ADAI News

King County Behavioral Health Legislative Forum: Thursday, Nov. 8, 6:00-8:30pm

 

Why should you attend the 2018 King County Behavioral Health Legislative Forum?

• Share what matters to you.
  The forum begins with a public reception and dedicated time for constituents to meet informally with state legislators, county council members, and legislative staff. It’s a chance to sit down directly with your legislator and share what matters most to you, your family, and your community when it comes to mental health and substance use. Click here to see the list of elected officials who plan to attend.
• Learn what we’re working on this year.
  Every year, King County partners with elected officials to improve service systems and tackle challenges together. As part of the forum, King County will announce its legislative priorities in behavioral health -- what they'll be working on with state and federal elected officials, like improving access to community-based treatment or preserving the protections of the Affordable Care Act.
• Help fight stigma about mental health and substance use.
  Sharing with your friends, family, and community how substance use and mental health impact your life or your loved ones puts a face to an issue that is too often stereotyped or misunderstood. These conversations can save lives. When we change how individuals, communities, and systems see and treat people with substance use or mental health conditions, we make it easier to find help and maintain hope that recovery is possible.
• Sit down with your legislator and county council members.
  Almost 20 elected officials and their staff plan to attend, and they really want to hear from you.
• Celebrate people in recovery.
  On November 8, it’s time to celebrate the thousands of people in our communities who are in recovery or on a journey toward it. What can you do to support people who use behavioral health services, and their allies?

When: Thursday, November 8, 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall – 301 Mercer St, Seattle
Register: on Eventbrite.

The UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute is proud to be one of many organizations helping to co-sponsor this event! 

Help spread the word! Use hashtag #KC4Recovery and encourage people to come -- there's plenty of room even if you have not registered.

Webinar: Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Diosders: An Overview

Presenter: P. Todd Korthuis, MD, MPH
Wednesday, November 7, 2018, 10:00-11:30am (Pacific)

Join the Northwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NWATTC) and the CTN Western States Node for an informative webinar featuring Dr. Todd Korthuis of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Dr. Korthuis will review the biological basis of medications for OUD, present recent data on the effects of buprenorphine on patient outcomes, and introduce tools for integrating buprenorphine treatment into your current setting.

This event is free.  Download flyer | Register here!  

Washington State Academy of Sciences Symposium on Conducting Cannabis Research in Washington

On September 13, 2018, the Washington State Academy of Sciences held a 1-day symposium on "The Highs and Lows of Conducting Research on Cannabis in Washington State" at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. Researchers from the University of Washington, Washington State University, and elsewhere participated, including Dennis Donovan of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute.

The symposium outlined the history of cannabis use and the data supporting its utility for improving the human condition, as well as its linkage to deleterious impacts.  Presentations ranged from foundational medical experimentation to work in highly applied real-world settings, and strategies to allow research to be conducted while remaining compliant with the regulatory environment.

WATCH Part 1:

WATCH Part 2:

WATCH Part 3:

 

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Community Approaches and Resources

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Community Approaches and Resources

Join the Seattle Public Library for an evening of presentations and Q&A from local experts on the community approaches to addressing the opioid epidemic. The program will provide members of the community with an overview of the opioid epidemic and community approaches for addressing the epidemic. Prevention strategies and key resources will be highlighted.

The program is free and open to the public. ASL interpreted event.

Date: Thursday, October 11, 2018
Time: 5-6:30pm for information resource tables; 6:30-8pm for presentations and Q&A
Location: Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium, Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.

Featuring:

Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW
Principal Research Scientist and Interim Director
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington

Renée Bouvion, MPH
Acting Regional Health Administrator – Region 10, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Marc Garth Green
Deputy Chief, Seattle Police Department

View event web page.

For more information, contact leap@spl.org.

Dennis Donovan Retiring as Director of the UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute

After twenty-five years, Dr. Dennis Donovan is stepping down as Director of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington.  He will continue his work in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network as the Co-PI (with Dr. Mary Hatch-Maillette) of the Pacific Northwest Node, as well as selected other activities within ADAI, and the UW, under his new status as Professor Emeritus.

Dennis M. Donovan (aka “Dr. Pun-ovan”) has been the director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute since 1993 and a UW faculty member since 1981; he has been a Professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Professor in the UW Departments of Psychology, Health Services, and Global Health.  He also directed the Substance Abuse and HIV/STI Scientific Working Group within the UW’s Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Donovan has been a Principal Investigator of numerous federally funded grants, including NIAAA’s Project MATCH, the NIAAA COMBINE Study, and NIDA’s National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN).  He developed close relationships with members of tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest through their collaborative work developing and implementing the Healing of the Canoe project. He has published more than 300 articles, chapters, and books in the area of alcoholism and addictive behaviors.

