Gulf Coast Cluster for Translational Addiciton Sciences

Our Mission

Substance use disorders constitute a major, high-impact world health problem with important implications. The vision of the Gulf Coast Cluster for Translational Addiction Science (GCCL TAS) is to uncover key molecular mechanisms and translate discoveries into innovative diagnostics and therapeutics to reduce their overall chronic disease burden. Adaptations in cellular signaling pathways triggered during the progression of addictive disorders result in persistent disease characteristics and malfunction that overlap mechanistically with those involved in psychiatric disease, neurodegeneration, obesity and metabolic disorders, and cancer. Our key to competitive success in translational research is to mine innovative, high-risk avenues built on the strengths of our research environment and infrastructure in chemical, molecular and cell biology, pharmacology and psychiatry. We have strong partnerships with the scientists, centers and departments centrally engaged in translational addiction research areas and we continue to build bridges for new initiatives. A corollary mission is to mentor new scientists in translational addiction science, to foster community education in addiction science and evidence-based treatment as well as convey the consistent message that addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder and that treatment is effective. 

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