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Updated: December 2006
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The program provides interdisciplinary, graduate training in research
areas related to drug and alcohol abuse. The objective of this program,
now in its 5th renewal period as a NIDA-supported training grant, continues
to be the preparation of predoctoral students for careers either
in basic or in more clinically-related research. Students are drawn
from the Department of Psychology and the Curriculum in Neurobiology
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Training laboratories
are located at several sites throughout the University, including
the Departments of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Psychiatry as well
as laboratories affiliated with the Neurobiology Curriculum, and
the Center for Alcohol Studies.
The environment offered by UNC-CH is particularly well suited for
training in research related to drug abuse. First of all, the faculty
includes a core of individuals whose research and teaching activities
provide a broad spectrum of high quality research training opportunities.
These include behavioral pharmacology of drugs of abuse, neurobiology
of opioid and dopamine systems, neuropharmacology of ethanol and
other drugs of abuse, genetics and drugs of abuse, investigations of the immune system and drugs
of abuse, and clinically-related areas such as the progression of
adolescent substance abuse and investigations of predictive risk
factors. Secondly, interaction among investigators provides a strong
collaborative environment for training students. Students receive
background training either in the basic neural and behavioral sciences
or the more clinically-oriented areas of psychology. More focused
training related to drug abuse comes from a variety of interdepartmental
courses, seminars and extensive laboratory research. Students who
complete this program also receive training in teaching and communication,
and are provided many opportunities to develop their professional
leadership skills.
Upon completion of their training, students are prepared to pursue
a career related to drug abuse in academic, research, or clinical
settings. In the last 15 years, this program has provided doctoral
training for over 45 students. And many of those students have completed
their Ph.D. degrees and now hold either teaching, research, or clinically-oriented
positions related to drug abuse; the others are currently active
students in the program.
The drug abuse training program draws on faculty, resources, and
students from a variety of departments. Students are admitted to
one of these home departments and concentrate their first years
of training on completing requirements within their home department
or curriculum. In addition, students in the drug abuse training
program take several interdepartmental courses and seminars related
to the area of drug abuse. Students receive training in formal course
work, laboratory experience, communication skills, and ethics as
well as postgraduate preparation involving grant writing, practicum
experience, and leadership development programs. Students receive
their research training in a variety of settings, providing them
with a well rounded learning environment.
The program is designed to strike a balance between course work,
research, and teaching experiences. Students are strongly encouraged
to articulate their knowledge and research findings through scholarship,
publication, presentation at professional meetings, and teaching.
- Neurobiology of Ethanol and Drugs of Abuse
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Addiction
- Pain, Analgesia, and Analgesics
- Neuroendocrinology
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Current Topics in Neuroimaging
The Predoctoral Training in Research on Drug Abuse program provides
its students with a variety of financial support. Student's full
tuition, fees, and health insurance are covered by the program.
In addition, a $21,000 stipend is provided as well as $1000 for
travel to conferences and professional meetings.
Professor, Psychology and Director of Behavioral Neuroscience Program
Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1991
Behavioral neurophysiological investigation of brain reward processing
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/biopsych/carelli/
Professor, Pharmacology and Director: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1978
Neurodegeneration and chronic drug-induced changes in brain signaling
pathways
Web Address: http://www.med.unc.edu/alcohol/faculty/CrewsFT/Crews.htm
, Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1994
Structural equation modeling, growth curve analysis, and adolescent
substance use.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/quantpsy/fac_curran.htm
, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor, Psychology
and Pharmacology
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1972
Behavioral and pharmacological investigations of opioid analgesics,
drugs of abuse, and other compounds.
Web Address: http://gradschool.unc.edu/linda/index.html
, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2000
Role of associative learning and memory in cue-induced relapse to drug seeking.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/biopsych/Fuchs.htm
, Associate Professor, Psychiatry
Ph.D., Auburn University, 1991
Neurobehavioral pharmacology and pharmacogenomics of addiction.
Web Address: http://www.med.unc.edu/alcohol/faculty/HodgeCW/Hodge.htm
, Associate Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1996
Developmental studies of the social and familial influences associated
with adolescent substance use, and comorbid disorders among high
risk youth.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/~ahussong/
, Associate Professor, Psychology and Psychiatry
Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1988
Effects of drugs of abuse on maternal behavior and aggression, and
the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs on offspring
development and behavior.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/~jjohns/
, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1992
Behavioral & neuropharmacology;
Chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal.
Web Address: http://www.psychiatry.unc.edu/directories/knapp.htm
, Kenan Distinguished Professor and Department Chair, Psychology
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1986
Psychoneuroimmunology, the effects of conditioning on lymphocyte
reactivity.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/biopsych/Lysle.htm
, Professor, Psychiatry and Pharmacology
Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 1974
Dopamine receptor structure and function.
Web Address: http://www.psychiatry.unc.edu/directories/mailman.htm
, Professor, Pharmacology and Endodontics (School
of Dentistry)
D.D.S., Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1983, 1982
Neural coding of nociceptive information.
Web Address: http://tarc.med.unc.edu/facultymem.php?id=39
, Professor, Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Ph.D., University of California-San Diego, 1985.
Molecular Neuropharmacology.
Web Address: http://www.med.unc.edu/alcohol/faculty/MorrowAL/Morrow.htm
, Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., Western Michigan University, 1984
Discriminative stimulus effects of opioids, drug tolerance and cross-tolerance,
behavioral pharmacology, and role of gender and genetics in determining
responsiveness to the analgesic effects of opioids.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/biopsych/Picker.htm
, Associate Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1995
Neurobiology of alcoholism, employing both genetic and pharmacological
manipulations.
Web Address: http://www.unc.edu/depts/biopsych/Thiele.htm
The predoctoral drug abuse training program has been the stepping
stone to careers in many different fields related to drug abuse
research. Recent graduates of our program have gone on to hold research
and teaching positions at major universities, smaller liberal arts
schools, and research centers. Numerous graduates of the program
have gone on to receive external funding and are making contributions
of their own in a variety of areas relating to drug abuse research. Graduates of the predoctoral program in drug abuse over the last 10 years are currently working at the following sites:
University of Florida
University of Denver
Davidson
Cephalon Pharmaceuticals
Schwarz Pharmaceuticals
Eli Lily Pharmaceuticals
Abbott Pharmaceuticals
Johns Hopkins University
Access Medical Group
GlaxoSmithKline
Pharmaceutical Product Development
Scripps Research Institute
Gallo Institute
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