NIH funds longstanding alcohol research training program for 5 more years

UB has received five years of funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue its long-running Research Training on Alcohol Etiology and Treatment program.

The renewed T32 training grant will support the program through 2030, ensuring that UB can continue to prepare the next generation of scientists to address one of the nation's most persistent public health concerns.

Alcohol misuse remains widespread in the U.S., with nearly 29 million people ages 12 and older living with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol-related deaths have climbed dramatically in recent years, while binge drinking among adolescents and rising rates of alcohol-related harm among women and older adults underscore the need for continued research into prevention, treatment and recovery. At the same time, many cases of the disorder go undiagnosed, and only a small fraction of those who need treatment get it.

“The need to develop highly qualified researchers who can tackle the complex issues surrounding problematic alcohol use is only growing,” says  Gregory Homish, co-director of the training program and chair of the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions.

“This program helps prepare scientists who can advance knowledge from multiple perspectives — from basic science and treatment research to public health and prevention.”

Originally established in 2000 after UB's Research Institute on Addictions became eligible to compete for NIH training grants, the program has become one of the nation’s longest-running interdisciplinary alcohol research training programs. Its origins actually trace back to the Research Institute on Alcoholism, founded in 1970 as part of New York State's Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services before joining UB in 1999 as a center of excellence.

From the start the program has emphasized interdisciplinary training, recognizing that understanding alcohol use disorders requires expertise in fields ranging from psychology, neuroscience and pharmacology to social work, public health and more. Trainees receive specialized research experience focused on both the causes and progression of alcohol use and misuse, as well as evidence-based approaches to treatment.

“Our markers for success are many and include traditional indicators such as peer reviewed publications and grant applications, as well as individualized professional skills such as mastery of new data analytic approaches or learning in new content areas,” says program co-director Jennifer Read.

“There also is a focus on ‘soft skills’ such as professional networking and mentoring relationships. We work with trainees to identify individualized learning plans so that the success metrics match their learning needs, and evaluate these outcomes carefully every semester, to ensure a positive and successful training experience.”

The program continues to evolve alongside the field. Following the 2018 reorganization of the Research Institute on Addictions into the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions (CRIA), faculty members became integrated into academic departments across the university while maintaining strong ties to CRIA. This structure expanded opportunities for collaboration and, in 2021, allowed the program to add four predoctoral training positions alongside its postdoctoral fellowships.

Today, predoctoral trainees are drawn from four UB academic units — the School of Social Work and the departments of Psychology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Community Health and Health Behavior — reflecting a university-wide commitment to developing future leaders in alcohol research. Postdoctoral trainings can be supported from any UB department. 

“The success of the predoctoral component is evident in the number of graduates who have gone on to competitive postdoctoral fellowships,” Homish says. “Building strong research skills early in scientists' careers prepares them for the next stage of training and ultimately strengthens the field.”

The renewed grant also marks an important leadership transition. The program was originally led by Gerard Connors and Lorraine Collins, with Kenneth Leonard joining when Connors retired. Homish became co-director with Leonard when Collins stepped down. Read was the next member of the leadership team and, following Leonard's retirement, Homish and Read now serve as co-directors, building on the strong foundation established over more than two decades.

“Ken Leonard has been an enthusiastic driver of the program for years,” says Homish. “We’re very grateful for his leadership.”

Over the next five years, the program will continue adapting to the changing research landscape by incorporating emerging methodologies and expanding training in areas such as big data, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.

"To keep innovation moving forward, we have to prepare researchers on the growing range of tools available to them," Homish says.