Mechanistic and Translational Breakthroughs in Drug Addiction Research

This is the inaugural GRC on the Neurobiology of Drug Addiction, which will include investigators from a wide range of countries to discuss the latest developments in addiction research in an open and interactive format. The talks, discussions, and posters will provide ample opportunities to introduce new findings about brain mechanisms underlying compulsive drug use and relapse, as well as the application of advanced technologies for studying and manipulating brain circuitry with optogenetics, in vivo imaging, molecular approaches, and new biosensors to study addiction-related questions in humans and animal models. The program will start with two keynote talks focused on recent findings in the field as well as previews of what the future holds for addiction research. The regular presentations and discussions are categorized into eight scientific disciplines: (1) Genetic, epigenetic, and subcellular mechanisms that regulate motivated behaviors related to drug addiction. (2) Memory-oriented alterations and manipulations that are involved in the development and treatment of drug addition, such as learning, memory consolidation and reconsolidation, forgetting, and extinction learning. (3) Synaptic adaptations and manipulations in drug craving and drug seeking. (4) Brain circuits that are involved in the development and maintenance of drug-induced behaviors. (5) Novel animal models that are being crafted in addiction research. (6) Biomarkers that can be used to detect and monitor the addictive state. (7) New hypotheses of addiction that have been promoted by recent findings. (8) New techniques that promise still further advances in drug addiction research. Overall, this new GRC is designed to provide the field of drug addiction research a regular, international rendezvous to meet old and new friends, to nurture young investigators, to drive a diverse work force in the field, and to promote advances in the field toward new and definitive treatments of drug addiction.