Substance Use and Abuse

Capacity Building for Tobacco Control in Tunisia, North Africa & Middle East

The major goals of this project are to conduct formative research led by investigators in Tunisia on implementation of key aspects of Article 14 (tobacco cessation and treatment) of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to expand training for tobacco control capacity through the development of culturally tailored tobacco workshops in Tunisia, to develop a research proposal on tobacco cessation in Tunisia and in the broader region of North Africa and Middle East based on finding from our formative research.

Evaluating New Nicotine Standards for Cigarettes

The goal of this center grant is to determine how marked reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes impacts the use and effects of tobacco in current smokers.

Predicting Smoking Abstinence via Mobile Monitoring of Stress and Social Context

The major goals of this project are to assess physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial measures and will use them to predict relapse. Measures will include stress-related physiological variables, parameters related to social interactions with smokers, exposure to smoking spots, physical activity, and exposure to smoke and smokers. To collect momentary self-report-based assessments of urge to smoke, affect, nicotine withdrawal, setting, and smoking environment. These measures will be used as predictors of smoking relapse over a 7-day period.

Sex Differences and Progesterone Effects on Impulsivity, Smoking & Cocaine Abuse

The major goals of this project are to take an interdisciplinary approach to studying an emerging and potentially important interaction between sex differences, hormonal status (e.g., progesterone), impulsivity and drug-motivated behavior that could have important consequences for reducing two devastating forms of drug abuse, cigarette smoking and cocaine abuse.

Smoking, Sex Hormones, and Pregnancy

The major goals of this project are to investigate the relationship between sex hormones and smoking-related symptomatology in pregnancy and, a more controlled clinical model, oral contraceptives.

Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Psychiatric Conditions

The goals of this project are to develop a cadre of scientists with research expertise in comorbidity mechanisms, antecedents and correlates, diagnostics, and psychosocial and pharmacological interventions. Component objectives are to provide each trainee with a working knowledge of comorbidity research including: (a) translational science from Early Phase Clinical Trials to Community Based Participatory Research perspectives; (b) effective research strategies for comorbid conditions across populations including ethnocultural groups (e.g. American, Indian, Hmong, Somali).

This program develops a cadre of scientists with research expertise in comorbidity mechanisms, antecedents and correlates, diagnostics, and psychosocial and pharmacological interventions. Components provide each trainee with a working knowledge of comorbidity research including: (a) translational science from Early Phase Clinical Trials to Community Based Participatory Research perspectives; (b) effective research strategies for comorbid conditions across populations and ethnic and cultural groups (e.g. American Indian, Hmong, Somali). Programmatic features capitalize on (a) the spectrum of faculty expertise providing mentoring across multiple areas, and (b) integration across training programs and departments. The program is a collaboration of the Department of Biobehavioral Health and Population Sciences with the Department of Psychiatry in the Medical School, and the Department of Psychology on the Twin Cities campus.

NIDA T32 Institutional Training Grant

Program Director-PI John Grabowski, PhD; Multi PI James Allen, PhD