Substance Use Research Event

Rising Stars Symposium to showcase research on substance use disorders

Branden — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:53:26 +0000

Rising Stars Symposium to showcase research on substance use disorders Branden Tue, 03/11/2025 - 07:53

The University of Kentucky’s Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA) will host the Rising Stars Symposium to showcase innovative research and new findings on substance use disorders.

The symposium will be 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17, in room 150 of the Healthy Kentucky Research Building. Registration for the symposium is online.

This symposium will feature two early-career addiction researchers from outside UK: Brittany Kuhn, Ph.D., an assistant research professor at Medical University of South Carolina; and Kate Brynildsen, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Complex Systems Labs at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kuhn’s research focuses on cellular, genetic and circuitry dynamics underlying opioid addiction-like behaviors. She will present “Biological contributors to individual variation to heroin vulnerability and resiliency.”

Brynildsen’s most recent work focuses on brain metabolism changes during alcohol withdrawal. She hopes to develop models that improve brain behavior in response to addiction-related disruptions. Her presentation is titled “Control of brain network dynamics in alcohol withdrawal.”

“We look forward to introducing Dr. Kuhn and Dr. Brynildsen to our research community,” said William W. Stoops, Ph.D., SUPRA associate director for clinical research and associate vice president for research integrity. “Their work highlights the goal of the Rising Stars Symposium — to recognize the pivotal role of innovation from early-career researchers in understanding and combating addiction. Ultimately, this research helps pave the way for healthier futures while offering pathways to resilience and recovery.”

The symposium also allows invited researchers to examine the various programs in the College of Medicine, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science and Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

You can register and find more information online.

Words: Allison Jones (Public Relations and Strategic Communications)

Substance Use Disorder

7th Annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE)

rhthea2 — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 14:59:20 +0000

7th Annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE) rhthea2 Tue, 01/07/2025 - 09:59

Feb 5 2025 8:30am - Feb 5 2025 4:45pm

The 7th Annual Substance Use Research Event is scheduled for February, 5 2025. This event is sponsored by the University of Kentucky Office of the Vice President for Research and will feature Dr. Faye Taxman from George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and Dr. Matthew Hill from Calgary University Cumming School of Medicine as plenary speakers.

More information here.

Inquiries about SURE can be sent to SUPRA@uky.edu.

Registration open for Substance Use Research Event 2025

Branden — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:03:20 +0000

Registration open for Substance Use Research Event 2025 Branden Fri, 12/13/2024 - 07:03

The University of Kentucky has set the date for its seventh annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE) and registration is currently open.

SURE will be held Feb. 5, 2025, in the UK Gatton Student Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. This free event showcases translational research conducted at UK focusing on substance use and substance use disorder.

“This event brings together scholars from all career stages and disciplines alongside practitioners to focus on the complex issue of substance use. It provides an opportunity to network, generate new ideas across our UK research community and build connections with community partners to help address substance use disorders,” said Carrie Oser, Ph.D., a professor in the UK College of Medicine serving as the organizing committee chair for the event.

Speakers and their speech topics will include:

Faye Taxman, Ph.D., University Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!)
“Can We Use Science to Improve Practice and Policies? The Role of Translational Science.”
Matthew Hill, Ph.D., professor in the Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Psychiatry at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute
“Translationally Relevant Models of Cannabis Administration to Rodents.”

Faye Taxman, left, and Matthew Hill will be the featured speakers at SURE 2025. Photos provided.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Hill and Dr. Faye Taxman to SURE and look forward to learning about their contributions to science. Dr. Taxman will be giving the inaugural Robert Straus Substance Use Translational Science Lectureship, made possible by a generous charitable donation,” Oser said.

There will also be five breakout sessions for attendees:

Topic 1: T32 Data blitz
Topic 2: Intersection of infectious diseases and drug use
Topic 3: Vapor drug exposures — Translational studies
Topic 4: Neuroimmune consequences and drivers of drug use
Topic 5: AppalTRuST — Lessons learned from engaging in tobacco regulatory science in rural communities

The Poster Award Competition, supported by the Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA), will accept posters, and enter them into competitions of the following categories: staff, undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and community members.

The free event is open to all members of UK and the greater Lexington community who are interested in the field. Attendees must register in advance here. Registration closes on Jan. 2, 2025.

