The Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics (CAST) at UTMB is striving to build effective collaborations among scientists with various expertise, backgrounds, and experience to advance mechanistic knowledge in SUDs and related medical disorders. Perhaps most importantly, we purposefully work to move these discoveries toward novel therapeutic approaches in a translational manner (bench-to-bedside). The CAST is composed of faculty from across the UTMB campus in several departments and disciplines with interests in SUDs research, education, and treatment. Our consortium is unified around creating new diagnostic and treatment approaches, with the ultimate purpose of improving and saving lives.
In addition to our research and clinical interests, CAST highly emphasizes community outreach and education. We disseminate evidence-based knowledge and discoveries on SUDs and related disorders to academic and professional communities, as well as the general public (see “News”). We have also built strong partnerships with community providers to encourage provider and patient involvement in education, prevention, and clinical research efforts. The CAST additionally functions as an advisory resource promoting the utilization of science in the formulation of policies and the development of consortiums and programs at all levels – locally, statewide, nationally, and worldwide.