Enhancing diversity in the alcohol research workforce: NIAAA supported MOSAIC scholars
This article was first published in NIAAA Spectrum Volume 15, Issue 2.
Enhancing diversity in the alcohol research workforce is an important priority of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). One way that NIAAA pursues this objective is through support of the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program, established and led by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The MOSAIC program facilitates the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds into independent faculty careers. MOSAIC scholars receive access to additional mentoring, networking, and professional development activities coordinated by scientific societies in collaboration with NIH.
In 2022, three NIAAA-supported MOSAIC scholars were announced:
- Josiah Hardesty, Ph.D., at the University of Louisville, who leads a project titled “Restoration and Preservation of Hepatic Cardiolipin Levels Promotes Liver Regeneration in Alcohol-associated Hepatitis.”
- Gabriela López, Ph.D., at Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, who heads a project on “Event-level Antecedents of Heavy Drinking Among Bisexual and Heterosexual Women with and without Histories of Sexual Assault.”
- Laura C. Ornelas, Ph.D., with the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina, who directs a project titled “Corticolimbic Circuitry in Adaptive Stress Coping Behavior and Subsequent Alcohol Drinking.”
MOSAIC Program Manager Kenneth Gibbs, Ph.D., of NIGMS, said, “We have been so thankful for our partners at NIAAA who have joined this NIH-wide effort to support promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds as they transition to independence.” NIGMS maintains a webpage with details about the MOSAIC program, including webinars, slides, and frequently asked questions.