Pilot Core

Directors
Patrick Mulholland, Ph.D.
Sudie Back, Ph.D.

The Pilot Core is a most valuable component of the Charleston ARC. The primary objective of the Pilot Core is to attract new investigators with diverse research backgrounds and expertise to broaden, complement, and further bolster research efforts that are congruent with the ARC's overall objectives and goal to advance treatment efforts for alcohol use disorder (AUD).

A well-established process is in place for recruiting and mentoring new investigators with novel research ideas and new technical approaches for pilot projects. The ARC strives to support a balanced portfolio of preclinical and clinical pilot research projects. Emphasis is placed on recruiting junior (early-stage) investigators and investigators that are new to the alcohol field to contribute to the research mission of the ARC.

Pilot Core activities that are key to its success include:

• Providing infrastructure to recruit and mentor basic science and clinical investigators into the alcohol research field and promote their ability to generate data for publications and independent grant funding.
• Identifying critical areas where basic science and clinical practice overlap, and facilitate approaches and strategies to address translational gaps in the alcohol research field.
• Incorporating emerging technologies to advance our knowledge and understanding of mechanisms responsible for excessive alcohol drinking and development of AUD.