Spotlight

As part of this year's 60th anniversary celebration, we sat down with Robin Room to talk about ARG’s history and his role in shaping its development. Dr. Room began his career in 1963, first as a field worker on one of ARG’s initial alcohol surveys before becoming the scientific director in 1977 through to 1993. Since his tenure at ARG, Dr. Room has lead centers in Canada, Sweden and most recently, Australia where he directed and inaugurated the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) at … [Read more...]

Addressing Alcohol-related Disparities It is well documented that there is a bias in clinical and epidemiological studies, one that favors English over other languages, both in how it is communicated and used. It is a bias that also permeates the research process, from how studies are designed and who participates, through to what is published and disseminated. While scientists are aware of this language bias, there are few resources and mechanisms available to support a more equitable … [Read more...]

The new American Public Health Association (APHA) Press's book, Preventing Alcohol-Related Problems: Evidence and Community-Based Initiatives, focuses on bridging the gap between research, information, and knowledge to find effective ways to address alcohol-related problems.  ARG scientists contribute their expertise on alcohol's role in developing chronic diseases, government control versus privatization of alcohol sales, and how alcohol policies can help reduce health disparities. Alcohol as … [Read more...]

2017 was a great year at the Alcohol Research Group. In our mission to improve public health through a greater understanding of how alcohol and other drug use affects individuals, families, and our communities, we published almost 46 articles in peer-reviewed journals, worked on 30 different studies, collaborated with 35 countries, and presented 31 papers at conferences around the world. Here's a look back at what we accomplished with support from our funders, collaborators, and partner … [Read more...]

Since 1971, ARG's Training Program, in partnership the School of Public Health at the University of California Berkeley, has mentored and nurtured over 280 pre- and post-doctoral fellows. Many have gone on to serve the research community as faculty at universities, scientists at other institutions, while others have continued as scientists at ARG. To highlight the incredible contribution this NIAAA-funded program has provided to the field of alcohol- and other drug-related research, we … [Read more...]

Congratulations to ARG Associate Scientist and postdoctoral fellow Christina Tam who received a pilot study grant to identify and assess ethnic-dense neighborhoods and their impact on alcohol consumption among adolescents and young adults. Tam has always been interested in disparities research, in particular how racial/ethnic identity impacts youth risk behaviors for tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and arrest rates. The latter was the focus of her dissertation, which was based on the … [Read more...]

Affiliate Scientist, former postdoctoral fellow, and current Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Miguel Pinedo's interests and expertise have always focused on racial/ethnic disparities, whether it was studying the role of migration-related factors in alcohol and drug abuse or the social and health consequences of deportation.  Having recently received a pilot project grant through ARG's National Alcohol Research Center, Miguel's new work will look at barriers to treatment … [Read more...]

In a meeting following the Kettil Brun Society symposium held in the UK, ARG scientists and their international collaborators, including members of the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group,  met to exchange ideas about their latest project, the Calibrated Agent Simulations for Combined Analysis of Drinking Etiologies (CASCADE) study.  This new study, led by engineering professor, Robin Purshouse, attempts to explain and predict population-level drinking trends over time using agent-based models. … [Read more...]

Since completing her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Mills College, associate scientist and former ARG postdoctoral fellow Priscilla Martinez, PhD, has been working at the intersection of biomedical, behavioral, and social approaches to improve health outcomes among diverse populations.  Her experiences are varied and rich, involving everything from on-the-ground data collection to designing and running her own studies. All of these experiences led her to pursue a … [Read more...]

A recent study from ARG scientist Nina Mulia and colleagues assessed long-term heavy drinking patterns of racial/ethnic groups and found some surprising results. Consistent with other studies, their research showed a significant decline in White men and women's heavy drinking in their 20's while Black men and women's drinking increased during the same period.  The study team defined heavy drinking as having six or more drinks on one occasion. What the research team did not expect to find was … [Read more...]