The fourth speaker of the 2012-2013 Pamela J. Turbeville Speakers Series colloquium featuring Dr. Hobart ‘Bo’ Cleveland from Penn State University.
"Combining Intervention and Candidate Gene Research to Investigate Gene-Environment Transactions Affecting Adolescent Substance Use”
Friday, February 22nd, 2013
3:00pm-4:30pm
McClelland Park, RM 402
Abstract: Adolescent substance use is linked to concurrent risk behaviors and future life challenges. Programs designed to reduce adolescent substance use, such as school-based interventions, have been shown to help reduce substance use risk. Unfortunately, these programs vary in effect---helping some adolescents and not affecting others. To address the variability in whether and how much interventions affect adolescents’ substance use the gPROSPER study (Cleveland and Vandenbergh, M-PIs) increases the number of participants in young adult interviews and adds information on specific genetic variance among PROSPER participants. By combining candidate gene information with the prospective longitudinal randomized-community design of PROSPER, data from the gPROSPER study will be uniquely able to examine whether specific genetic variance (i.e., variability in specific alleles) moderates the impact of substance use interventions on adolescent and young adult substance use. Additional strengths of PROSPER data for GxE research include multiple waves of in-depth family process data, drawn from detailed In-Home interviews, and annual assessments of peer nominations, from which peer attribute and sociometric position variables can be computed. These characteristics will allow gPROSPER analyses to go beyond determining whether specific genes moderate intervention effects on substance use to investigate the socio-environmental processes through which such GxE transactions may operate to affect substance use.
For more information about the Pamela Turbeville Speaker Series visit mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/speakerSeries
