# BLRD Senior Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
 There were about 81,000 drug overdoses in the U.S. from June 2019 to May 2020 – the
highest rate ever recorded. Synthetic opioids (i.e., fentanyl and its analogues) are the primary driver
of the increase in deaths, despite availability of naloxone for treatment of opioid-induced respiratory
depression. Ten Western states reported an over 98% increase in synthetic opioid-involved deaths
(CDC). Recent scientific data indicate, “The rate of opioid use disorder among patients in the
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is 7 times higher than that of non-VHA enrollees.” (Ahonle et
al., Fed Pract. 2020; PMID: 33029067 PMCID: PMC7535957). Generally and too frequently, drug
abuse is a confounding problem that is co-morbid with post-traumatic stress disorder and other
mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and depression. Psychiatric outpatients are the second
largest group of patients serviced by the Department of Veterans Affairs, with psychotic disorders
such as schizophrenia being one of the most frequent diagnoses. Because there are no etiology-
(biologically-) based treatments, these patients experience recurrent admissions to V.A. hospitals,
and treatment compliance and symptom improvement are variable. Nationally, the V.A. spends over
$3 billion and the Portland V.A. spends over $25 million annually on mental health programs. In
addition, the V.A. spends over $250 million on antipsychotic medications and the Portland V.A. alone
spends over $2.5 million annually on antipsychotic medications. Thus, drug abuse and schizophrenia
have had an overwhelming impact on medical and financial aspects of the V.A. patient care mission.
Developing treatments and cures could profoundly and positively impact medical and financial facets
of the V.A.
 Our laboratory’s overarching goals are to 1) discover and characterize genetic and
neurochemical pre-determinants for both neuropsychiatric disorders and drug response, and 2)
discover and develop new etiology-based pharmacotherapies for neuropsychiatric disorders,
including addictions.
 Using engineered cells expressing recombinant proteins, the laboratory has developed and
continues to develop medium throughput radioligand binding and second messenger/signal
transduction system assays for about (currently) 15 human G protein coupled receptors or ion
channels and their polymorphisms. Additionally, we quantify radioligand binding, neurotransmitter
uptake and neurotransmitter release by recombinant human neurotransmitter transporters and the
vesicular monoamine transporter. Similar assays are used to characterize receptors and transporters
in animal models of human disease and in human tissue. Newly developed imaging reagents are
used to identify the intracellular localization of proteins of interest, as well as their orientation within
cells to aid in computational modeling for new pharmacotherapies. Currently, we are identifying
disease and drug-induced changes in the miRNA cargo of extra...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10369448
- **Project number:** 1IK6BX005754-01
- **Recipient organization:** PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Aaron J. Janowsky
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-10-01 → 2028-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10369448

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10369448, BLRD Senior Research Career Scientist Award Application (1IK6BX005754-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10369448. Licensed CC0.

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