ADAI News

Jobs at Univ. of Washington in Drug & Alcohol Research

Several positions are available in drug and alcohol research projects at the University of Washington, Seattle.  For details, see the "Employment" page on the ADAI website:

http://depts.washington.edu/adai/jobs.htm

Alan Marlatt's "Exemplary Contributions to the Field" Lauded

UW Psychology Professor G. Alan Marlatt was awarded the American Psychological Association's award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical Psychology, the latest among numerous awards he has received. The APA cited Dr. Marlatt's "exemplary contribution to the field."

Dr. Marlatt has directed the Addictive Behaviors Research Center since 1981.  In addition to over 200 journal articles and book chapters, he has published several books in the addictions field.  To view references to many of Dr. Marlatt's publication, click on http://tinyurl.com/marlatt

Catalano is Dobb Professor for Study & Prevention of Violence

UW Social Work faculty member Richard Catalano, director of the Social Development Research Group, has been appointed to hold the Bartley Dobb professorship for Study and Prevention of Violence.  The Dobb fund supporting the professorship is dedicated to the study and prevention of violence, including interpersonal violence, through resolution of conflict. The appointment was announced by UW Provost Phyllis Wise, who noted "It is because of your leadership in advancing research and program development to promote positive youth development and prevent violence in diverse communities that you are uniquely qualified to receive this honor."   More...

Dan Kivlahan Lauded for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Public Interest

The Addictions Division of the American Psychological Association has announced that Daniel R. Kivlahan, UW Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, will receive the 2008 award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Public Interest.  The award will be officially presented at the APA's upcoming conference in Boston in August.

 

UW Researchers Define Mechanism of Methamphetamine Addiction

Long-term changes in the brain's dopamine-releasing machinery may explain why methamphetamine addiction is so strong, according to a study published by lead author Nigel S. Bamford, MD, UW Department of Neurology, and colleagues from the UW and other research institutions.

The research team treated mice with methamphetamine and monitored how extended exposure to the drug affected dopamine levels. The researchers focused on the dopamine machinery in the brain's corticostriatal region, which is believed to contain the "habit" circuitry that plays a major role in the compulsive drug seeking seen in people addicted to methamphetamine and amphetamine.

Long-term exposure to methamphetamine caused a depression of the synaptic dopamine machinery in the corticostriatal region that lasted for months after the mice were no longer given the drug. However, a dose of methamphetamine reversed the depressive effects on the synaptic dopamine machinery.

The researchers also found that the drug produced its long-term effect by altering specific types of receptors for dopamine and another neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

They concluded that the mechanism they identified "might provide a synaptic basis that underlies addiction and habit learning and their long-term maintenance."

The findings, which were published in the April 10 issue of the journal Neuron, could help lead to more effective treatments for addiction to methamphetamine and related drugs.

[U.S. News & World Report, April 9, 2008]

Drinking to Extremes to Celebrate 21

Research by Clayton Neighbors, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UW Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors was noted in an April 8 story in the New York Times about the dangerous ritual of drinking extreme amounts of alcohol to celebrate a 21st birthday. Dr. Neighbors is studying Internet-based interventions he hopes will convince more young people to moderate their drinking on their 21st birthdays. In one study of 316 students, to be presented at the American Psychological Association conference this year, those who were given Web-based information about drinking prior to their 21st birthday drank less than students who didn’t receive the information.

Students in the intervention group were asked how much they planned to drink on their 21st birthday and how common they believed extreme drinking really is. The interactive tool then showed them that only a minority of students drink 21 or more drinks. It also calculated a student’s blood alcohol level based on the amount he or she planned to drink. Giving students extra information about drinking appeared to result in blood alcohol levels that were about 25 percent lower than the group that wasn’t given the information, he said.

“One of the problems is a lot of these kids don’t realize that 21 drinks in an hour can kill you,'’ Dr. Neighbors said.

Research in Addiction & the Brain ~ Online Certificate Program

A new session of the University of Washington online certificate program Advanced Research in Addiction and the Brain will start in January 2008.  Applications are being accepted now.

This distance-learning program brings the latest in addiction science to counselors, chemical dependency specialists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, educators, members of the judiciary, law makers, and other professionals who deal with the issues of substance abuse.

Courses in this program meet Washington State's continuing education requirements for 50 hours/course in ethics and law for social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists. The courses also meet the requirement for 50 hours/course continuing certification for work in public schools (ESA certification).

Join a group of colleagues this winter to learn more and enhance your professional skills in addressing the problems of substance abuse.  The program will continue with a related course in Spring 2008.  If you have any questions, please call or e-mail 206-685-6514; mkunselman@extn.washington.edu.

Details and application: www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/adb/adb_gen.asp

Robert J. McMahon is New Editor of Prevention Science

Robert J. McMahon, Ph.D. has been named as the new editor of Prevention Science, the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research. Dr. McMahon is a Professor in the UW Department of Psychology and the Director of the Child Clinical Psychology Program.

Prevention Science is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal designed to disseminate new developments in the theory, research, and practice of prevention. The journal publishes articles related to the prevention sciences encompassing etiology, epidemiology, and intervention on a variety of health and social problems, including but not limited to substance abuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, teenage pregnancy, suicide, delinquency, STDs, obesity, diet/nutrition, exercise, and chronic illness.

Seattle's Housing for Chronic Public Inebriates Featured in NY Times

Dan Barry's weekly "This Land" column in the New York Times takes readers beneath news stories and into obscure and well-known corners of the country.  This week, Barry writes about Seattle's 1811 Eastlake Project, which provides supportive housing for 75 formerly homeless men and women living with chronic alcohol addiction.  1811 Eastlake is the first housing program of its kind in Washington to use this innovative housing model for addressing the needs of chronic homeless alcoholics.  Alan Marlatt and Mary Larimer of the UW Addictive Behaviors Research Center are evaluating the effectiveness of the program, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Read "On the Bottle, Off the Streets, Halfway There" in the Sunday, November 11, 2007 issue of the NY Times.

Addiction, Mental Illness & Medical Vulnerabilities

The burden of mental illness and addictions in the medically ill population is increasing at a staggering rate, especially in safety net settings serving disadvantaged populations.

Healthcare providers working with patients with these challenging co-morbidities will be interested in this opportunity to acquire new and effective theoretical approaches and skills to ensure optimal outcomes in their patients.  Conference participants will learn about current research and best practices for addressing issues of substance abuse, chronic pain, geriatric depression, the management of challenging patients with chronic illness, and the management of cardiometabolic effects of typical antipsychotics. 

Addiction, Mental Illness, & Medical Vulnerabilities:
The Troublesome Triad

November 2, 2007, 7:15 a.m. - 4:50 p.m.
Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Download registration brochure
or -- Register online

This one-day conference is for physicians, physicians assistants, nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other health care providers. Sponsored by the Center for Healthcare Improvement for Addictions, Mental Illness, and Medically Vulnerable Populations (CHAMMP), Harborview.  Medical Center.  For more information, call: (206) 543-1050.