IU researchers continue study on alcoholism in college-aged adults
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Researchers at Indiana Alcohol Research Center announced Tuesday its pursuit in continuing their study on binge drinking and other extreme drinking behaviors among college-age adults.
The study will be funded by a five-year, $8.65 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which has funded the center since its founding in 1987.
The researchers, who are part of the Indiana Alcohol Research Center housed at IU School of Medicine, say both the center and study’s mission is to study behavioral and neurobiological risks of alcoholism.
The team includes researchers from several disciplines, from several universities across Central Indiana.
Dr. David Karaken, a professor of neurology at IU School of Medicine and director of the Indiana Alcohol Research Center, says the grant will fund the center’s ability to better understand alcohol abuse through a wide array of perspectives.
“We believe that our combined diverse methods and perspectives are best suited to studying a problem of both great importance and complexity,” Dr. Karaken said in a statement.
Dr. Cristine Czachowksi, a professor of psychology at the School of Science at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, says the center opens the door for valuable interactions between researchers of different disciplines.
“The crosstalk between many departments keeps us at the top of our game with regard to the latest findings and focused on the human experience of alcohol use disorder,” Dr. Czachowski said in a statement.
Dr. Christopher Lapish, a professor of anatomy, cell biology, and physiology at IU School of Medicine, also works alongside Drs. Czachowski and Karaken at the research center, and says the team hopes to continue making discoveries.
Dr. Lapish said in a statement, “Our ability to measure how brain function is altered in alcohol use disorder is rapidly improving. This is true for human and rodent models of the disorder. Our hope is that we can find similarities across the species, which, in turn, will facilitate new treatments.”
The researchers will also work with the community, schools, health care providers, and more to provide education about the science, prevention, and treatment of alcoholism.