Reaching for a Cure

New Mexico Alcohol Research Center Receives $7.5 Million Grant to Continue Its Work on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has awarded the New Mexico Alcohol Research Center (NMARC) a five-year renewal of its Specialized Alcohol Research Center P50 grant.

NMARC brings together faculty investigators from multiple disciplines who are focused on understanding the neurobiological consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. The hope is this will lead to better diagnoses and more effective interventions for patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

"FASD is a serious public health problem affecting more than 2% of children in New Mexico," said Dan Savage, PhD, Regents' Distinguished Professor of Neurosciences and NMARC Director. "But the impact of FASD continues to be overlooked by many in the medical and educational communities, as well as society in general.

One of center's missions is to increase awareness about FASD, which is an important step towards improving diagnosis and treatment. The grant award will allow the center to continue supporting biomedical research and clinical studies, and will strengthen collaboration and synergy among alcohol research investigators, the clinicians who care for children with FASD, and with the community.