# The influence of community and family protective processes on neurocognitive systems associated with early-onset drug use:  An investigation of rural southern youth

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2021 · $177,865

## Abstract

Project Summary
The proposed career development application provides research training for Dr. Assaf Oshri to
facilitate his transition to independence. Dr. Oshri proposed research training focuses on
investigating neurocognitive mechanisms linking exposure to contextual stressors associated
with growing up in resource poor rural environments to adolescent drug use. An emerging
consensus among behavioral scientists, however, indicates that the “next generation” of
researchers will have the advantage of a transdisciplinary education, integrating behavioral and
biological expertise. In particular, perspectives and methods from cognitive neuroscience are
providing a powerful vantage point from which to investigate the effects of contextual stress on
development and youth drug use. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), in particular,
generates information complementary to that which is obtained from behavioral measures,
fostering new insights into the etiology of drug use. Dr. Oshri’s long-term goal is to advance
understanding of the etiology of drug use among populations who are vulnerable to addiction
due to a history of exposure to stressful environments and participate in the translation of this
knowledge into effective interventions. His near term goal (5 years) is to submit a competitive
R01 application to NIDA to conduct a prospective study of rural youth investigating the
neurocognitive and psychosocial pathways through which exposure to contextual stress affects
early onset drug use. The proposed research training experience is designed to develop
competencies in (a) the conceptual and empirical foundations of neurocognitive research, (b)
fMRI methods including design, implementation, data analysis, and testing hypotheses, (c)
conceptualizing and assessing community and family level risk and protective processes
associated with rural environments, and (d) grantsmanship. In conjunction with formal and
informal educational experiences, a two-year prospective investigation of rural youth integrating
fMRI and multilevel contextual assessments of psychosocial risk and protective process is
proposed. In this research Dr. Oshri tests the developmental hypothesis that risky decision
making represents a neurocognitive adaptation to resource poor rearing environments. This
proof-of-principal study is designed to provide a focus for training as well as preliminary data to
support a competitive R01 application.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10200727
- **Project number:** 5K01DA045219-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Assaf Oshri
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $177,865
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10200727

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10200727, The influence of community and family protective processes on neurocognitive systems associated with early-onset drug use:  An investigation of rural southern youth (5K01DA045219-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10200727. Licensed CC0.

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