UMSN Researcher Secures $2.235 Million FDA Award to Study Stimulant and Opioid Use Among U.S. Adults

Dr. Sean Esteban McCabe, Carol J. Boyd Collegiate Professor and director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health at UMSN, has been awarded a $2.235 million grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the complex patterns and outcomes associated with stimulant and opioid use among American adults. This project, running over four years, aims to uncover the trajectories of substance use disorders and their health consequences.

Dr. McCabe will spearhead the study titled "A Mosaic Approach for Understanding Stimulant and Opioid Use and Use Disorder Trajectories and Associated Consequences in U.S. Adults," to focus on the transitions from medical use of prescription stimulants for conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to risks such as nonmedical use, illicit drug use and substance use disorders. It will also explore related health outcomes, including hospitalizations, suicides and overdose deaths.

This comprehensive initiative will involve a multidisciplinary team from notable institutions, including Philip T. Veliz, PhD; Megan E. Patrick, PhD; Rebecca J. Evans-Polce, PhD, from the University of Michigan, and collaborators from Texas State University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. McCabe's collaboration with experts such as Dr. Ty S. Schepis, Dr. Timothy E. Wilens, and Dr. Elizabeth A. Stuart aims to provide a deeper understanding of substance use disorders, ultimately contributing to better prevention and treatment strategies nationwide.