Funded Projects

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Project # Project Title Research Focus Area Research Program Administering IC Institution(s) Investigator(s) Location(s) Year Awarded
1R01DA057686-01
Fast and Fine: NLP Methods for Near Real-Time and Fine-Grained Overdose Surveillance Cross-Cutting Research Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data NIDA UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY KAVULURU, VENKATA NAGA RAMAKANTH Lexington, KY 2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Data and Methods to Address Urgent Needs to Stem the Opioid Epidemic (R01- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-044
Summary:

Timely and accurate surveillance of fatal and non-fatal overdoses is necessary in light of the worsening overdose crisis, but data is rarely available in real-time. Tracking non-fatal overdoses is especially important because patients who overdose once are likely to experience additional and potentially fatal overdoses. This project aims to increase the quality and timeliness of non-fatal overdose data estimates by analyzing clinicians’ notes rather than clinical codes from emergency department and emergency medical services records. The datasets and models produced from this research will be used to build an interactive dashboard with up-to-date, county-level overdose-surveillance estimates for use by Kentucky first responders to aid in rapid allocation of resources.
1R01DA056646-01
Ghrelin Deacylase as a Treatment for Opioid Polysubstance Abuse Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose NIDA University of Kentucky Research Foundation ZHAN, CHANG-GUO (contact); ZHENG, FANG Lexington, KY 2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-031
Summary:

There is an urgent need for novel substance use disorder treatments aimed at treating polysubstance use disorders, such as opioid and methamphetamine co-use. One promising new target is the peptide ghrelin, which recent studies have implicated in drug- and reward-relevant behaviors. This research project will investigate the recently identified enzyme, ghrelin deacylase, that affects the activity of ghrelin to attenuate the rewarding and reinforcing effects of fentanyl and heroin in combination with methamphetamine. The researchers will also design and test new, long-acting forms of ghrelin deacylase that may be potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of polysubstance use disorders.
1R01DA057605-01
Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky (RADOR-KY) Cross-Cutting Research Leveraging Existing and Real-Time Opioid and Pain Management Data NIDA UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY SLAVOVA, SVETLA STEFANOVA (contact); TALBERT, JEFFERY C Lexington, KY 2022
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Data and Methods to Address Urgent Needs to Stem the Opioid Epidemic (R01- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-22-044
Summary:

To respond quickly and effectively to the constantly changing dynamics of the opioid crisis, public health agencies and organizations need timely state and local data to make critical decisions about where to allocate resources and target responses. This project creates the Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky system, a near real-time statewide surveillance system. This resource will combine data from multiple state agencies to provide actionable and timely information to support opioid overdose prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and recovery services. The project will also develop user-driven reporting and visualization tools (mobile and web-based apps) that provide immediate access to near real-time community or state level data, reports, and visual analytics.
1R01DA059152-01
POPI: Placenta, Opioids and Perinatal Implications Enhanced Outcomes for Infants and Children Exposed to Opioids The Biology of Opioid Exposure During Pregnancy and Effects on Early Neuro-Behavioral Development NIDA UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MESSAOUDI, ILHEM (contact); O'BRIEN, JOHN M Lexington, KY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Opioid Exposure and Effects on Placenta Function, Brain Development, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-HD-23-034
Summary:

Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with harmful health outcomes for infants including preterm birth, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, and brain-related problems. This project will carry out an in-depth investigation of the effects of opioid use during pregnancy including changes to health of the placenta, inflammation in the fetus, as well as behavioral and movement-related outcomes during the first year of life. This research will contribute to fundamental knowledge about how the placenta and brain work together as well as identify new strategies for diagnosing, treating, and preventing opioid harm to the fetus and mother.   
3U01DA055352-03S1
1/6 HBCD Prenatal Experiences and Longitudinal Development (PRELUDE) Consortium Enhanced Outcomes for Infants and Children Exposed to Opioids HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD) NIDA ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RES INST OU, XIAWEI (contact); ACHESON, ASHLEY; MCKELVEY, LORRAINE M Little Rock, AR 2023
NOFO Title: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): HEAL Initiative: Biospecimen Collection in Pregnancy
NOFO Number: NOT-DA-23-005
Summary:

Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for pregnant individuals and offspring. The mechanisms through which these outcomes arise and the consequences of prenatal opioid exposure on child health and development remain largely unexplored. The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study is a nationwide longitudinal prospective study of early child development that will assess a broad spectrum of biological, behavioral, social, and health factors among 7,500 pregnant women and their children from pregnancy to mid-childhood. This supplement will expand the biospecimen collection of the HBCD protocol at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to include delivery specimens (placenta, cord tissue, and cord blood). This will provide an unprecedented resource-generating opportunity for the larger scientific community to comprehensively evaluate mechanisms that mediate the connection between substance use during pregnancy and adverse neonatal, infant, and/or maternal health outcomes and inform innovative preventive strategies.