SURE 2025 is sponsored by the UK Office of the Vice President for Research, SUPRA, UK HealthCare CECentral and the UK Cannabis Center. For more information, visit UK Research.

Words: Lindsay Travis (Research Communications)
Feature Photo: Jeremy Blackburn (Research Communicaitons)

Substance Use Disorder

Improving tobacco use research, treatments for people with disabilities

Branden — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:21:07 +0000

Improving tobacco use research, treatments for people with disabilities Branden Tue, 10/01/2024 - 07:21

When Sean Regnier, Ph.D., started working with people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) 10 years ago, he noticed a high rate of cigarette smoking among his clients.

“From a clinical standpoint, I was interested in figuring out how I could help my clients quit smoking,” he said.

Now board certified and equipped with a master’s degree and PhD in applied behavior analysis, he’s working to develop smoking treatment options that are tailored for people with IDD. Regnier describes the current lack of such options as a serious health equity problem that leaves this population susceptible to long-term smoking and tobacco-related illnesses, especially since people with disabilities experience increased poverty rates and often lack of access to adequate health care.

In Kentucky, the rate of smoking among people with disabilities is higher than the national average.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Human Development and Disability. Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) Data: https://dhds.cdc.gov

“We know that people with disabilities smoke at higher rates, even though they also try to quit at higher rates,” he said. “This suggests that people with disabilities are making strong attempts to quit, just like everyone else. However, they are running into important barriers that may prevent them from having success in treatment.”

Regnier points out that the health equity problem at hand is not simply a shortage of tailored treatment options — there’s also a dearth of research on smoking among people with IDD. He recently conducted a literature review that found only two published papers on the topic of smoking cessation treatment for this population in the U.S. In an effort to address this gap in knowledge, he’s now working as a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Pharmacology of Addiction Lab (PAL), aiming to improve how smoking is assessed, measured and treated among people with IDD.

Launching a Career

Regnier came to UK in 2021 to work with William Stoops, Ph.D., one of the principal investigators of the PAL, an international leader in addiction research and the regulatory director for the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).

“Once I came here, I learned how many resources we have available to us at UK and it kind of blew my mind. I knew this was a great opportunity for me to dive into my research career,” he said. “Working with Dr. Stoops and his lab have given me an unbelievable foundation for clinical research. I’ve gotten to learn all about pharmacology of drugs, how they work, how they affect the brain — all these things that are foundational to studying addiction. I’ve been able to run research sessions at our inpatient unit, testing potential medications for cocaine use disorder. And I’ve gotten to learn how research labs function — things like working with multiple principal investigators and managing the financial side of grants.”

Since coming to UK, Regnier has received a pilot grant from the Department of Behavioral Science in the UK College of Medicine, an Early Career Investigator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) and a travel award from CPDD as well.

His funding from CPDD supports his research on how to better measure smoking among people with IDD through adapting existing technology known as “smokerlyzers.” Meanwhile, the UK behavioral science pilot award funds Regnier’s research into improving assessment of why people with IDD smoke cigarettes.

“Modern cigarette smoking assessments have not been used with people with disabilities,” he said.

To begin addressing this gap in the research, he distributed a smoking assessment called FASTR (Functional Assessment for Smoking Treatment Recommendations) to adults with IDD who smoke cigarettes. He evaluated their understanding of the assessment and received their feedback on how it could be improved for people with IDD. The findings informed recommendations for practitioners on using the FASTR with people with IDD. A paper about this study has been accepted for publication in the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice.

In addition to the grant funding he’s received in his time at UK, Regnier was also selected for the CCTS’ TL1 Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical and Translational Science.

“The TL1 program has been a wonderful experience for me and has helped me in so many ways,” he said. “From the amount of exposure of I’ve gotten to the rest of my department through other mentors and trainees, to having funding for travel for conferences (they can get expensive!), my favorite part is the networking.”

UK’s Human Development Institute has been another instrumental collaborator in Regnier’s research since his early days in the Commonwealth.

“It’s a great back and forth collaboration,” he said. “I’m hoping to work with them for a long time.”

Beyond conducting collaborative research, Regnier and the HDI team work together at the Special Olympics Games to help inform athletes about the dangers of cigarette smoking and resources to help them quit. He also works with their women’s health group, which aims to inform people with disabilities about cancer and screenings.

