CPDD 78th Annual Scientific Meeting Program

WORKSHOPS
Sunday, June 12
I. Navigating key stages of a career in addiction science: Graduate school,
post-doc and early-career
Chairs: Teresa Franklin and Denise Vidot
You are a budding addictions-focused Investigator with new ideas, new techniques and
new approaches and— you are presenting a poster or a talk at CPDD— maybe this is
your first, or your third, but it is an important moment in your career—
Congratulations! In addition to presenting your work, the opportunities to learn and
network at CPDD are monumental! For example, this workshop, which will focus on
issues specific to 3 key stages in your early career, Pre-Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and
Early Career/Faculty, could be helpful to you. Three of your colleagues, who have
‘Been There, Done That’ want to share their experiences with you. Each presentation
will outline steps that can be taken to maximize your career stage-specific experience
and make you a competitive job applicant for the next stage of your career. Examples
of topics that will be covered include how to choose your mentors; striking a balance
between executing your mentor’s vision and growing as an independent scientist; how
to narrow down an innovative and significant research question; publishing amidst
other responsibilities; obtaining grant-writing experience; applying for awards;
establishing your niche and conveying its importance to potential employers;
collaborating and networking; deciding whether to teach; life-work balance; finding the
NIH funding mechanisms that are most appropriate for you; how to begin writing your
grant; and crucial to it all - time management strategies.
II.
The landmark Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD): A
detailed discussion of the study goals, methodologies, and project start-up
Chairs: Susan R.B. Weiss and Margaret M. Murray
Adolescence, a time of dramatic physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, is a
developmental period that sets the foundation for an individual’s life trajectory. While
advances in brain imaging and cognitive neuroscience are providing insights into the
developing brain, to date, few studies have been able to capture the factors that
influence this development over time in large and diverse populations. Children and
adolescents are exposed to myriad internal and external influences that interact with
their changing biology and genetic and environmental vulnerabilities that affect their
development. To gain better understanding of brain, cognitive, social, and emotional
development trajectories from childhood through adolescence; the NIH launched the
landmark ABCD in the fall of 2015. This unparalleled prospective, longitudinal, multisite
study will combine developmental psychology, neuroimaging, cognitive
neuroscience, genetics, and epidemiology with advanced techniques in bioassays,
bioinformatics, and mobile assessment to follow 10,000 9-10-year-olds recruited at 19
sites around the country. This workshop brings together representatives from the
ABCD Research Consortium leadership to present the goals of the study, assessments
and technologies being used to address these goals, and sampling methodology
designed to recruit and retain subjects with multiple dimensions of diversity (i.e., race,
ethnicity, education, urban and rural environments). Project start-up information will
also be shared. Findings from ABCD are expected to increase the ability to distinguish
environmental, sociocultural, and genetic factors relevant to substance use and brain
development and to inform prevention, treatment, and public health strategies.