The Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research

School of Pharmacy

University of Pittsburgh

CEDAR Structure

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE

The Administrative Core, operating through the Management Team, exercises overall responsibility for satisfying the research and education mission of the Center. In conjunction with administrative and fiscal management, this Core oversees the Publications Committee, Pilot Projects Program, and the Ancillary Grants Committee under CEDAR's aegis. Centerwide policies and procedures are also spearheaded and documented in this Core.

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE MANAGEMENT TEAM

 SCIENTIFIC CORE

The Scientific Core monitors scientific progress toward achieving the centerwide specific aims. Core members are responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Center's research mission. The overarching scientific goals of CEDAR are:

    1.  Derive a scale which quantifies the individual liability during childhood and adolescence to develop a diagnosis of substance use disorder

    2.  Delineate the etiological mechanisms underlying substance use disorder employing a family based longitudinal experimental design encompassing the conjoint influence of biological, psychological and environmental factors.

    3.  Identify subgroups in the population featured by unique configuration of factors underlie distinct development trajectories resulting in substance use disorder.

SCIENTIFIC CORE FACULTY

Michael Vanyukov, Ph.D.
Ralph Tarter, Ph.D.
Duncan Clark, M.D., Ph.D.
Levent Kirisci, Ph.D.
Galina Kirillova, Ph.D.

COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEM CORE (CISC)

The CISC serves the Center's complex and multifaceted needs with respect to hardware, software, communications, monitoring data resources, and routine descriptive analyses of data. Inferential statistics are performed under purview of the Methodology and Statistics Core.

Six tasks are performed by this core: 1) managing the local area network; 2) managing the computing and information system (e.g., data codification, acquisition, scoring); 3) managing the control system; 4) monitoring subject and data flow to minimize subject attrition and missing data; 5) consultation to CEDAR faculty regarding database design and management; and, 6) designing, managing and updating the Web page.

COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS CORE FACULTY AND STAFF

Director: Ada Mezzich, Ph.D., M.I.S.

METHODOLOGY AND STATISTICS CORE

The Methodology and Statistics Core performs several important tasks essential for satisfying the goals of the Center. These include: 1) conducting psychometric analyses on all instruments used in CEDAR to ensure their appropriateness for use in the research, 2) conducting analyses of new constructs proposed by Center faculty, 3) providing statistical consultation, 4) conducting statistical analyses, and 5) conducting methodological research on various topics in statistics. In addition, this Core  researches the development of a multidimensional inventory to measure ATOD topography spanning adolescence.

METHODOLOGY AND STATISTICS CORE FACULTY

Director: Levent Kirisci, Ph.D.

Duncan Clark, M.D., Ph.D.
Clement Stone, Ph.D.
Kevin Kim, Ph.D.
Ty Ridenour, Ph.D.
Michael Vanyukov, Ph.D.

CLINICAL CORE

The Clinical Core serves two main functions in the Center: 1) diagnostic characterization of the proband (father), mother, index (child), and siblings; and, 2) oversight of laboratory procedures and coordination of assays. Central to CEDAR's mission, the Clinical Core is responsible for ensuring accurate and complete adherence to the subject ascertainment criteria, particularly with respect to inclusion/exclusion documentation. The Clinical Core, operating through a consensus conference process and using the "best estimate" diagnostic procedure, determines the diagnoses of all of the subjects participating in the Center's research.

CLINICAL CORE FACULTY

Director: Jack Cornelius, M.D.

CEDAR's investigative program is organizationally grouped into four research Modules.