Sean Regnier staffs an informational booth at the Special Olympics. Photo provided.

On the Path to Independent Research

Building on the training he’s received and research he’s conducted with those supports, Regnier has now been awarded K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The K99/R00 program is designed to accelerate the transition from a mentored postdoctoral research position to a stable, independent research position.

The grant will support his research to identify barriers and facilitators related to quitting smoking for people with IDD. Based on these findings he will adapt an existing smoking cessation intervention so that it’s tailored to the needs of this population. He will then evaluate its feasibility, acceptability and initial efficacy.

“Some of the main smoking cessation treatments we currently have are rooted in behavior analysis,” he said. “Contingency management, for example, was developed by behavior analysts.”

However, current treatment options pose significant barriers for people with IDD, ranging from transportation to emphasis on extensive vocal-verbal behavior, which could be difficult for some people.

“The primary research goal with this grant is to develop a treatment that is accessible for people with disabilities — something that’s patient centered and flexible based on someone’s needs,” he said.

Having received exceptional support from his mentorship team — including Stoops, Hilary Surratt and Hannah Knudsen of UK, as well as Jennifer Tidey of Brown University — one thing Regnier looks forward to in his future as an independent principal investigator is offering the same kind of mentorship to up and coming researchers.

“For me, a big goal is to mentor post-docs and grad students. I love being a mentor and watching other people develop.”

Advocating for more research

Regnier also hopes to push health research to become more inclusive of people with disabilities, whether through his participation at national conferences or his work at UK.

Due to his influence, the UK PAL is now incorporating the American Community Survey’s (ACS) six disability questions into their screening process for potential research participants.

“We screen hundreds of people a year at our lab, and we’re adding the survey to all our screenings — with the disclaimer that they won’t be excluded from the study based on their answers,” he said.

He hopes to get more researchers to add these questions to their work to help address “the huge gap in data” about the health and health behaviors of people with disabilities.

Stoops agrees that disability hasn’t been considered in health research overall, but by incorporating the ACS disability questions into their lab’s universal screening process, they’ll be contributing to a better understanding of substance use and disability status.

"The NIH recognition of disabled people as underrepresented in research is a major sea change," Stoops said. "We know a lot about addiction, about the brain, but we haven’t leveraged that knowledge for this community. The Americans with Disabilities Act isn't enough — we really need to work with people with disabilities and advocates to understand their needs. We’re at the beginning, and Sean is doing formative work."

The project described was supported in part by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Words: Mallory Profeta (Center for Clinical and Translational Science)
Featured Photo: Jeremy Blackburn (Research Communications)

6th Annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE)

rhthea2 — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:19:28 +0000

6th Annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE) rhthea2 Thu, 01/25/2024 - 12:19

Apr 23 2024 8:00am - Apr 23 2024 5:00pm

The 6th Annual Substance Use Research Event is scheduled for April, 23 2024. This event is sponsored by the University of Kentucky Office of the Vice President for Research and will feature Dr. Jibran Khokhar from Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry Western University and Dr. Linda Cottler from The University of Florida as plenary speakers. Abstract submissions are due by February 15, 2024 and registration closes on April 1, 2024.

Translational cannabis, polysubstance use science is focus of 6th annual UK Substance Use Research Event

rhthea2 — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 12:10:55 +0000

Translational cannabis, polysubstance use science is focus of 6th annual UK Substance Use Research Event rhthea2 Wed, 01/10/2024 - 07:10

The University of Kentucky has set the date for its sixth annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE) and registration is currently open.

SURE will be held on April 23, 2024, in the UK Gatton Student Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free event showcases translational research conducted at UK focusing on substance use and substance use disorder.

“As we work to gain a comprehensive understanding of human health, we are tasked with recognizing and exploring how various types of substance use affect people,” said Cassandra Gipson-Reichardt, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine and organizing committee chair for the event. “The focus of the next Substance Use Research Event is on two areas of investigation: cannabis and polysubstance use. We know the grasp substance use has on the Commonwealth and our hope is that the latest scientific work we’re highlighting can help make a difference.”

