Before a first episode of psychosis fully takes hold, there is a window — narrow, easy to miss, and for some teenagers and young adults, an extremely consequential moment in their lives. UC Irvine researchers are determined to engage and partner with some of these youth before that window closes. Backed by a $2.6 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, UCI this month will launch a countywide system of care designed to do exactly that. The four-year initiative brings together UCI faculty, clinicians, students, researchers, and community partners to identify youth and young adults — ages 15 to 25 — who are showing early warning signs of psychosis, connect them with support and intervene before a first episode ever occurs. 

Despite research supporting increased dosages as needed for buprenorphine, buprenorphine treatment during pregnancy is inconsistent and patients often receive inadequate dosages. Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine are addressing this public health issue with a $3.7 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Jake Morgan, research assistant professor of health law, policy & management at BUSPH, and Dr. Ashley Leech, assistant professor of health policy at Vanderbilt, have received the five-year award to evaluate the health and economic consequences of suboptimal buprenorphine dosing in pregnancy.