Before coming to ADAI, Dr. Donovan was affiliated with the Addictions Treatment Center at the Seattle Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System for over 20 years, involved in clinical, administrative, training, and research activities. At the VA he directed the Inpatient Treatment Program and Assistant Director of the Addictions Treatment Center. Prior to moving full time to the University of Washington and ADAI, he served as the Associate Director and then Acting Director of the first Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education (CESATE) within the Department of Veterans Affairs nationally. Among his many contributions within the VA system was the development of the first interdisciplinary fellowship in substance abuse treatment, including postdoctoral clinical psychologists, and post-masters nursing, social work, and occupational therapist trainees. In 2013, he was invited to serve on the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee for an Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services.

The University of Washington will launch a national search for a new director of ADAI soon; until then, Dr. Caleb Banta-Green, Principal Research Scientist at ADAI, will serve as interim director.

Dennis’s research career and contributions to ADAI and many partner organizations were lauded at a retirement party on August 30, with many Seattle colleagues and friends on hand to wish him well.  (We'll publish photos and some of the best puns in a future post)! Thank you, Dennis, for your decades of good work and good cheer at ADAI. Best wishes, and happy kayaking!

We're Hiring! Research Scientist for a Study of the Intersection of SUD Treatment & HIV Prevention

ADAI has been the home for the Pacific Northwest Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) since 2001. The CTN’s goal is to move substance abuse treatments with demonstrated efficacy into community-based treatment settings to determine their effectiveness when implemented in real-world treatment settings. 

We have an opening for a Research Scientist who will function as the National Project Director for two HIV prevention studies in the CTN. One has already been funded (PrEP Survey) and is an HIV prevention implementation science survey study designed to identify barriers and facilitators to scaling up Pre-Exposure Phrophylaxis (PrEP) to substance-using men who have sex with men in high-HIV incidence cities in the US. A second study, pending funding, is a medication adherence trial of PrEP in substance-using men who have sex with men and in people who inject drugs. This position will work with Lead Investigators at ADAI, Columbia and Yale Universities, and with other Lead Team members, on the development, implementation, and dissemination of the studies. Secondarily, this position may involve work on other opioid-related clinical treatment trials on an as-needed basis. Examples include a rapid buprenorphine induction trial in emergency departments, and an evaluation of rural hub-and-spoke models to deliver medication assisted treatment to people with opioid use disorders in rural Washington.

For the full description and application instructions, see Req. # 158200 at UW Hires.

 

Latest Research Publications from ADAI Staff

Publishing in peer-reviewed, scientific journals is a key part of the research and dissemination activities of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute.

Here are the most recent articles by ADAI researchers:

Serafini K, Stewart DG, Wendt DC, Donovan DM. Perceived parental support and adolescent motivation for substance use change: a preliminary investigation. Addiction Research & Theory 2018;26(3):187-192.

Hartzler B, Dombrowski JC, Donovan DM. Contextual tailoring of empirically-supported behavior therapies to augment combination antiretroviral therapy adherence: Perspectives from the HIV care community. [Presented at 4th Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2017] Implementation Science 2018;13(Suppl 3):A84

Hartzler B, Dombrowski JC, Williams JR, ... Donovan DM. Influence of substance use disorders on 2-Year HIV care retention in the United States. AIDS Behavior 2018;22(3):742-751.

Venner KL, Donovan DM, Campbell ANC, Wendt DC et al. Future directions for medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder with American Indian/Alaska Natives. Addictove Behavior (2018 in press)

Hirchak KA, Leickly E, ... Donovan DM, Buchwald D, McDonell MG, HONOR Study Team. Focus groups to increase the cultural acceptability of a contingency management intervention for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 2018;90:57-63. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2018.04.014.

Donovan DM, Ifland J. Diagnosing and assessing processed food addiction (PFA). In Ifland, J, Marcus MT, Preuss HG (eds.). Processed Food Addiction: Foundations, Assessment, and Recovery. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2018, p121-136.

Frost MC, Williams EC, Kingston S, Banta-Green CJ. Interest in getting help to reduce or stop substance use among syringe exchange clients who use opioids. Journal of Addiction Medicine 2018 (in press).

NIDA's State Opioid Summaries

On NIDA's webpage for Opioid Summaries by State, users can find opioid-related overdose death rates and opioid prescribing levels for each state in the U.S., along with state-specific resources. Each state page also includes data on comorbidities such as HIV, hepatitis C, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Users can also search for NIH-funded projects related to opioid use and opioid use disorder.

NIDA Opioid Summaries by State webpage

NIDA Opioid Summary for Washington State

Find more information about opioids and other major drugs of abuse in Washington on ADAI's Interactive Drug Abuse Epidemiology webpage.

UW & WSU Symposium on Marijuana Research in Washington

On May 18, 2018, the University of Washington’s Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute hosted its 3rd Symposium on Marijuana Research in Washington, this year in collaboration with colleagues from Washington State University.

