Faculty Research

Clinical Trial of the Adrenergic α-1 antagonist prazosin for alcohol dependence
Principal Investigator: Tracy Simpson, Ph.D (Dr. Saxon is co-investigator)
This study compares prazosin to placebo for the treatment of alcohol dependence with medical management as a behavioral platform and daily assessments of substance use and mood via interactive voice technology.

Pilot Study of a Group Psychotherapy for Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Addiction
Principal Investigator: Andrew Saxon, M.D.
This study will develop manualized procedures for conduct of this psychotherapeutic approach to managing co-occurring pain and addiction and will conduct a small pilot trial of the new psychotherapy.

Contingency Management Models of Treatment for Methamphetamine and other Substance Abuse in Community Mental Health Center patients
Principal Investigator: Rick Ries, M.D.
This study will evaluate the efficacy of a twelve week contingency management  intervention for treating psycho-stimulant substance abuse when delivered in the context of a community mental health center  setting for adults suffering from serious mental illness.

Preventing Addiction Related Suicide
Principal Investigator: Richard Ries, M.D.
This study aims to improve drug and alcohol addiction treatment by developing and testing a behavioral suicide education and prevention module (the PARS module) for integration into standard intensive outpatient addiction treatment.

Computer-Adapted Standardized Patients Instrument (CASPI) for MI Skills Assessment, Phase II
Principal Investigator:  John Baer, Ph.D
This study will develop a method for evaluating a therapist’s motivational interviewing skills via a computerized assessment.

Adolescent Psychopathology: Implications of Co-Morbidity
Principal Investigator: Ann Vander Stoep, Ph.D (Dr. Baer is Co-Investigator)
This project investigates the impact of co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders among adolescents.

Pacific Northwest Node of NIDA Clinical Trials Network
Principal Investigator:  Dennis Donovan, Ph.D (Dr. Saxon is Co-Principal Investigator for pharmacologic trials.  Drs. Baer and Ries are Co-Investigators)
The Pacific Northwest Node located in the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute is one of sixteen centers around the country participating in the Clinical Trials Network (CTN).  The mission of the CTN is to improve the quality of drug abuse treatment throughout the country using science as the vehicle.  The CTN provides an enterprise in which the National Institute on Drug Abuse, treatment researchers, and community-based service providers cooperatively develop, validate, refine, and deliver new treatment options to patients in community-level clinical practice. This unique partnership between community treatment providers and academic research leaders aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Conducting studies of behavioral, pharmacological, and integrated behavioral and pharmacological treatment interventions of therapeutic effect in rigorous, multi-site clinical trials to determine effectiveness across a broad range of community-based treatment settings and diversified patient populations; and
• Ensuring the transfer of research results to physicians, clinicians, providers, and patients.

Center for Neuroregulation in Alcohol Dependence
Principal Investigator: Andrew J. Saxon, M.D. 
This developmental center project seeks to understand the neurobiology of alcohol dependence via translational research from pre-clinical to clinical studies.  It has an initial focus on the noradrenergic system in alcohol dependence.