyses in Prevention and Treatment," at the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Montreal, Canada.
On July 19, 2000, Dr. William J. Bukoski, DESPR, represented NIDA at the Prevention Coordination Meeting sponsored by the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Dr. Bennett Fletcher, SRB, DESPR, presented on "NIDA Services Research" at the AHSR Conference, Los Angeles, June 25, 2000.
Dr. Bennett Fletcher, SRB, DESPR, presented the DATOS findings in a "Science for the Staff" seminar at NIDA, July 11, 2000.
Drs. Bennett Fletcher, William Cartwright, and Jerry Flanzer, SRB, DESPR presented the health services research program to researchers at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., on August 3, 2000.
Dr. William Cartwright, SRB, DESPR, chaired a session at the Fifth Workshop on "Costs and Assessment in Psychiatry: The Value of Psychiatry - Economic and Health Policy Implications," University of Chicago, May 10-12, 2000.
Dr. William Cartwright, SRB, DESPR, presented on "Economics Research in Drug Abuse Prevention at NIDA," at the Society of Prevention, Montreal, Canada, May 31, 2000.
Dr. Jerry Flanzer, SRB, DESPR, presented on "NIDA Services Research" at the Services Research Roundtable, American Psychiatric Association, May 17, 2000, in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Jerry Flanzer, SRB, DESPR, presented on "NIDA Services Research" at the Summit on "Social Work and the Neurobiology of Addictions," June 11-13, 2000, Austin, Texas.
Dr. Jerry Flanzer, SRB, DESPR, conducted a panel on "Adolescents Drug Abuse Treatment: Current Research Programs and Practices" at the AHSR Conference, Los Angeles, June 24, 2000.
Dr. Jerry Flanzer, SRB, DESPR, conducted a workshop series, "Funding Opportunities for Social Work Research," at Howard University (May 22-24, 2000), San Jose State University (June 21-23, 2000), and Fordham University (July 12-14, 2000). The first workshop was co-led with Dr. Peter Delany.
Dr. Thomas Hilton, SRB, DESPR, led a panel on the Clinical Trials Network at the AHSR Conference, Los Angeles, CA on June 27, 2000.
Dr. Roy Wise was invited to present "Mechanisms of Drug Reward: Dopamine and Beyond" at the Harvard Symposium on The Neurobiology of Addiction, Cambridge, MA held May 5-6, 2000.
Dr. Svetlana Chefer presented "Characterization of 2-[F-18]fluro-A-85380 Binding in vivo by Positron Emission Tomography" at the Neuroreceptor Mapping Meeting held June 9-11, 2000, in New York, New York.
Dr. Svetlana Chefer presented "2-[F-18]Fluoro-A-85380: A Novel Positron Emission Tomography Ligand for Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors" at the Mathematics and Engineering Techniques in Medicine and Biological Sciences Meeting, June 26-29, 2000, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Alexey Mukhin presented "Radiohalogenated Analogs of A-85380: Potential Ligands for Mapping alpha 4 beta2 Nicotinic Receptors in Human Brain" at the Neuroreceptor Mapping Meeting, June 9-11, 2000, New York, New York.
Dr. Alexey Mukhin presented "Radiohalogenated Analogs of A-85380 as Potential Ligands for in vivo Monitoring of alpha4 beta2 Nicotinic Receptor Alteration in Alzheimer's Disease" at the Mathematics and Engineering Techniques in Medicine and Biological Sciences Meeting, June 26-29, 2000, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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