# AUTS2 and the chromatin dynamics of alcohol use disorders

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · 2021 · $248,999

## Abstract

Project Summary
Candidate
 My overarching goal is to bridge the gap between basic discoveries and the prevention and treatment
of alcohol use disorders (AUD). Towards accomplishing that goal I have sought career and scientific
opportunities that expose me to a variety of approaches to tackling AUD from molecular, behavioral and neural
system perspectives. The major emphasis of my graduate training was developing sophisticated behavioral
procedures that facilitate pharmacological manipulations and investigation of the molecular underpinnings of
psychiatric and AUD. To unite this training with the deep biochemistry and molecular tools required to
determine how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to AUD, I sought my post-doctoral training and research in
the lab of Dr. Reinberg, who is a world-renowned leader in chromatin biology and transcription. My ultimate
goal for the R00 phase is to become an independent investigator and tackle the root, epigenetic causes of
AUD and make a large impact on their diagnosis, prevention and treatment. I plan to accomplish this by
bridging disciplines so that I can approach AUD from molecular, behavioral and neural system perspectives.
This K99/R00 application represents only the beginning of this work and I am most excited by its potential to
discover novel molecular mechanisms in AUD through my genome-wide and biochemical approaches.
Environment
 Dr. Reinberg's lab is a fantastic place to gain the experience I need to launch my future career as an
independent investigator. Under his mentorship and through his dynamic lab, I will learn a host of sophisticated
biochemistry and molecular biology techniques. Importantly, this lab is well established and has deep
resources for probing challenging questions in chromatin biology. These well-established resources and
expertise include all of the biochemistry and molecular biology techniques required for training in the studies I
propose. One of the truly remarkable things about the Reinberg lab is the high caliber and deep expertise of its
members working on a number of challenging questions requiring the development of innovative techniques
and approaches. The environment in his lab dovetails nicely with the supportive environment at my host
institution, my collaborators and the training that is sure to enrich my experience and propel my professional
development
Research
Alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) use disorders (AUD) are characterized by heterogeneous genetic and behavioral
underpinnings. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that disruptions in the underlying gene sequence can only
partially account for the molecular profile of AUD. An emerging theme is that the expression profile of large
gene networks is markedly altered in the alcoholic brain. Preliminary data and recent literature suggest that
autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) may represent one such key epigenetic regulator that drives
aberrant transcriptional programs in AUD. This proposal examines how AUTS2 and ass...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10092050
- **Project number:** 5R00AA024837-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** James M Stafford
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $248,999
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-01 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10092050

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10092050, AUTS2 and the chromatin dynamics of alcohol use disorders (5R00AA024837-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10092050. Licensed CC0.

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