With an eye on the future, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences recently secured a five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to train junior neuroscientists in drug abuse and addiction research.

Principal Investigator Donald Kuhn, PhD, says the program will train two predoctoral and two postdoctoral fellows per year. Fellows will study in the Cellular and Clinical Neurobiology program, under the tutelage of 16 scientists and clinicians, eight of whom will serve as training faculty, and eight as resource faculty.

“Our current faculty has already demonstrated a commitment to the field of drug abuse research, but it’s critical that we keep that commitment alive by investing in the future,” said Dr. Kuhn. “Our initial studies need to be collaborated, tested, and built upon by a new generation of neuroscientists. Anything we can do to nurture and support their research interests is a positive step.” Dr. Kuhn and his team are currently recruiting students and fellows to participate in this program.

Thomas Uhde, MD, associate dean for research and graduate programs at the School of Medicine, said training grants like this are important to the mission of the school. “The major research universities are in vigorous competition for training grants to sustain the longevity of their programs. That Wayne State University obtained this NIDA award underscores the prominent national role of the university's faculty in the training of young neuroscientists who will be tomorrow's leaders in the development of new treatments for drug addiction and related problems.”