Bringing cultural knowledge into brain science to help American Indians with substance use disorders
Official title: Kipiyeecipsakiciipe "coming home": Establishing clinical cultural neuroscience as a tool for understanding the role of traditional cultural engagement in mitigating substance misuse and disorder
Funded at Laureate Institute for Brain Research · NIH-11379564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how traditional cultural engagement may influence brain processes related to substance use in American Indian adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Laureate Institute for Brain Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tulsa, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,179,500 |
| NIH project number | 5DP1DA058986-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
American Indian adults 21 years and older who are part of AI communities and are affected by substance use or related disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not engaged with AI cultural practices or not affected by substance use may have less direct benefit.
What this research studies
The project combines community-based, culturally grounded research with brain-imaging methods to understand how cultural practices affect brain pathways involved in substance use. Working with the Shawnee Tribe, researchers will use multimodal neuroimaging to identify brain markers that relate to traditional cultural engagement and recovery. The study aims to build knowledge that could guide culturally tailored prevention and treatment approaches for AI communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to brain-based insights that support culturally informed interventions for AI individuals facing substance use issues.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports the value of combining CBPR with neuroscience, but this integrated approach is innovative for linking traditional culture to brain processes in SUD.
Where this research is happening
-
Laureate Institute for Brain Research
Tulsa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: White, Evan James — Laureate Institute for Brain Research
- Study coordinator: White, Evan James
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
ABCD-USA Consortium research site at LIBR explores brain development in youth
A national study group is coordinating brain development research in kids and teens to better understand how biology and environment shape growth.
-
Light touches the brain: targeted ultrasound to help frontline workers with PTSD
A single, MRI-guided low-intensity focused ultrasound session is being tested to gently modulate a brain circuit involved in PTSD for frontline healthcare workers who have PTSD symptoms.
-
Understanding how the body’s immune signals may influence depression (TLR4 pathway)
Researchers are testing how the immune system’s TLR4 pathway might contribute to depression by comparing responses to a controlled immune challenge in people with depression versus healthy individuals.
-
Understanding how mood swings happen in bipolar disorder
Researchers are testing a high-tech brain imaging approach to map how emotions flare and fade in people with bipolar disorder.
-
Improve mood to help adults with methamphetamine use disorder make better choices
This project tests a mood-improvement approach to help adults with methamphetamine use disorder choose healthier options more often.
-
Understanding OCD: how people control distressing thoughts and urges
A research team is exploring how the brain and behavior work together in OCD to reduce distress and urge-driven actions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.