Pharmacology Research on Individualized factors in Substance Misuse (PRISM) Training Program

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY Substance use disorders are a major cause of death and disease in the United States with the country currently experiencing over 100,000 drug overdose deaths 1 and over 5 million disability adjusted life years (DALY’s: equal to one year of healthy life lost) per year. While overall, overdose deaths are declining, this is not the case in all demographics and communities, suggesting that as we address challenges related to substance use disorders (SUDs), many subpopulations are being left behind. These differences highlight the need to consider the unique circumstances of individuals in different subpopulations. Substance misuse and SUD are highly personalized phenomena, influenced by a complex interplay of psychosocial, environmental, genetic, and other unique factors. Psychosocial factors, such as stress, trauma, and social relationships can either predispose individuals to drug use or protect them from it. Environmental influences, including socioeconomic status and injury can also intersect to shape susceptibility to substance misuse and SUD. Additionally, individual differences in brain chemistry, personality traits, and co-occurring mental health disorders contribute to the variability in addiction vulnerability. Thus, there is a need to train the next generation of researchers to understand and study the influences of individualized factors on susceptibility and treatment responses in substance misuse. We are requesting three predoctoral training slots for a duration of five years (two supported by this award, one supported by the Medical College of Wisconsin Graduate School). The Pharmacology Research on Individualized factors in Substance Misuse (PRISM) Training Program is designed to meet this need by providing trainees with in-depth experiences and a holistic education on the impact of unique factors on addiction liability. In the lab, PRISM scholars will study the influence of personalized factors on substance misuse in one of several themes, including stress, neuroinflammation, circuits/plasticity, chronic pain, brain injury, and/or endocannabinoid signaling. Outside the lab, PRISM scholars will get real-world experiences to begin to understand the bidirectional impact of substance use disorders on individuals and communities. These experiences include shadowing practitioners and harm reduction specialists, learning from people with lived experience, and engaging community partners in Milwaukee to discuss scientific and community aspects of substance misuse. To further promote professional development and a broad exposure to different applications of substance misuse research, PRISM scholars will complete a capstone project in one of five themes: community engagement, policy, industry, teaching/education, or translational research. Completion of the capstone project will be supported by a specific capstone mentor and participation in PRISM scholars Learning Community events. By integrating these comprehensive training components, the PRISM Training Program aims to cultivate a new generation of researchers equipped to address the individual challenges of substance misuse.