Family genetics of alcohol use disorder
Official title: Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA).
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11195688 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how genes, brain function, and life circumstances shape alcohol problems, recovery, and relapse in people from large families, with a new focus on those aged 40 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | September 29, 1989 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $5,766,429 |
| NIH project number | 5U10AA008401-37 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195688 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults from families with a history of alcohol use disorder—especially people aged 40 and older—and their relatives who can provide health information and biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without a family history of alcohol problems or those unwilling to complete interviews, testing, or provide biospecimens are less likely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You and your family members can take part in regular health interviews, questionnaires, cognitive tests, and brain measurements, and may be asked to provide blood or saliva samples. Researchers combine those clinical and neurophysiological measures with genomewide and molecular data to find genetic and biological factors that change risk or resilience for alcohol use disorder (AUD). COGA follows large, diverse families many of whom have multiple affected members, and it is adding targeted follow-up for participants as they enter later life (40+). Participation typically involves multi-domain visits over time so researchers can track remission, recurrence, and alcohol-related health outcomes across the lifespan.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify people at higher or lower risk and inform better prevention and personalized treatment approaches for alcohol use disorder.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier genetic and family-based studies, including prior COGA publications, have identified risk genes and brain markers, but this long-term, multi-domain follow-up focused on older adults is relatively unique.
Where this research is happening
-
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Porjesz, Bernice — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Porjesz, Bernice
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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.