NIDA, INSERM Explore Potential Collaboration

December 5, 2012

NIDA and the French Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) co-hosted a workshop during the Society for Neuroscience annual conference to explore opportunities to enhance collaborative research and research training activities between the United States and France. NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D., and Etienne Hirsch, Ph.D., INSERM, co-chaired the October 15, 2012, workshop. After speakers described the research priorities and capabilities of the two organizations, the invited U.S. and French scientists suggested areas for future cooperation: animal research in drug discovery; clinical research in medications development and brain imaging; and generating new strategies for analyzing large imaging, genetic/epigenetic, and clinical data sets. Several mechanisms were proposed to support the collaboration, including: research training and exchange programs, such as the NIDA INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellowship; funding support through research supplement awards; clinical trials; and web-based communications.