Update on the NIDA Intramural Program

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Update on the NIDA Intramural Program
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• We have recruited Dr. Elliot Stein as Chief,
  Neuroimaging Research Branch who is introducing
  fMRI into the existing IRP imaging program. We
  have purchased human and animal fMRI magnets in
  an effort to broaden and enhance our imaging
  research focus. Dr. Stein is recruiting for a
  Chief of the PET research section so the IRP will
  have a robust and fully integrated imaging
  program.

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• Drs. Newman and Shippenberg have been made
  Section Chiefs and have been given greatly
  expanded space. Their expertise is as follows
• Dr. Shippenberg - Kappa Opioid Mechanisms and
  Receptor/Transporter
• Trafficking
• Dr. Newman - Medicinal Chemistry
• Drs. Gardner, Shaham and Wang have also been made
  Section Chiefs in their respective areas of
  science. Their expertise is as follows
• Dr. Gardner --- Medications Discovery
• Dr. Shaham --- Neurobiology of Relapse
• Dr. Wang --- Neural Protection and
  Regeneration, Trophic Factors

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• We have recently recruited Drs. Carl Lupica and
  Yihong Yang as tenure track investigators, after
  national searches. Each came from the extramural
  community and each had RO1 support with
  outstanding priority scores. Dr. Lupica works in
  the area of in vitro brain slice
  electrophysiology and confocal microscopy. Dr.
  Yang works in the area of MR physics and has
  developed a number of new and innovative data
  acquisition paradigms.

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• Increasing our focus on neurodegeneration
  research we created the Molecular Neuropsychiatry
  Research Branch, which is headed by Dr. Jean
  Cadet. We believe this organizational change
  will encourage collaboration and integration of
  the IRP research programs in this area. Dr.
  Wangs section is in this new branch.

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• After several external reviews by independent
  groups we have reorganized the clinical program
  to enhance its effectiveness and to create
  operational efficiencies. Specifically, 1) we
  have added dedicated support staff to help
  administer the program 2) established a medical
  policy committee and a physicians peer review
  group 3) adopted a clinical research working
  group which includes all human research P.I.s
  and defined the goal and format of our weekly
  clinical rounds and 4) we have recruited four new
  staff clinicians. In addition, we are
  implementing a pilot recruitment program in an
  effort to target, in a dedicated manner,
  opportunities to recruit hard to find research
  volunteers.
• Most importantly, we are recruiting for a
  Clinical Director who will devote 100 time to
  managing the human research program. As a
  consequence of our external review we recognize
  this position is a full time job.

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• In addition, we have appointed Dr. Robert Conley
  as the new chair for the IRB. Dr. Conley comes
  to us with a strong background as IRB Chair,
  University of Maryland and as the ethics
  consultant for this function. We have instituted
  a policy of term appointments NTE 3 yrs and have
  rotated old members from the roster. We have
  appointed an outside nurse, a recovered addict
  and two African-American community
  representatives as IRB members.

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• We have acquired an additional 17,000 sq ft of
  space in the Triad building, which is located in
  close proximity to our main C building in order
  to decompress that space, and to create state of
  the art laboratory space for new, existing, and
  expanded research programs. In an effort to
  contain future year lease expenses the build out
  for the space was paid up front, which allowed us
  to maximize our immediate and future financial
  opportunities.

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• The NIHBRC project is underway. Our projected
  move in date is July 2006. This project provides
  for a new joint facility for the NIDA IRP and the
  NIA IRP (GRC) programs. Once this building is
  complete we will have state of the art vivarium
  and clinical and laboratory space to replace the
  increasingly problematic C building.