NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2006

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu
NATIONAL EXPERTS ON LATINO DRUG ABUSE COME TO UH TO LEARN, TEACH

National experts on drug abuse in the Latino community are at the University of Houston for a week-long conference to address current issues and research, and guide new scholars as they study the issue.

Sponsored by the UH Graduate School of Social Work’s Office for Drug and Social Policy Research, the National Hispanic Science Network’s Summer Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse is ongoing at the Hilton University of Houston Hotel through Monday, June 19. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are also sponsors of the event.

This is the fifth year UH has hosted the event, which will inform and train new scholars pursuing research on the factors that influence Latinos to abuse drugs. Sixteen pre- and post- doctoral fellows were selected to participate in the seminar, one coming from as far away as Argentina.

Throughout the week, featured speakers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will answer questions and lead discussions about new research. In addition, experts from around the country will discuss Drug Use and HIV/AIDS, Identifying Research Needs and Gaps on Hispanic Drug Abuse, Latinos and HIV/AIDS and Community Based Research on Drug Abuse and Latinos.

For more information on the National Hispanic Science Network, please visit www.nhsn.med.miami.edu/.

WHO: UH Graduate School of Social Work’s Office for Drug and Social Policy Research
WHAT: National Hispanic Science Network’s Summer Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse
WHEN: Through June 19, seminars begin at 8:30 a.m. each day
WHERE: Hilton University of Houston Hotel. For directions and parking information, please visit http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/CHC.html

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.