The East Tennessee State University College of Public Health has received a $641,590, five-year NIH R25 award from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support the program ‘Summer Undergraduate Addiction Research Training Program in Central Appalachia.’ This transdisciplinary initiative is designed to prepare the next generation of addiction researchers and practitioners. The project builds on the success of ETSU’s pilot initiative, the East Tennessee Mentored Substance Use Research (EMSUR) program, which launched in 2021. The research team is led by Dr. Manik Ahuja, principal investigator, with co-investigators Dr. Angela Hagaman from the Addiction Science Center and College of Public Health, and Dr. Brooke Schmeichel from the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
The program will recruit 10 undergraduate students each year for five years from East Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and other partner institutions in the Central Appalachian region. Students will participate in individualized, faculty-mentored research experiences and formal training focused on substance use and addiction, especially relating to the unique challenges facing rural communities in Central Appalachia.
A central feature of the program is the use of a digital curriculum adapted from national partners at New York University. ETSU faculty will expand this curriculum with new, regionally focused training modules addressing addiction and rural health, as well as the implementation of recovery support services in rural communities. Students will also engage with guest speakers and experts in rural health, treatment and recovery research, and individuals with lived experience of substance use disorder.
Central Appalachia continues to experience some of the highest opioid-related mortality rates in the nation. Participants will be trained in scientific rigor and critical thinking, as well as dissemination of research through traditional presentations and innovative formats.
The long-term goal of the program is to develop and retain a skilled workforce of addiction researchers and practitioners who are committed to living and working in Central Appalachia, helping communities address persistent and complex substance use challenges across the region.