Keynote speaker Bob Ferguson, Washington State Attorney General, spoke about issues of federal vs. state marijuana laws, and about Washington’s law protecting local jurisdictions’ right to exclude marijuana retail stores even if the product is legal in the state.

Bob Ferguson, WA State Attorney General | Photo by Colleen Boyce, @uwgov

Scientists from the UW and WSU presented in three areas:

• Marijuana and Vulnerable Populations
• Cannabinoids: Therapeutic Potential
• Marijuana Use & Other Substances: Substitution, Combination, or Both?

The event drew approximately 200 researchers, state and local officials, and community partners.

Video, slides, and speaker information are available at: http://adai.uw.edu/mjsymposium/.

ADAI received funds from Washington’s Marijuana Dedicated Fund to support marijuana research and information dissemination, described in a report covering activities from July 2015-June 2017.

ADAI Small Grant Awards for March 2018 Cycle

ADAI funded six Small Grants in the March 2018 round of applications. The goal of the Small Grants Program is to stimulate research at the University of Washington by supporting promising pilot projects which may ultimately be developed into full studies with outside grant support. Three of the proposals in this round are focused on marijuana research and are supported by the Marijuana Dedicated Fund.

Congratulations to the recipients!

• PI: Tim O'Neal, PhD Student, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Seattle Children's Research Institute; Susan Ferguson, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (Mentor) In Vivo Monitoring of Medium Spiny Neuron Ca2+ Dynamics in a Rodent Model of Heroin Addiction
• PI: Douglas S. Ramsay, DMD, PhD, MSD, Professor and Chair, Oral Health Sciences, and Karl J. Kaiyala, Research Associate Professor Emeritus. Develop and Validate Ethanol Vapor Self-Administration in Rats: Pilot Data to Study Addictive Vulnerability to Alcohol
• PI: Cynthia A. Stappenbeck, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, An Examination of the Use of Mobile Breathalyzers to Assess Alcohol Intoxication Levels in Real Time
• PI: Michele Cadigan, PhD Student, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Sociology; Alexes Harris, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Sociology (Mentor), Defining Safe Cannabis Use in a Legal Context: A Market Perspective
• PI: Kathleen Pagulayan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Elaine Peskind, MD, Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; and Todd Richards, PhD, Professor, Radiology (Co-investigators), Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Persisting Post-Concussive Symptoms in Veterans with a History of Mild Post-Traumatic Brain Injury
• PI: Andrea Stone, PhD, Assistant Professor, Nursing and Health Sciences, UW Bothell. I-502 County-Level Voting and Local Adolescent Marijuana Use: Do Risk Factor (Perceived Harm and Availability) Associations and Trends Differ by Grade?

You can read abstracts of these projects here.

The next deadline for ADAI Small Grant applications is October 15, 2018.  Read more about ADAI's Small Grants Program and application process on the Small Grant web page.

ADAI funded six Small Grants in the March 2018 round of applications. The goal of the Small Grants Program is to stimulate research at the University of Washington by supporting promising pilot projects which may ultimately be developed into full studies with outside grant support. Three of the proposals in this round are focused on marijuana research and are supported by the Marijuana Dedicated Fund.

Congratulations to the recipients!

• PI: Tim O'Neal, PhD Student, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Seattle Children's Research Institute; Susan Ferguson, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (Mentor) In Vivo Monitoring of Medium Spiny Neuron Ca2+ Dynamics in a Rodent Model of Heroin Addiction
• PI: Douglas S. Ramsay, DMD, PhD, MSD, Professor and Chair, Oral Health Sciences, and Karl J. Kaiyala, Research Associate Professor Emeritus. Develop and Validate Ethanol Vapor Self-Administration in Rats: Pilot Data to Study Addictive Vulnerability to Alcohol
• PI: Cynthia A. Stappenbeck, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, An Examination of the Use of Mobile Breathalyzers to Assess Alcohol Intoxication Levels in Real Time
• PI: Michele Cadigan, PhD Student, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Sociology; Alexes Harris, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Sociology (Mentor), Defining Safe Cannabis Use in a Legal Context: A Market Perspective
• PI: Kathleen Pagulayan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Elaine Peskind, MD, Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; and Todd Richards, PhD, Professor, Radiology (Co-investigators), Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Persisting Post-Concussive Symptoms in Veterans with a History of Mild Post-Traumatic Brain Injury
• PI: Andrea Stone, PhD, Assistant Professor, Nursing and Health Sciences, UW Bothell. I-502 County-Level Voting and Local Adolescent Marijuana Use: Do Risk Factor (Perceived Harm and Availability) Associations and Trends Differ by Grade?

You can read abstracts of these projects here.

The next deadline for ADAI Small Grant applications is October 15, 2018.  Read more about ADAI's Small Grants Program and application process on the Small Grant web page.