Predicting future alcohol problems from genetics, brain signals, and life history

Predicting AUD development, risk and resilience phenotypes through integration of multi-modal COGA data

NIH-funded research Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11127771

Researchers will use brain recordings, genetic markers, and questionnaires to spot people at higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionSuny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Brooklyn, United States)
Project IDNIH-11127771 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project looks at decades of information collected from people like me in the COGA group, including EEG brain recordings, genetic tests, and detailed questionnaires about behavior and environment. Researchers will apply machine learning to combine these different types of data and search for patterns that predict who goes on to develop alcohol use disorder and who stays resilient. The work includes people of European and African American backgrounds across ages roughly 8 to 68 and uses long-term follow-up to find early warning signs. This project analyzes existing COGA data and does not test new medications or interventions.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People most relevant are adolescents and adults (including African American and European American individuals) with personal or family histories of problematic alcohol use or who can provide genetic or EEG information.

Not a fit: People already well into long-term recovery or those without accessible genetic or brain-recording data are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this data-analysis project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help identify people at risk earlier so they can get prevention, monitoring, or support before serious problems start.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have used machine learning to tell apart people with current alcohol use disorder and controls, but using multimodal data to predict future development is less tested and relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Brooklyn, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.