# The UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program to Address Substance Use and Disorders in Urban and Rural Communities in Five Western States

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $376,936

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY
Substance use disorders (SUDs) affect millions of Americans and have enormous impact on overall health and
mortality. In the past decade, opioid use disorders have emerged as a major health crisis throughout urban and
rural communities. The dissemination of knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices remains
a challenge for achieving improved SUD-related health outcomes in the real world, particularly in rural areas.
Physicians are on the frontlines of identifying and treating patients with SUD, and are thus uniquely situated to
implement evidence-based care and identify areas for further research, yet there is a scarcity of addiction
medicine trained clinicians and physician-scientists who can advance the field. The University of Washington
(UW) School of Medicine is uniquely poised to develop an addictions research education program for medical
students. The medical school provides training to students across a 5-state region covering 25% of the nation's
landmass: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI). We propose the following specific
aims: Aim #1 is to develop the Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program within the UW
School of Medicine to provide opportunities for mentored research and training; Aim #2 is to encourage
medical students to consider careers in Addiction Medicine and research by establishing longitudinal
mentoring relationships and collaborative networks. We will train 6–8 medical students annually during a
9-week block that is dedicated to research between their 1st and 2nd years. To carry out their mentored
research project they will be paired with a primary research mentor, an Addiction Medicine trained clinical
mentor, and a research methods “coach.” Students in the program will also learn about Addiction Medicine
careers, including the option for Addiction Medicine fellowships, during their 9-week block. In addition, mentors
(research and clinical) will provide longitudinal mentoring throughout medical school through quarterly
meetings. A meeting of MedStAR students from all classes will be organized annually to facilitate the creation
of a network of students with common interests, and students will attend the annual College for Drug
Dependence conference where they can network with fellows and faculty from another R25 program (the
“Research in Addiction Medicine Scholars” program). Through the creation of the MedStAR program, we will
create a cadre of medical students who are poised to become the next generation of clinicians and scientists to
implement and disseminate evidence-based care for patients with SUDs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10159236
- **Project number:** 5R25DA050985-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Judith Tsui
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $376,936
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10159236

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10159236, The UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program to Address Substance Use and Disorders in Urban and Rural Communities in Five Western States (5R25DA050985-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10159236. Licensed CC0.

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