The goal of the Translational Alcohol Research Program (TARP) is to facilitate the ability of emerging post-doctoral researchers to bridge the gap in the application of knowledge gained from basic to clinical and social behavioral science research in alcohol use disorders (AUD) and alcohol- related liver disease (ALD). Both AUD and ALD are major public health problems and they should be considered together in the diagnosis and management of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. There is a gap in the application of knowledge f rom basic science studies to clinical models. This is particularly concerning given the establishment of a new generation of approaches (e.g., genomic, whole-body imaging) that allow the application of a `systems' approach to the study of AUD and ALD. It is of critical importance that future investigators are able to exploit these new research tools and approaches to accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments for ALD and AUD. The TARP is designed to improve clinical treatment of AUD and ALD by increasing the availability of appropriately-trained young scientists who are conversant in basic and clinical sciences and able to comfortably traverse the translational gap between these sciences. It is a two-year program offered by the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health and provides six post-doctoral trainees the opportunity to devote full-time effort during the initial phase of their careers to developing the skills and experience needed to become independent researchers in the field of translational research in AUD and ALD. The TARP has four main “content areas” viz. Reward Mechanisms; Stress and Negative Affect; Comorbidity (psychiatric and medical); and Alcoholic Liver Disease. The affiliation of TARP faculty with the NIAAA-funded Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism and/or the Yale Liver Center enables the TARP trainees to conduct research that readily gravitates between preclinical projects (“bench”) and clinical and population health studies (“bedside” and “community”). Applicants will be MD or PhD post-doctoral candidates, trained in specialties including psychiatry, internal medicine, clinical psychology, public health, epidemiology, pharmacology, toxicology, or neuroscience. The TARP includes: 1) individualized, team- mentored research training, which includes successful completion of a translational-research project, 2) a core curriculum, including seminars on preclinical and clinical research and treatment, the medical consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, hepatology, metabolomics, biostatistics, responsible conduct of scientific research, and grant writing, 3) an individualized training and development plan (including participation in seminars of interest in associated departments and centers), 4) clinical and/or basic science training, and 5) training in effective communication and teaching. Upon completion, TARP graduates will be equipped to establish independent careers in translational research in AUD and ALD.

NARRATIVE Alcohol use disorders (AUD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) are major public health problems with substantial and yet rising levels of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The goal of the Translational Alcohol Research Program (TARP) is to facilitate the ability of emerging post-doctoral researchers to bridge the gap in the application of knowledge gained from basic to clinical and social behavioral science research in AUD and ALD. The TARP is designed to improve clinical treatment of AUD and ALD by increasing the availability of appropriately-trained young scientists who are conversant in basic and clinical sciences and able to comfortably traverse the translational gap between these sciences.