Students’ Addiction Sciences Research Presented at RIA

Overall, 33 undergraduate, graduate and postbaccalaureate students presented posters featuring their interdisciplinary research conducted under the guidance and mentorship of faculty and research scientists from the RIA, as well as eight departments in four UB schools.

“Addiction studies can encompass many fields, such as psychology, sociology, medicine, neuroscience, public health and education, which all have robust programs at UB,” says Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, RIA director and professor of psychiatry.

“We were pleased to have this opportunity to highlight the interdisciplinary addictions research to which students contribute at the university,” he adds.

The poster presentations addressed a wide range of addictive substances, including opioids, alcohol, cocaine, tobacco and prescription drugs.

They addressed topics such as prenatal cocaine exposure and child behavior problems; bullying and later alcohol use; trauma-informed care; alcohol abstinence and treatment outcomes; and long-term neurological effects of Ritalin use.

The following poster presentations were the result of research conducted inside the Jacobs School:

• “Examining Substance Use Disorders in a Forensic Setting”
  Presenter: Joshua H. Andrzejewski, a graduate student in counseling psychology
  Mentor: Daniel Antonius, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Division of Forensic Psychiatry

• “Co-Prescription Rates of Opioid and Benzodiazepine in Western New York”
  Presenter: Sonia Brar, a second-year medical student
  Mentor: Peter L. Elkin, MD, professor and chair of biomedical informatics

• “Endocannabinoid Regulation of Operant Responding to Predictive Incentive Cues for a Sucrose Reward”
  Presenter: Martin P.K. Leigh, a master’s student in pharmacology and toxicology
  Mentor: Caroline E. Bass, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology

• “The Actin-Binding Protein Drebrin Mediates Opiate-Induced Neuroplasticity”
  Presenter: Jennifer A. Martin, a doctoral student in pharmacology and toxicology
  Mentor: David Dietz, PhD, associate professor and interim chair of pharmacology and toxicology

• “Methamphetamine Mediated Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Microglial Apoptosis”
  Presenter: Elizabeth H. Quaye, an undergraduate student in pharmacology and toxicology
  Mentor: Supriya D. Mahajan, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine

• “Chromatin Remodeling Complex INO80 Regulates Cocaine Seeking”
  Presenter: Andrew F. Stewart, an undergraduate student in medicinal chemistry
  Mentor: Dietz

• “Oxycodone-Induced Changes in the Pre-Frontal Cortex: Insights on Prescription vs. Addiction”
  Presenter: Shruthi Thomas, who is pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees through a dual degree program in pharmacology and toxicology
  Mentor: Dietz

• “Examination of E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Smurf1 Following Abstinence from Cocaine Self-Administration”
  Presenter: Rathipriya Viswanathan, a master’s student in neuroscience program
  Mentor: Dietz

RIA is a research institute of UB and a national leader in the study of alcohol and substance abuse issues.

Other UB schools represented at the open house were:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• School of Social Work
• Graduate School of Education

The event took place April 25 at the RIA, located at 1021 Main St. on UB’s Downtown Campus.