| NEWS RELEASE |
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Office of External Communications |
Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Marisa Ramirez |
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National experts on drug abuse in the Latino community will be at the University of Houston for a weeklong conference to address current issues and research, and guide new scholars as they study the problem. Sponsored by the UH Graduate College of Social Work’s Office for Drug and Social Policy Research (ODSPR), the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse Summer Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse is planned for June 4 - 13 at the Hilton University of Houston Hotel. The National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are also sponsors of the event. “Drug abuse continues to disproportionately impact ethnic minorities in the U.S., particularly minority youth,” Avelardo Valdez, professor and ODSPR director, said. “Still, the number of researchers studying the problem remains relatively small. We need to prepare the next generation of drug researchers for the consequences of drug abuse in Latino populations.” This is the sixth 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—two are coming from as far away as Spain. Throughout the week, featured speakers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health will answer questions and lead discussions about new research. In addition, experts 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/.
For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
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