Mapping alcohol's neurobiology from adolescence to adulthood
Official title: Mapping the Neurobiological Risks and Consequences of Alcohol Use in Adolescence and Across the Lifespan
Funded at University of Sydney · NIH-11363691 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study from the University of Sydney will follow people from adolescence into adulthood to understand how alcohol affects the brain and behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Sydney NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sydney, Australia) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $154,794 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AA030575-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363691 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include adolescents and young adults who have varying levels of alcohol use and are willing to participate in long-term follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who are not involved in alcohol use or do not participate in long-term follow-up may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will track a large group of participants from adolescence through adulthood to identify neurobiological markers that signal risk for alcohol use disorders. Using longitudinal data and strong causal modelling, researchers will examine how early drinking, brain development, and other factors interact to influence later outcomes. The study aims to produce replicable findings that could inform prevention and early intervention strategies for youths and adults affected by alcohol use. By focusing on people across a broad age range, the team hopes to distinguish effects of drinking in adolescence from those that emerge later in life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide personalized prevention and early treatment approaches for risky drinking across ages.
How similar studies have gone: Previous longitudinal studies have shown meaningful links between early drinking and later outcomes, but this project seeks stronger causal inferences and broader neurobiological insight.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Sydney
Sydney, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mewton, Louise — University of Sydney
- Study coordinator: Mewton, Louise
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Biomarkers to detect recent heavy drinking in veterans
A doctor-scientist team is testing blood biomarkers to better identify recent excessive alcohol use in veterans so clinicians can screen, counsel, and care for those at risk.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
Understanding how veterans access care for alcohol use and behavioral health
A study following 2,000 post-9/11 veterans to see how alcohol use, PTSD, and depression relate to access to behavioral health care over four years.
-
Understanding how peer norms around alcohol and HIV prevention affect adolescents and young adults in rural Uganda
This project studies how what young people think their peers do or approve of influences drinking and HIV prevention behaviors in rural Uganda, with the goal of improving health outcomes.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
-
Functional Connectivity-Guided TMS for Alcohol Use Disorder
A new approach uses targeted brain stimulation to help people with alcohol use disorder stay abstinent longer by focusing treatment on specific brain circuits.
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.