Speakers this year will include:

Jibran Khokhar, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Translational Neuropsychopharmacology and associate professor of anatomy and cell biology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University, “Cannabis and the Vulnerable Brain: A Closer Look at Genetics, Adolescence, and Edible Poisonings”
Linda Cottler, Ph.D., dean’s professor of epidemiology in the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, “Polysubstance Use: Back to the Future”

The following symposia will be led by UK faculty:

“Cannabis Science: Emerging Trends and Public Health Implications”
Shanna Babalonis, Ph.D., assistant professor, behavioral science, UK College of Medicine, UK Cannabis Center director
Josh Lile, Ph.D., professor, behavioral science, UK College of Medicine
“Elevating Lived Experience: How the Survivors Union of the Bluegrass Community Advisory Board is Enriching Translational Addiction Research”
Trevor Moffitt, Ph.D., research staff, UK Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and Substance Use Priority Research Area
William Stoops, Ph.D., professor, behavioral science with joint appointments in the departments of psychiatry and psychology
“Translational Research in Polysubstance Use: What’s in the Mixture?”
Michael Bardo, Ph.D., research professor, cognitive neuroscience, UK College of Arts and Sciences
Mikhail Koffarnus, Ph.D., associate professor, family and community medicine, UK College of Medicine
“Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis: Bench to Bedside to Boardroom”
Anel Jaramillo, Ph.D., assistant professor, pharmaceutical sciences, UK College of Pharmacy
Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Ph.D., assistant professor, UK College of Nursing

Two types of awards will be presented at the conference. The Cannabinoid Science Travel Award, supported by the UK Cannabis Center, is available for early career and junior investigators presenting on cannabinoid science. The Poster Award Competition, supported by the Substance Use Priority Research Area, will accept posters and enter them into competitions of the following categories: staff, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral. To apply for these awards, follow the link here.

The free event is open to all members of UK and the greater Lexington community who are interested in the field. Attendees must register in advance here.

SURE 2024 is sponsored by the UK Office of the Vice President for Research. For more information, visit UK Research.

Words: Tatum Armstrong (Public Relations & Strategic Communications)
Photo: Jeremy Blackburn (Research Communications)

Substance Use Disorder

Kaitlyn Kincheloe

drew.speer — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 20:06:13 +0000

Kaitlyn Kincheloe drew.speer Fri, 09/15/2023 - 16:06

Kaitlyn Kincheloe

Administrative Assistant

2023 Substance Use Research Event

rhthea2 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 14:39:44 +0000

2023 Substance Use Research Event rhthea2 Fri, 03/17/2023 - 10:39

Apr 24 2023 8:00am - Apr 24 2023 5:00pm

The annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE), showcases translational research conducted at the University of Kentucky focusing on substance use and substance use disorder. It is free and open to all members of UK and the greater Lexington community who are interested in the field. The event is sponsored by the University of Kentucky Office of the Vice President for Research and features prominent keynote speakers, as well as breakout sessions that cover cutting-edge topics in the field.

Additional information can be found here: https://www.research.uky.edu/SURE

UK Substance Use Research Event to highlight cannabis research

rhthea2 — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:45:17 +0000

UK Substance Use Research Event to highlight cannabis research rhthea2 Thu, 03/16/2023 - 07:45

The University of Kentucky is hosting its fifth annual Substance Use Research Event (SURE) April 24 in the UK Gatton Student Center. This free event showcases translational research conducted at UK focusing on substance use and substance use disorder.

Cannabis research is a focus of this year’s event, which will include an update on the new UK Cannabis Center, a breakout session on emerging cannabis research, and a keynote from a national cannabis expert.

“This annual event was created five years ago to highlight the depth and breadth of substance use and related research happening all over campus, and it provides an opportunity to bring together experts from many different backgrounds to build networks and continue to spur future collaborations,” said William Stoops, Ph.D., UK College of Medicine professor and organizing committee chair for the event.

