# The Neurobiology of Drug Abuse

> **NIH NIH T32** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $222,768

## Abstract

NEUROBIOLOGY OF DRUG ABUSE TRAINING PROGRAM SUMMARY
One of the keys to developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for substance use disorder is
understanding the neurobiological consequences of chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. Such studies must
involve multi-disciplinary approaches to examine several different levels of brain function. This is the goal of
our current training program, the Neurobiology of Drug Abuse Training Program, which proposes to continue a
successful tradition of NIDA training at Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM). This program requests
funding to train five predoctoral students in a multi-disciplinary program in the neurobiology of drug abuse. The
program includes 24 faculty members at WFSM, with research interests spanning molecular biology, receptor
pharmacology, brain imaging techniques in humans and non-human primates, electrophysiology, neuronal
activity monitoring and behavioral analysis of drug self- administration. The research of the faculty is
supported by a significant number of federally-funded grants related to the field of substance abuse. The
training program is organized around three principal areas of research: Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology,
Neurobiological Systems, and Behavioral Neurobiology. The training program offers a specific course in drug
abuse covering topics related to each of these three areas. Predoctoral students have a choice of two different
Ph.D. degree tracks: Integrated Physiology/Pharmacology and Neuroscience. Although these programs have
their own individual requirements, specific drug abuse-related topics are integrated into the standard
programs. The training program offers specific seminars and journal clubs for trainees and opportunities for
additional substance abuse training. The program also contains specialized components dealing with
statistics/data analytics, grant writing, rigor and transparency in research, and ethics in scientific research.
Recruitment of students will be aided by the fact that the field of neuroscience is one of the fastest growing
disciplines in the biological sciences, and WFSM is undergoing a strong research growth phase. In addition,
recruitment of applicants from under- represented minorities will be a high priority, including undergraduate
training programs with Winston Salem State University, North Carolina A&T University and North Carolina
Central University. In summary, the Neurobiology of Drug Abuse Training Program not only offers students
outstanding opportunities for education and research in the neurobiology of drug abuse but is also a valuable
resource for the field of drug abuse by providing trained young investigators capable of independent scientific
careers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10831382
- **Project number:** 5T32DA041349-07
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** SARA RAULERSON JONES
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $222,768
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10831382

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10831382, The Neurobiology of Drug Abuse (5T32DA041349-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10831382. Licensed CC0.

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