Center for Addiction Research

Offering pilot awards for competitive studies in the area of substance use and addiction.

The Center for Addiction Research offers translational research pilot awards for competitive studies in the area of substance use and addiction.

Center Goals

To promote state-of-the-art research, education and dissemination of evidence-based practices focusing on:

Preclinical models that will support the development of personalized treatments for substance-related disorders
Population research involving epidemiology, community and policy interventions to promote population health
Clinical-translational research that will generate new knowledge and contribute to our learning healthcare system

2024 Request for Pilot Grant Applications

Important Links

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMSHA)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Salisbury Foundation for Research and Education

An Intellectual Home for Scientific Discovery

Past Guest Speakers

Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA Director
Dr. Sara Jo Nixon, Univ. of Florida
Dr. Warren Bickel, Virginia Tech
Dr. Laura Bohn, Scripps
Dr. Anna Rose Childress, Penn
Dr. Richard de La Garza, Baylor
Dr. William Stoops, Univ Kentucky

Dr. James Anthony, Mich. State Univ.
Dr. Diana Martinez, Columbia University
Wilson Compton, NIDA
Rita Valentino, NIDA
Kathleen Grant, Oregon National Primate Res Ctr
Sally Huskinson, University of Mississippi

Creating Opportunity for New Partnerships

In 2023, CFAR was the catalyst in establishing a Research Agreement with NC A&T, a local Historically Black College and University (HBCU), to promote and encourage multidisciplinary research across the campuses. We are working to extend the agreement to other HBCUs in our region.

2024 CFAR Retreat

Leadership and Members

Leadership and center members are active in establishing multi-departmental and collaborative research programs. Members help attract and train new investigators, connect with regional communities, implement policy, and leverage resources across the School of Medicine.

Michael A. Nader, PhD

Co-Director, Center for Addiction Research
Professor, Translational Neuroscience

Drew Kiraly, MD

Co-Director, Center for Addiction Research
Associate Professor, Translational Neuroscience

Beth A. Reboussin, PhD

Professor, Biostatistics and Data Science

Kimberly G. Wagoner, DrPH, MPH

Associate Professor, Social Sciences and Health Policy

Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, MD, PhD

Professor, Anesthesiology

Robert Warren Gould, PhD

Associate Professor, Translational Neuroscience

Jeffrey L. Weiner, PhD

Professor, Translational Neuroscience

Scott Strassels, PharmD, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor, Translational Neuroscience

Anna Neel 392x510 — Anna Isabella Neel

PhD Candidate and NSF GRFP Fellow, Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology Program

Mia Allen 392x510 — Mia Isabel Allen

PhD Candidate, Neuroscience Program

See all Center Leadership and Members

Our Research

The most competitive proposals will involve a meaningful collaboration between a basic science and a clinical investigator, a clinical investigator and a population science investigator, or a basic science and a population science investigator. Funded applications will provide a rationale for particular relevance to the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist system and/or the communities and populations it serves.

Pilot Projects

2023

Drew Kiraly (Phys/Pharm), Rebecca Hoffard (Co-I): "Development and utilization of cell type specific proteomics for study of cocaine use disorder". 3/15/2023-3/14/2024, $25,000

Kiran K. Solingapuram Sai (Radiology), Robert Gould (Co-I): "PET imaging of M4-muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in a rodent model of cocaine self-administration". 3/15/2023-3/14/2024, $26,831

Marcia McCall (Psychiatry), Stephanie Daniels, Erin Suftin (Co-Is): "A Novel Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intervention for Cigarette Smoking by Cancer Patients". 3/15/2023-3/14/2024, $42,077

Paul Laurenti (Radiology): "Multi-Omics Analysis of Brain-Body Interactions Identifying Signatures of Hazardous Alcohol Use and Craving". 7/1/2023-6/30/2023

2022

Kenneth Kishida (Phys/Pharm), Elizabeth Shilling, Kelsie Pierre (Co-Is): Characterizing Valence-Specific Decision-Making Dynamics in Alcohol Use Disorder and Co-Morbid Psychiatric Conditions". 2/1/2022-1/31/2023, $38,860

Marcia McCall (Psychiatry), Amresh Hanchate, Heather Douglas (Co-Is): "Telemedicine for Patients Engaging in Harmful Substance Use." 12/1/2021-11/30/2022, $30,000

Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval (Anesthesiology), Beth Reboussin, Kim Wagoner (Co-Is): "Cannabis Marketing Strategies and Patient Preferences and Attitudes Towards Cannabis Products". 2/1/2021-1/31/2022, $37,000

Heather Douglas and Gagan Deep (Psychiatry and Cancer Biology, Co-PIs): "Study of the Opioids-abuse by Brain Exosomes: Response to treatment (SOBER)". 1/1/2022-12/31/2022, $25,000

Colleen Hanlon (Cancer Biology), Laura Veach (Co-I): "The Effect of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Theta Burst Stimulation on Alcohol Cue Reactivity and Cognitive Control: A Double-Blind, Sham Controlled Study of Heavy Alcohol Drinkers with a History of Alcohol Related Injury." 1/1/2022-12/31/2022, $30,000

