Use standardized questions to examine both normal use of drugs, natural history of use and abuse (when started, how much, efforts to quit, used despite harmful consequences, etc). Most health conditions are influenced by drug use, so not collecting this sort of data compromises the entire project. Must distinguish recreational from compulsive use.

If you offer 100 people $50 today or $60 in two months, some will choose the smaller reward now, others will choose the larger reward later. The way people evaluate current versus future rewards is partially genetic and has broad implications for a variety of health outcomes. We have already published on this paradigm (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-017-0032-x) but much more data is needed, ideally in subject... more »

Shape, color of tongue are good indicators of overall health. Besides known tongue diseases, roles of denture, tobacco use, illicit drug and opioid abuse will be studied. Functions of resident tongue bacteria in periodontal diseases should be studied. Studies of resident bacteria, other tongue abnormalities are needed relating overall health. Roles of tongue cancer in head and neck cancer also needs to be studied. Besides... more »

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is often transmitted through the use of shared injection drug paraphernalia. With the rise in opioid abuse, it is reasonable to expect a corresponding rise in HCV incidence. Current treatments can effectively cure HCV, making it more important than ever to identify those most at risk. Using data from this cohort, we can determine the current incidence of HCV and its association with opioid use,... more »

More than 1 in 5 Americans meet lifetime criteria for alcohol use disorder and 1 in 10 Americans meet lifetime criteria for a drug use disorder. Most individuals never seek treatment and most reduce their alcohol or drug use in the absence of treatment. Research on the biological, psychological, and social risk factors for developing and recovering from alcohol/drug use disorders is critical. Annual assessments of DNAm,... more »