National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

MEETING OF THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 5635 Fishers Lane, Terrace Level Conference Center, Rockville, Maryland 20852 VIEW VIDEO: https://videocast.nih.gov MEETING SUMMARY Thursday, April 13, 2017 AGENDA 8:30 A.M. Welcome, Introductions, and Comments Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, NIAAA, NIH; ICCFASD Chairperson 8:50 A.M. Overview of ICCFASD Mission...

Muscle weakness from long-term alcoholism may stem from an inability of mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to self-repair, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. In research conducted with rats, scientists found evidence that chronic heavy alcohol use affects a gene involved in mitochondrial repair and muscle regeneration. “The finding gives insight into why chronic heavy...

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Researchers have identified a mechanism by which the eight amino acid peptide NAP, an active fragment of a neuroprotective brain protein, protects against alcohol-induced embryo toxicity and growth retardation in mice. Their findings bring alcohol researchers a critical step closer to developing pharmacologic agents to prevent alcohol-induced fetal damage. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute...

Many people of East Asian descent possess an enzyme deficiency that causes their skin to redden, or flush, when they drink alcohol. Scientists from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and Japan's KurihamaAlcoholCenter now caution that heavy alcohol consumption greatly increases the risk for esophageal cancer among such individuals, who comprise about 8 percent of the world's...

A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism, according to new studies by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In preclinical and clinical studies currently reported online in Science Express, NIAAA Clinical Director Markus Heilig, M.D...

Bethesda, Maryland — National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. today announced the appointment of Ting-Kai Li, M.D. as the new director of the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Li is currently Distinguished Professor, Department of Medicine, and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he...

The NIAAA-sponsored National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions–III (NESARC–III), conducted from 2012 to 2013, is the newest wave of the largest study ever conducted on alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and disorders; related risk factors; and associated physical and mental disabilities. With data on more than 36,000 U.S. adults, NESARC–III promises to be a primary source of...

Bethesda, Maryland — Ting-Kai Li, M.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) since November 2002, announced today that he will step down from his post and retire from Federal service, effective October 31, 2008. Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D., the NIAAA Deputy Director since February 2008, will serve as Acting Director of the Institute while a...

Two Institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been honored with the prestigious Governors Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their work with HBO on the Addiction Project. "Addiction" is a 14-part documentary television series and multimedia initiative revealing the science of addiction, its treatment, recovery, and its costs to families and society. A...

Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the study, two genetically distinct kinds of rat – one an innately heavy-drinking strain bred to prefer alcohol (“P” rats)...

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Strategies recommended by the Surgeon General to reduce underage drinking have shown promise when put into practice, according to scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. These approaches include nighttime restrictions on young drivers and strict license suspension policies, interventions focused on partnerships between college campuses and the community...