Plenary speakers this year are:

Alan J. Budney, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and biomedical data science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; “Cannabis and the Public Health: Knowns, Unknowns and Nonsense”
Kathleen A. Grant, Ph.D., professor and chief of the Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center; “Integrating behavioral, brain imaging, and synaptic function data to assess risk for excessive alcohol intake”

The following symposia will be led by UK faculty:

"Understanding the roles of biological sex and gonadal hormones on motivated behavior: implications for substance use disorder research"
- Jess Santollo, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, UK College of Arts & Sciences
- Jill Turner, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, UK College of Pharmacy
"Cannabis and cannabinoid research: data from new and emerging investigators"
- Shanna Babalonis, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral science, UK College of Medicine - UK Cannabis Center
- Josh Lile, Ph.D., professor of behavioral science, UK College of Medicine
"The future of substance use disorder surveillance in Kentucky and beyond"
- Svetla Slavova, Ph.D., associate professor of biostatistics and interim associate dean for research, UK College of Public Health - Kentucky Injury Prevention & Research Center
- Chris Delcher, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacy practice and science, UK College of Pharmacy
"Implementing overdose prevention in the community: successes and opportunities"
- Katie Marks, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral science, UK College of Medicine
- April Young, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology, UK College of Public Health

The free event is open to all members of UK and the greater Lexington community who are interested in the field. Attendees must register in advance here.

The UK Substance Use Research Day is sponsored by the UK Office of the Vice President for Research. For more information, visit UK Research.

Words: Elizabeth Chapin (Public Relations & Strategic Communication)
Photo: Arden Barnes (UK Photo)

Substance Use Disorder

UK Faculty, Student Work Highlighted at Substance Use Research Event

rhthea2 — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 12:26:42 +0000

UK Faculty, Student Work Highlighted at Substance Use Research Event rhthea2 Fri, 03/04/2022 - 07:26

Research from University of Kentucky faculty and students working to reduce the burden of substance use disorders in Kentucky and beyond was showcased at UK's Substance Use Research Event (SURE) on March 1.

The annual event, supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research, gives substance use researchers at UK the opportunity to present their work, network and build collaborations.

More than 200 attendees from 13 colleges across UK participated in SURE, which included 70 presentations and poster sessions on the latest basic science, pre-clinical, clinical and community research addressing substance use.

“We are excited to be back in-person and host this unique forum to connect substance use researchers from many different disciplines,” said event co-chair Chris Delcher, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy at UK’s College of Pharmacy. “Now in its fourth year, SURE is continuing to grow in both scale and scope and offers an excellent look at addiction and substance use research taking place at UK.”

During themed breakout sessions, UK faculty also gave updates on projects and ongoing research in novel treatments, infectious complications, mental health among vulnerable populations and neurobehavioral mechanisms of substance use disorders.

This year’s plenary speakers were Jaqueline F. McGinty, Ph.D., professor of medicine and neuroscience at the University of South Carolina and director of the MUSC Neuroscience institute, and Ricky Bluthenthal, Ph.D., professor of population and public health sciences and associate dean for Social Justice at the Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.

Researchers attending SURE are part of UK’s Substance Use Research Priority Area (SUPRA), which includes more than 160 faculty across 12 colleges and 44 departments at UK. One of seven research priority areas at UK, SUPRA’s mission is to prevent and reduce the burdens of substance use disorders through conducting and translating transdisciplinary research to inform clinical services, training, public health practice and transform policy.

SUPRA Director Sharon Walsh, Ph.D., and executive committee members Bill Stoops, Ph.D.; Carrie Oser, Ph.D.; Linda Dwoskin, Ph.D.; and Mike Bardo, Ph.D., gave an update on new initiatives and work being done to support the community.

“SUPRA is one of the most transdisciplinary research priority areas because substance use impacts individuals and communities, and addressing it requires scientific approaches ranging from molecular drug design, basic neuroscience, to clinical trials, community participatory research, epidemiology and policy,” said Walsh, who also serves as director of UK’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and principal investigator on UK’s $87 million HEALing Communities study. “SUPRA connects a diverse group of researchers from across the University and this is a great opportunity to see how their work is impacting our scientific community and our Kentucky communities.”

The update highlighted SUPRA’s growth over the past few years, despite navigating a global pandemic. In 2021, SUPRA researchers were leading 184 projects, which totaled $97 million in external funding.

SUPRA has helped facilitate the growth of this research community at UK through collaboration opportunities, professional development, pilot grants and faculty recruitment efforts. Learn more at https://www.research.uky.edu/SUPRA.

Words: Elizabeth Chapin (Research Communications)
Photo: Johnnie Curry

Substance Use Disorder