Marcia McCall (Psychiatry), Amresh Hanchate, Heather Douglas (Co-Is): "Telemedicine for Patients Engaging in Harmful Substance Use". 12/1/2021-11/30/2022, $30,000

2021

Robert Gould (Phys/Pharm), Robert Hurley (Co-I): “Determining Effects of Prescription Opioids on Sleep and Arousal in Animal Models of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) to Inform Novel Treatment Development”. 2/10/2020-2/9/2021, $35,000

Laura Cox (Internal Medicine), Michael Olivier, James Daunais (Co-Is): “Identification of Hepatic and Plasma Molecular Networks Associated with Drinking Behavior in NHP”. 3/1/2020-2/28/2021, $25,000

2020

Margaret Rukstalis (Psychiatry), Chris Whitlow, Linda Porrino (Co-Is): “Neurobiology of Caloric Vestibular Stimulation: A Pilot Study as Adjunct Non-Addictive Treatment Risky Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders”. 1/1/2019-12/31/2019, $34,896

Kiran Kumar Solingapuram Sai (Radiology), Paul Czoty, Chris Whitlow (Co-Is): “Evaluating Microtubule Binding as a Potential Imaging Biomarker for Alcohol Addiction”. 8/1/2019-7/31/2020, $30,020

2019

Gagan Deep (Cancer Biology), Fang-Chi Hsu, Cristina Furdui (Co-Is): “Development of CSF-Derived Exosome Signature in Adult Rhesus Monkey Exposed to Cocaine Throughout Gestation”. 11/1/2018-10/31/2019, $35,000

Ernesto Aranda-Aguirre (Infectious Diseases), Erin Barnes, Heather Douglas (Co-Is): “Randomized Pilot Study of Long Acting Buprenorphine Injection Compared to Sublingual Buprenorphine/Naloxone Films”. 11/1/2018-10/31/2019, $23,100

2018

Hariom Yadav (Molecular Medicine), Akiva Mintz, Kiran Solingapuram Sai (Co-Is): “Role of Gut Microbiome Modulators on Food Addiction of Obesity in Mice”. 5/1/2017-4/30/2018, $20,000

Candice McNeil (Infectious Diseases), Kathleen Egan (Co-I): “Bridging the Gap between Provider Knowledge and Practices Focused on Minimizing Adverse Consequences Associated with the Use of Prescription Opioids”. 5/1/2017-4/30/2018, $20,000

Leah Solberg Woods (Internal Medicine), Jeff Weiner, Laura Veach (Co-Is) “Using HS Rats to Understand the Genetics of Adolescent Social Isolation Vulnerability to Anxiety and Alcohol Use Disorders”. 12/01/2017 – 11/30/2018, $20,000

Mary Pylipow (Pediatrics-Neonatalogy), Chris Whitlow (Co-I): “Prenatal Opioid Exposure: Effects on Infant Brain Development”. 12/01/2017 – 11/30/2018, $20,000

2017

Shenelle Edwards-Hampton (General Surgery and Psychiatry), Chris Whitlow, Dana Brown, (Co-Is): “Developing a Treatment Model for Food Addiction”. 7/1/2017-12/31/2017, $10,000

Publications Resulting From Pilot Projects

Gollapelli K, Krizan I, Damuka N, Miller M, Gould R, Solingapuram Sai KK. (2024). Preliminary PET imaging evaluation of [11C]MK6884, M4 PET radioligand in a rodent model of cocaine self-administration. Scientific Reports, in preparation.

Allen MI, Johnson BN, Kumar A, Su Y, Singh S, Deep G, Nader MA. (2024). Behavioral and neuronal extracellular vesicle biomarkers associated with nicotine enhancement of the reinforcing strength of cocaine in female and male monkeys. Addiction Neurosci, in press.

McCall, M. H., Wester, K. L., Bray, J. W., Hanchate, A., Veach, L. V., Smart, B.E., & Wachter Morris, C. A. (2024). Counselor SBIRT alcohol interventions at patient bedsides are associated with preventing future hospitalizations and emergency visits and with saving money for health systems. Counselor: The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, January/February 2024:1-20.

Soleimani G, Joutsa J, Moussawi K, Siddiqi SH, Kuplicki R, Bikson M, Paulus MP, Fox MD, Hanlon CA, Ekhtiari H. (2024). Converging evidence for frontopolar cortex as a target for neuromodulation in addiction treatment. Am J Psychiatry; 181: 100-114.

Kumar A, Nader MA, Deep G. (2024). Emergence of extracellular vesicles as 'liquid biopsy' for neurological disorders: Boom or bust. Pharmacol Rev; 76: 199-227. PMID: 38351075.

Fitzpatrick M, Solberg Woods LC. (2024). Adenylate Cyclase 3: a potential genetic link between obesity and major depressive disorder. Physiological Genomics, 56(1):1-8. PMID: 37955134.

