NIH Grant of $1.2 Million to Fund 6 Postdoctoral Fellows at UB’s Research Institute on Addictions

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A new grant to the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) will provide quality research training for six future scientists in the causes of alcohol use and misuse, as well as treatment for alcohol-use disorders.

The prestigious award of $1,198,000 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism will build on RIA's extensive history of postdoctoral fellowships and, over an initial period of five years, provide postdoctoral training in the conceptualization, methodology, and ethics of research for six postdoctoral fellows.

"This program is unique in several ways," said Gerard J. Connors, Ph.D., director of the institute.

"First, there will be an interdisciplinary approach with faculty representation from such diverse fields as psychology, sociology, epidemiology, biochemistry, criminal justice, social work, internal medicine, and psychiatry. Second, the faculty members are all experienced and productive researchers with the majority currently serving as principal investigators on federally funded projects. Third, RIA is in a position to provide a variety of supports requisite to the research training enterprise, including a specialized library, a state-of-the-art computer center, an animal-care facility and associated laboratories, laboratories for human studies, and an outpatient clinical research treatment center."

Trainees will be assigned a specific mentor or preceptor, based on their research interests. The mentor will provide training in a fellow's primary area of study, as well as in foundations of interdisciplinary alcohol research, current alcohol research, grant writing, and professional issues and career development.

Individuals interested in applying for the postdoctoral positions may call 716-887-2566 for more information.

Connors and R. Lorraine Collins, Ph.D., RIA senior research scientist, will serve as co-training directors. RIA scientists serving as core faculty include Grace M. Barnes, Arthur W. K. Chan, Kurt H. Dermen, Kenneth E. Leonard, Neil B. McGillicuddy, Robert G. Rychtarik, Roh-Yu Shen, Paul R. Stasiewicz, Maria Testa, Kimberly S. Walitzer and John W. Welte.

Associated faculty will include RIA scientists Howard T. Blane, Clara M. Bradizza, Rina Das Eiden, Michael R. Frone and Thomas H. Nochajski, and UB researchers Michael Bozarth, Michael Farrell, Jeremy Finn, Brenda A. Miller, Carlos Pato, William Pelham and Nancy J. Smyth. Robert Whitney, M.D., of the Erie County Medical Center and William F. Wieczorek, Ph.D., of Buffalo State College will serve as associated faculty.