Introducing the Alcohol Biobank: A Revolutionary Resource for Alcohol Use Disorder Research

We are excited to announce that our laboratory has recently secured funding to support our innovative research project focused on the genetic vulnerability to substance abuse and addiction, specifically alcohol use disorder (AUD). This funding will not only enable us to conduct groundbreaking research but also establish the Alcohol BioBank, a comprehensive data and tissue repository that will serve as a valuable resource for scientists worldwide.

Alcohol use disorder represents a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, with genetic components accounting for 45-65% of an individual's vulnerability to develop AUD. Our multidisciplinary approach combines next-generation sequencing and state-of-the-art behavioral screening in a genetically diverse, nonhuman animal model. The primary goal is to identify gene variants associated with increased vulnerability to compulsive alcohol use, tolerance, and response to FDA-approved medications through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in N/NIH heterogeneous stock rats.