“An estimated one-in-seven people in the U.S. will develop a substance use disorder in their lifetime, which is why we urgently need to accelerate research efforts focused on improving prevention, treatment and awareness of this public health crisis,” said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president of Medicines Development and Medical Affairs at Alkermes. “By supporting promising researchers in this field, we aim to propel innovative ideas forward, and ultimately make a positive impact on those living with central nervous system disorders.”

The annual Pathways program provides funding for up to four research projects with grant amounts of up to $100,000 per project. The four inaugural recipients were recognized at an awards ceremony on Jan. 14, 2019 for their outstanding work and creative ideas to advance research and help support those living with CNS disorders.

The recipients of the inaugural Pathways program grants include:

• Lais Fernanda Berro, Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center, for preclinical research on quantitative pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics for opioid and benzodiazepine co-abuse 
• Derek Blevins, M.D., Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, for evaluating the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of chronic pain in patients currently treated with prescription opioids who are at risk of developing a moderate or severe opioid use disorder 
• Mehdi Farokhnia, M.D., Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology (CPN), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), for examining the neurobiological correlates and safety and efficacy of the GLP-1 system in relation to alcohol use 
• Sarah L. Withey, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, for assessing the effects of continuous exposure to naltrexone on the behavior and reward circuitry involved in opioid addiction relapses in non-human subjects 

“Brain diseases are complicated, and we often don’t fully understand the cause or how treatments work,” said grant recipient Sarah L. Withey, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital. “Given the devastating and widespread effects of the opioid epidemic, I am more inspired than ever to help discover sustainable and scalable solutions that may make a meaningful difference for not only the millions of people who are battling addiction, but also their families, friends and entire communities.”

To qualify, junior investigators must be M.D.s, Ph.D.s, or equivalent, within five years of initial academic appointment or current post-doctoral fellows, and affiliated with a medical or research institution within the U.S. Applicants are evaluated by an independent review committee comprised of specialists in psychiatry, neurobiology, pharmacology and behavioral science from academic research centers focused on SUDs.