Northeast Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN-0158)

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This proposal is a competing renewal application of the Northeast Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN), which has been part of the CTN since 2015. The Northeast Node has engaged a network of hundreds of community, healthcare, researcher, policy, and payor partners across the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. These states have among the very highest rates of substance use and overdose mortality in the U.S. and include some of the most rural communities in the U.S. The Node has brought significant expertise to the CTN in successfully leading multi-site clinical trials as well as feasibility, efficacy, effectiveness, implementation, and hybrid implementation/effectiveness research studies focused on improving the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs); community-informed research; digital health, Artificial Intelligence, data science, data analytics, machine/deep learning, digital phenotyping and digital therapeutics for SUDs and related issues; and collaborating with health systems, research networks, community organizations and our SUD policymakers, state authorities and congressional delegates. The Node has also been a leader in many national CTN-wide initiatives, including launching and leading the first-of-its kind national Community Representative Council (CIRCL) to inform the work of the CTN across the nation and leading the strategic planning of the CTN, with PI Marsch serving as Chair of the national CTN Steering Committee. This renewal application builds on the Node’s strong infrastructure, track record of innovation and impact, and expertise of direct relevance to the priorities in RFA-DA-25-027 for the next iteration of the CTN. Since the Northeast Node’s inception 9 years ago, the Node has led or partnered on 17 CTN studies, 6 of which will continue into the renewal phase. And we plan to expand our research contributions to the CTN to promote advances in scientific discovery that offer great promise for increasing the reach and effectiveness of treatments for SUDs that address both key and emerging substance use needs. We seek to generate evidence to inform healthcare policy and payor decisions and scale-up and sustain best practices. We will also enhance our infrastructure and processes to best ensure our broad community informs the priorities for the research and dissemination agenda of our Node as well as the national CTN by formalizing a Northeast Node Partner Exchange and increasing the deliverables of CIRCL to enhance its reach and impact. And we will enhance our infrastructure and processes to expand our training program to provide trainees in our Node the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in designing, participating in, and managing clinical studies in the CTN. This project is part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative to speed scientific solutions to the national opioid public health crisis. The NIH HEAL Initiative bolsters research across NIH to improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction.