The University of Kentucky’s Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA) is sponsoring the inaugural Rising Stars Symposium to showcase innovative research and new perspectives on addiction research.

The symposium will be 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Gatton Student Center. Registration is open online.

It will feature three early career addiction researchers from across the country who will share their findings:

• Karen Ra, Ph.D., Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, whose research focuses on tobacco cessation using mobile health technologies.

• Jonas Dora, Ph.D., University of Washington, who uses a unique combination of expertise in experimental, ecologically valid and computational methods to study alcohol use.

• Jamie Parnes, Ph.D., Brown University School of Public Health, a clinical researcher who focuses on psychosocial influences on cannabis use, with an emphasis on health promotion among sexual and gender minority populations.

“We are excited to welcome Drs. Ra, Dora and Parnes to UK for the Rising Stars Symposium,” said William W. Stoops, Ph.D., SUPRA associate director for clinical research. “Bringing new research perspectives, opening the door for new collaborations and learning about innovative approaches are essential to addressing the complex challenges of substance use. This will pave the way for more effective, compassionate solutions that can truly transform lives.”

SUPRA leadership will also introduce Ra, Dora and Parnes to various addiction research programs at UK including research at the College of Medicine through the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and the Department of Behavioral Science as well as the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

You can find the full schedule and more information about the event online.