Szalanczy AM, Fitzpatrick M, Beeson A, Bui T, Dyson C, Eller S, Landry J, Scott C, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Geurts AM, Weiner JL, Redei EE, Solberg Woods LC. (2024). Chronic Stress from adolescence to adulthood increases adiposity and anxiety in rats with decreased expression of Krtcap3. Frontiers in Genetics, 14:1247232. PMID: 38323241.

Szalanczy AM, Giorgio G, Goff E, Seshie O, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Geurts AM, Redei EE, Solberg Woods LC. (2023). Changes in environmental stress over Covid-19 pandemic likely contributed to failure to replicate adiposity phenotype associated with Krtcap3. Physiological Genomics, 55(10):452-467. PMID: 37458463.

Johnson BN, Kumar A, Su Y, Singh S, Solingapuram Sai KK, Nader SH, Li S, Reboussin BA, Huang Y, Deep G, Nader MA. (2023). Effects of long-term cocaine self-administration on kappa opioid receptors in socially housed cynomolgus monkeys as assessed with PET imaging and neuronally derived exosomes. Biol Psychiatry, under review.

Harmelech T, Hanlon CA, Tendler A. (2023). Transcranial magnetic stimulation as a tool to promote smoking cessation and decrease drug and alcohol use. Brain Sci; 13 (7): 1072.

Le TH, Crouse WL, Keele GR, Holl K, Seshie O, Tschannen M, Craddock A, Das SK, Szalanczy AM, McDonald B, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Sharma NK, Geurts AM, Chuang Key CC, Hawkins G, Valdar W, Mott R+, Solberg Woods LC+*. (2023). Genetic mapping of multiple metabolic traits identifies novel genes for adiposity, lipids, and insulin secretory capacity in outbred rats. Diabetes; 72(1):135-148. PMID: 36219827; PMCID: PMC9797320. +co-last author *corresponding author.

Johnson BN, Allen MI, Nader SH, Solingapuram Sai KK, Li S, Huang Y, Deep G, Nader MA. (2023). PET imaging of kappa opioid receptors and receptor expression quantified in neuron-derived extracellular vesicles in socially housed female and male cynomolgus macaques. Neuropsychopharmacology; 48: 410-417. PMCID: PMC9751296.

Szalanczy AM, Goff E, Seshie O, Deal A, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Key CC, Geurts AM, Solberg Woods LC*. (2022). Keratinocyte-associated protein 3 plays a role in body weight and adiposity with differential effects in males and females. Frontiers in Genetics, 13:942574. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.942574. PMID: 36212147; PMCID: PMC9535360. *corresponding author.

Crouse WL, Das SK, Le T, Keele G, Holl K, Seshie O, Craddock AL, Sharma NK, Comeau ME, Langefeld CD, Hawkins GA, Mott R, Valdar W+, Solberg Woods LC+*. (2022). Transcriptome-wide analyses of adipose tissue in outbred rats reveal genetic regulatory mechanisms relevant for human obesity. Physiol Genomics. 54(6):206-219. PubMed PMID: 35467982; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9142160. +co-last author, *corresponding author. Selected as APS select Top Papers in 2022.

Dobbins M, Rakkar M, Cunnane K, Pennypacker SD, Wagoner KG, Reboussin BA, Romero-Sandoval EA. (2022). Association of tetrahydrocannabinol content and price in herbal cannabis products offered by dispensaries in California: A purview of consumers/patients. Front Public Health; 10: 893009.

Amann L, Kruse E, Lazard AJ, Reboussin BA, Wagoner KG, Romero-Sandoval EA. (2022). CBD retailers in NC promote CBD online to treat pain violating FDA rules about medical claims and offer low-CBD/high-price products. J Pain Res; 15: 3847-3858.

Lichiello, S., Rainwater, L., Russell, G. B., Pulgar, C., Clark, J., Daniel, S., McCall, M. H., Bentley, P., & Duckworth, K. E. (2022). Cancer during a pandemic: A psychosocial telehealth intervention for young adults. Current Problems in Cancer, 46

Education and Training

Graduate Programs

Building an Education & Training Core

Medical Student Addiction Medicine Interest Group (Effective July 2017)
Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program (Effective July 2018)
Spectrum of Pain and Addiction (Drs. Estave and Douglas)
Master’s Degree in Addiction Research & Clinical Health (Effective July 2018)
Region IV Prevention Technology Transfer Center (Effective September 2018)
NC Governor’s Institute Providers Clinical Support System (New; WFSM, UNC, ECU, Campbell)
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP; Effective 2019)
Brain Awareness Council

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Research Focus Areas

Translation to Care

More Resources

Center for Addiction Research

Center Goals

Important Links

An Intellectual Home for Scientific Discovery

Past Guest Speakers

Creating Opportunity for New Partnerships

2024 CFAR Retreat

Leadership and Members

Michael A. Nader, PhD

Drew Kiraly, MD

Beth A. Reboussin, PhD

Kimberly G. Wagoner, DrPH, MPH

Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, MD, PhD

Robert Warren Gould, PhD

Jeffrey L. Weiner, PhD

Scott Strassels, PharmD, PhD

Anna Isabella Neel

Mia Isabel Allen