29th International Medical Advisory Group Conference
San Francisco, California, USA October 23-25, 2000
ABMRF hosted the 29th International Medical Advisory Group (IMAG) Conference at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California on October 23-25, 2000. The conference was attended by delegates from ten countries and featured 23 speakers from universities and research centers across the United States. The IMAG is an annual meeting which brings together government representatives, clinicians, researchers, educators and members of the brewing industry from around the world to discuss various topics in biomedical and psychosocial alcohol research. The location of the meeting rotates between Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Europe and the United States.
This year's scientific program was organized by the president and vice president of the ABMRF, Dr. Mack C. Mitchell, Jr., and Dr. Albert A. Pawlowski. The program included three sessions on topics related to drinking behavior and health, four brief reviews of research advances, four state of the art reviews, and a panel discussion on future challenges to alcohol research. Dr. Mitchell also presented an overview on ABMRF's contributions to alcohol research. Many of the speakers were current or former ABMRF grant recipients, Advisory Council members or Trustees.
The conference opened with the H. Thomas Austern Memorial Lecture -- named for one of the ABMRF's founders and first legal advisor -- which is given biennially at IMAG meetings held in Canada and the United States. This years lecture was "E.M. Jellinek and All That: A Look Back at the Origins and Early Development of Post-Repeal Alcohol Science in the U.S." by Dr. Ron Roizen of the University of California at San Francisco. In his talk, Dr. Roizen explored the history of modern alcohol science by examining the backgrounds, motives and goals of some of the individuals who contributed to the growth of the alcohol research community.
The first state of the art review, "Genetic Background, Drinking History and Individual Differences in Response to Alcohol," was presented by Dr. Ting-Kai Li of the Indiana University School of Medicine. During this review, Dr. Li examined the mechanisms by which genetic factors that affect response to alcohol's pharmacological effects influence drinking behavior. He then went on to discuss the neuroadaptive responses that occur with repeated drinking, and to explain the fundamental elements of reinforcement, tolerance, withdrawal, and craving that characterize alcoholism.
The first session examined factors contributing to the development of drinking behavior, and began with a brief commentary by Dr. Helene Raskin White of Rutgers University on the interaction of genetics and environment and its effect on alcohol consumption. The first presentation was by Dr. Clyde Hodge of the University of California at San Francisco on the pharmacogenomics of alcohol-seeking behavior. Dr. Hodge discussed the neurobiological systems that promote alcohol-seeking behavior, and how the genes involved in these systems are useful in the development of pharmacotherapies to treat alcoholism. Dr. Tamara Wall of Veterans Medical Research Foundation in San Diego then described her research that seeks to understand how certain genes influence alcohol dependence by evaluating alcohol-related behaviors -- or phenotypes -- in samples of Asian Americans and Jewish Americans. Finally, Dr. Lynn A. Warner of Rutgers University examined the first drinking experience, both independently and in relation to age of drinking onset, as a risk factor for subsequent alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems.
The next section of the conference included four brief reviews of research advances in biomedical and psychosocial alcohol science. The biomedical reviews were "Advances in Neuroscience" by Dr. Michael E. Charness of Harvard Medical School, and "Advances in Alcohol-Induced Gastroenterologic Disease Research" by Dr. David A. Brenner of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On the behavioral side, the presentations examined "Changing Concepts of Addiction and Personality" by Dr. Robert O. Pihl of McGill University, and "Behavioral Perspectives on Craving and Relapse" by Dr. Kenneth E. Leonard of the New York State Research Institute on Addictions. All of the speakers in this section are current ABMRF Advisory Council Members.
The second state of the art review was entitled "Alcohol as a Risk Factor for Breast Cancer: Evidence from Human and Animal Studies," by Dr. Keith W. Singletary of the University of Illinois. This talk was an overview of published studies that have examined alcohol consumption and breast cancer, and touched on issues such as the effect of alcohol at different stages of carcinogenesis, theory on the mechanisms of action and possible modifying factors. Additionally, Dr. Singletary summarized some future research issues in the field.
The third state of the art review was presented by Dr. Roger E. Meyer of the Association of Academic Health Centers. In his talk, "Itõs Not Either/Or: The Contributions of Biomedical and Behavioral Research to Understanding Risk and Recovery in Alcohol Dependence," Dr. Meyer examined the background of both biomedical and sociobehavioral approaches to addressing risk for alcohol dependence and its treatment. Furthermore, he went on to explain how the two areas will need to work together in order to move the field forward and expand upon the advances that each has achieved so far.
The second session of the conference covered "Factors Influencing the Maintenance of Drinking Behavior" and was introduced by Dr. Raymond F. Anton of the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Anton described his research on alcohol craving, and how it can be used as both a behavioral and neuroanatomical benchmark to determine who is at risk for alcoholism. The next session talk, by Dr. Charles J. Heyser of Franklin and Marshall College, showed how environmental stimuli, by their association with various positive and negative effects of alcohol, can affect the development of patterns and transitions in drinking behavior and physiological response to alcohol. Dr. Heyser then spoke of efforts to assess the mechanisms by which this occurs. Finally, Dr. Andrea C. King of the University of Chicago discussed studies that use physiological response to alcohol as a method to determine who is at risk for alcohol problems and dependence.
The final state of the art review was on "The Health Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption" and was presented by Dr. Carlos A. Camargo of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Camargo reviewed current knowledge about the potential health benefits and risks of moderate alcohol consumption, as well as characteristics of people who might benefit as opposed to those who should not drink at all. Based on a large body of evidence, he concluded that individual clinical recommendations from doctors to their patients are preferable to any sweeping policy that advises for or against alcohol consumption.
The last session, "Alcohol Effects on Health and Behavior: Minimizing the Consequences," was introduced by Dr. G. Alan Marlatt of the University of Washington. Dr. Marlatt explained the harm reduction approach to substance abuse as a public health-based alternative to moral and disease-based models that recognizes abstinence as the ideal, but accepts alternatives that minimize the harmful consequences of addictive behavior. The first session talk, by Dr. Jennifer L. Maggs of the University of Arizona, analyzed the drinking motivations and experience of freshman college students through their positive vs. negative expectancies and consequences. Then, Dr. Daria Mochly-Rosen of the Stanford University School of Medicine discussed some of the mechanisms by which the cardioprotective effects of moderate alcohol consumption might reduce ischemia. The final lecture was entitled "An Intervention for Lowering Hazardous Drinking and Alcohol-Related Negative Consequences," and was given by Dr. Dena Davidson of the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Davidson discussed her work evaluating the effectiveness of naltrexone as a supplemental treatment for non-alcohol-dependent problem drinkers given a brief counseling intervention.
After Dr. Mitchell spoke on "ABMRF Contributions to Alcohol Research," the conference ended with a panel discussion in which Dr. Ivan Diamond of the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center described future challenges in biomedical alcohol research, and Dr. Mark S. Goldman of the University of South Florida spoke on future challenges in psychosocial research. The entire scope of the conference was designed to encourage consideration of major issues from both a biological and behavioral perspective, and this final session provided an opportunity to summarize much of the information presented beforehand. Ultimately, the panel discussion brought the conference to a fitting conclusion because each speaker, through an explanation of the achievements and goals specific to their side of the field, acknowledged that biomedicine and behavioral science must work together for future advances to take place.