Millennium Research Institute Announces inaugural Fellowship Winner

SAN DIEGO and ORLANDO, Fla., April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennium Research Institute (MRI) today announced Dr. Sarah Bagley, a fellow in addiction medicine in the Section of General Internal Medicine at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, as the inaugural recipient of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and Millennium Research Institute Research Fellowship Award, which provides funding to promising young researchers in the area of addiction treatment. MRI is a nonprofit national research center focused on advancing the science and outcome of pain management and addiction through education, research and advocacy. ASAM is the leading professional society representing addiction medicine physicians and associated professionals.

Bagley was selected on the merit of her research, which will retrospectively look at discrepancies between self-reported drug use and urine drug testing (UDT) results in an urban, academic primary care-based buprenorphine clinic setting. She will seek to assess the association between conflicting self-reports and UDT results at baseline and in the course of treatment with outcomes at 12 months, including treatment retention, subsequent UDT results  and doses of buprenorphine. The research should add to the growing body of evidence describing the clinical application and value of urine drug testing as an objective diagnostic tool in the treatment of substance use disorders.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 23.1 million people ages 12 and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2012, but only 2.5 million received treatment at a specialty facility[1]. The disease of addiction can be managed with the appropriate access to quality treatment, including diagnostic tests such as UDT, and the benefits of early intervention and treatment can have substantial effects. Education and addiction research are essential components to improving available options for those in need, and will allow for continued advancements in clinical practice.

"This fellowship exemplifies our continued commitment to supporting research around best practices in addiction treatment to improve the lives of patients who are suffering," said Kathy Egan City, president and executive director of the Millennium Research Institute. "Research like Dr. Bagley's plays a critical role in advancing the practice of addiction medicine to address this major public health issue."

"We are proud to partner with the Millennium Research Institute to provide funding for promising new research in the field of addiction," said Stuart Gitlow, M.D., ASAM president. "We hope more organizations step up to support the fellowship so we can continue to fund this much-needed research."

Dr. Bagley will be recognized at the Annual ASAM Awards Luncheon on Saturday, April 12, at the Hilton Orlando in Orlando, Fl. To learn more about ASAM or support its awards programs, please contact Kerin Miller, governance specialist, at [email protected].    

About the Millennium Research Institute
The Millennium Research Institute (MRI) is a national research center that conducts and disseminates original research as well as collaborates with other researchers focused on improving the experiences of people suffering from pain, pain-related disorders and addiction. The Institute maintains several national academic partnerships and supports collaborative research.

With world-class scientific researchers, laboratory experts and toxicologists led by Principal Investigators Amadeo J. Pesce, Ph.D., Steven Passik, Ph.D., and Ken Kirsh, Ph.D., MRI is focused on promoting excellence in medication monitoring, the treatment of pain and addiction, minimizing the suffering and social consequences of prescription drug misuse, abuse, and diversion. In addition, Millennium's psychologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists and allied health professionals further the Institute's goals through medical education programs and advocacy of national standards and guidelines to assure safe prescribing practices. For more information, visit the website www.millenniumresearchinstitute.org.

[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-46, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4795. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013.

SOURCE Millennium Research Institute