# Sex differences in reward neurocircuitry underlying alcohol craving and consumption in trauma-exposed individuals

> **NIH NIH K99** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $134,967

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Candidate: My long-term goals are to acquire a tenure-track faculty position at a research-intensive university
that serves students who reflect the diversity of the United States. My research will utilize multi-modal
neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neural correlates and developmental relationship between
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use in women and racial/ethnic minority groups. I have a strong
background in using structural and functional neuroimaging techniques to study the threat-related neurocircuitry
related to the development and maintenance of PTSD. In this application, I propose to extend my training by first
learning the basic neural mechanisms that promote alcohol use and how trauma exposure may contribute to
neurological vulnerabilities in women, making this group more prone to using alcohol. Furthermore, I will build
off the training I am already receiving through my Diversity Supplement award to learn how to use complex
longitudinal statistical models to analyze ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data. Ultimately, this
additional training will give me the skills to produce high-impact publications and successful R01 submissions.
Training: In addition to Dr. Jennifer Stevens, I have a mentoring team filled with experts in academic research
who will provide the necessary training and guidance to accomplish this proposal. Dr. Julie Kable is an Associate
Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Director of the Emory Neurodevelopmental Exposure
Clinic, Dr. Justine Welsh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Emory
Healthcare Addiction Services and Medical Director of the Addiction Alliance of Georgia, and Dr. Nicole Nugent
is an Associate Professor at Brown University. Outside of the mentoring team, we have identified workshops,
seminars, and meetings to provide further technical training, presentation experience, responsible conduct in
research, and the necessary skills (negotiations, tenure, laboratory management) to transition to independence.
Research: PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly co-occurring disorders (PTSD+AUD). Women are
twice as likely than men to develop PTSD, and women face more detrimental health effects from alcohol
compared to men. A large body of work has examined the neural mechanisms that underlie each disorder,
separately. However, very few studies have examined the neural substrates of co-occurring PTSD+AUD, and
none have examined sex differences. My preliminary data shows sex differences in the striatum, a region
important in reward-related behavior. This proposal aims to define sex differences in reward-related
neurocircuitry that contribute to alcohol use behaviors in trauma-exposed women. By using EMA and
functional neuroimaging techniques, I anticipate expanding our understanding of sex differences in reward-
related neurocircuitry that promote alcohol use in trauma-exposed popu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10930896
- **Project number:** 5K99AA031333-02
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Cecilia A Hinojosa
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $134,967
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-18 → 2025-08-17

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10930896

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10930896, Sex differences in reward neurocircuitry underlying alcohol craving and consumption in trauma-exposed individuals (5K99AA031333-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10930896. Licensed CC0.

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