Blending Addiction Treatment and Research will be focus of NIDA Meeting in Los Angeles, November 1- 2, 2000
WHAT:
Over the past few years, scientific research has yielded fresh insights into the effects of drugs on the structure and function of the brain. This enhanced understanding has opened doors to new approaches to treatment and prevention of drug abuse and addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), one of the National Institutes of Health, is convening a meeting, Blending Clinical Practice and Research: Forging Partnerships to Enhance Drug Treatment, in Los Angeles. The purpose is to facilitate moving drug addiction research into clinical practice.
WHO:
The meeting is sponsored by NIDA in partnership with the UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center, Los Angeles County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 1, and Thursday, November 2, 2000
The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. both days.
WHERE:
Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel
5400 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
WHY:
Discussion topics include:
• Putting Drug Abuse Research to Use in Real Life Settings
• The Burden of Disease in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles County Evaluation System/LACES
• Forging Partnerships to Enhance Drug Treatment: Focus on Los Angeles
• Forging Partnerships: Next Steps for Los Angeles
Workshop topics include the effects of drugs on the brain and behavior, club drugs, gender issues in treatment, methamphetamine treatment, effectiveness of treatment, and innovations in medication development for treating addiction. Presentations also will be made on current research initiatives and NIDA's Clinical Trials Network.
SPEAKERS:
NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner; Jonathan Fielding, Director of Public Health in Los Angeles County; Dr. Peter C. Whybrow, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA; and other California-based health officials and researchers.
Interested reporters may also attend the meeting on October 31 of NIDA's Clinical Trials Network where researchers will discuss treatment advances. The University of California at Los Angeles is a member of the network. The Clinical Trials Network meeting also will be held Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
Media are invited to attend. For more information and to register, call the NIDA Press Office, 301-443-6245.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish through NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.