Racial stigma and substance-use risk among African American young adults
Official title: Racial Stigma and Substance Use Vulnerability Among African American Young Adults: Examining Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11399027 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how racial stigma may trigger brain and stress responses that increase the risk of using substances among African American young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $168,647 |
| NIH project number | 5K08DA053441-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399027 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
African American young adults who experience racial stigma and are at risk for substance use.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not experiencing racial stigma-related stress or not at risk for substance use may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
A researcher will study how acute experiences of racial stigma affect thinking, emotions, and brain activity related to cues and rewards in young African American adults. The project uses cognitive-neuroscience tasks to measure brain systems involved in cue reactivity, self-control, and reward processing during stigma exposure. It aims to identify how these acute responses influence risk for substance use and what factors might lessen or amplify them as they happen in real time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform more effective prevention and intervention strategies that address racial stigma and its impact on substance use risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous cue-reactivity and substance-use studies suggest brain and behavior links; this study adds race-specific social stress context.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Risco, Cristina Maria — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Risco, Cristina Maria
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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.