CARES Center: Patient-led Research to Improve Substance Use Disorder Care
Official title: CARES Center: Community Action in Research to Eliminate Substance Use Disorder
Funded at University of South Carolina at Columbia · NIH-11378207 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-centered NIH grant is funding the CARES Center to partner with people affected by substance use disorder to shape and advance real-world care and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,580 |
| NIH project number | 5R24DA061190-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378207 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with substance use disorder, their families, and people in recovery who want to help shape research and care.
✕Less likely to help
People not interested in participating in patient-centered research or who do not have SUD may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports creating a Center that puts patients, their families, and people in recovery at the heart of SUD research. It includes a Virtual Patient Engagement Panel (ViP Panel) that trains participants to co-develop research ideas and priorities. The project aims to make SUD care more equitable and responsive by incorporating patient insights into study design and outcomes. Researchers will collaborate with patients to identify real-world needs and barriers and translate them into actionable improvements in treatment services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could see more patient-friendly research, better-aligned treatment options, and outcomes that matter to people living with SUD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous patient-engagement efforts have shown that involving patients can improve relevance and uptake of research in healthcare.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Carolina at Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Natafgi, Nabil M. — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Natafgi, Nabil M.
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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.