By Herschel Pollard, edited by Marissa Shapiro and Lorena Infante Lara
Vanderbilt University has received an $8.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Vanderbilt AUD Research and Education Center, bolstering the university’s leadership in neuroscience, addiction research, and innovative approaches to the study of alcohol use disorder.
VAREC will facilitate collaborative efforts among diverse researchers at Vanderbilt and across the country, enhancing the university’s role in alcohol and addiction research both locally and nationally. “This milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to solving society’s most pressing problems, like understanding the complexities of the brain and addiction,” said Provost C. Cybele Raver.
The new center’s “precision neuroscience” approach will leverage human and animal models to identify the causes of and potential treatments for AUD and will provide public education on the disorder. The center will work closely with the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, which has similar goals.
The grant’s principal investigators are Erin Calipari, director of VCAR; Danny Winder, chair of the Department of Neurobiology at UMass Chan Medical School; Jennifer Blackford, director of research at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Cody Siciliano, assistant professor of pharmacology. Calipari, Blackford, and Winder are VAREC’s assistant director, associate director, and director, respectively.
In addition to AUD research, Vanderbilt is also making strides in tackling the opioid epidemic. Researcher Ben Brown, a faculty affiliate of VCAR and the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Protein Dynamics, was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop artificial intelligence that can analyze billions of potential opioid drugs to reveal detailed insights into how they interact with key proteins.
Brown, an assistant professor of pharmacology, focuses on understanding how opioid molecules interact with Mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system, which modulate pain, stress, mood, and other functions. Drugs that target these receptors are powerful analgesics but are also highly addictive. By computationally modeling the dynamic physical movements of these drug-protein interactions, Brown aims to identify or design new opioid-based painkillers that are less addictive.
“The energy and enthusiasm Ben brings to his science and scientific collaborations are outstanding, and it is fitting that he be recognized as a young pioneer in his field,” said Hassane Mchaourab, director of the Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics.
Both VAREC and Brown’s research exemplify Vanderbilt’s multifaceted approach to addressing the pressing public health challenges of substance use disorders. VAREC’s dual focus on research and dissemination will not only bolster the university’s capabilities, but will enhance its standing as a hub for scientific discovery and public education on AUD.
“Addiction is a disease. Promoting a deeper understanding of addiction fosters compassion and paves the way for solutions that can bring healing and hope to those affected by it,” said John Kuriyan, dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences.
VAREC plans to establish a course and provide scholarships for researchers from across the country to learn innovative neuroscience technologies at Vanderbilt, as well as a summer student program with stipends for underrepresented students to work in addiction labs on campus. “The hope is that we can get the next generation excited about doing addiction work,” Calipari said. Calipari is also an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology.
Through these initiatives and cutting-edge research, Vanderbilt is poised to make significant strides in understanding and treating substance use disorders, while also sharing information with the public and making a tangible difference in the community.
“The great thing about this NIH grant is that it’s renewable at the end of the funding period, which will ensure that this work will continue at Vanderbilt far into the future,” Calipari said.