With the aid of a grant from the National Institutes of Health for nearly $188,000, Xiang-Ping Chu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of basic medical science, will conduct a research project at the UMKC School of Medicine that could lead to improved treatment and prevention of cocaine addition.
The project will provide evidence and insights into a newly discovered molecular activity within the brain during the use of cocaine that leads to the addition. Data from the project could ultimately contribute to the development of novel pharmacotherapies to treat addiction. Researchers will use a multidisciplinary approach to conduct the study.
The grant was awarded through the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Chu joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2008 in the department of Basic Medical Science and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Anesthesiology. His research programs have also been supported by the American Heart Association and the University of Missouri Research Board.
