National and global substance misuse challenges require sustainable pipelines of well-trained investigators with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. As certain groups remain grossly underrepresented in the field of substance misuse research, a team of researchers led by Department of Mental Health Law and Policy (MHLP) Assistant Professor Micah E. Johnson, PhD were awarded a $1,784,529 grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse to implement a training program to enhance the research workforce.
Johnson and his colleagues at the University of Vermont created Scientific Training in Addiction Research Techniques (START), a year-long comprehensive research education program. START prepares investigators to access, analyze, and disseminate data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study through mentored research experiences and didactic skill-building courses.
The inaugural cohort was recruited in 2021 and began the program in 2022.
The program trains 12 scholars each year, who present and publish their scientific findings. Trainees complete coursework to support their professional development and execute an independent, mentored research project using ABCD data.
The overarching goal of START is to create a pipeline of substance misuse clinical researchers trained in the analysis and dissemination of data from the ABCD study. The ABCD study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. It uses an “open science” framework to make all data publicly available.
“This award helps to create a generation of highly trained scientists equipped with the tools and support systems needed to address the major public health challenges of the future,” Johnson said. “We can fine-tune the curriculum and the model and disseminate these best practices to various research consortia and communities nationwide.”
Enrolled in 2022, the inaugural cohort consisted of four pre-docs, four post-docs, and four early-career faculty members. Together, the trainees represented over a dozen disciplines, 10 universities, nine different ethnic and racial groups, and six countries of origin or birth. As a cohort, they have accomplished over 160 publications in high-impact journals, over 200 presentations at scientific meetings, and 12 original ABCD projects related to drug abuse, ranging from brain imagining to health disparities.
“Through START, we are building communities and support systems as the key ingredient to enhance productivity, innovation, and quality of life,” Johnson said.