CBAM’s Executive Director, Dr. Steven Shoptaw, recently visited South Africa where he met with colleagues at the University of Cape Town. He gave a lecture at the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre and met members of the clinic team with whom CBAM will be collaborating on a new study that will test ways to optimize behavioral therapies for treating stimulant use disorder.

Methamphetamine addiction (MA) is a global health problem with high prevalence and great social and health costs in both the United States and in the Republic of South Africa. This study addresses a strong need for development and implementation of effective MA treatment approaches. The project will correlate outcomes from an 8‐week program of contingency management with findings from pre‐ and post-treatment neuroimaging and neurocognitive assessments to identify structures and/or processes that may represent targets for development of novel behavioral and/or medication therapies. The public health relevance of this application is enhanced by its effort to develop capacity for a productive and impactful neuroscience research agenda between groups of strong clinical scientists in the U.S. and in the Republic of South Africa.

About

CBAM is a multidisciplinary center that seeks to advance the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses, especially in communities with health disparities. As part of the UCLA Department of Family Medicine, CBAM works at the intersection of academia and community with a focus on treating addictions and preventing the spread of HIV.

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