The NIDA International Program provided full tuition scholarships to researchers from Texas and New Mexico to participate in the 2014 Dutch Summer Institute on Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction. Oralia Loza, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, conducts research documenting substance abuse and risk behaviors for HIV, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted infections among high-risk populations in the U.S.-Mexico border region in order to develop or adapt prevention interventions. She praised the course for emphasizing how interdisciplinary and translational research combine with evidence-based policy to influence clinical practice, and identified opportunities to work with colleagues from other countries. Mandy Owens, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of New Mexico, investigates interventions for individuals with substance use disorders who are involved in the criminal justice system. She reported that learning about Dutch policy and the work of international students was most interesting and most beneficial to her. The multidisciplinary summer training program in addiction research was held June 29–July 11, 2014, at the University of Amsterdam. Participants included graduate and postdoctoral students, physicians, outreach workers, and program administrators from 14 nations. They joined addiction professionals to learn about the intersection of policy models, prevention, and evidence-based treatment and ways to bridge the gap between research and practice. Dennis McCarty, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University, is academic director of the Dutch Summer Institute.
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