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LSU researcher outlines alcohol, opioid and chronic‑pain research, seeks medications and community solutions
Summary
Dr. Scott Edwards briefed the board on NIH‑backed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence research, highlighting work on alcohol use disorder, comorbid chronic pain and HIV, translational medication development, and training pipelines for clinician-scientists.
Dr. Scott Edwards, an associate professor at LSU Health New Orleans, presented the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence’s current research and training work to the Board of Supervisors on April 10. Edwards described NIH‑funded projects studying how alcohol and other substances affect aging, chronic pain, and comorbid conditions, and he outlined plans to develop medications that target both addiction and chronic pain.
Edwards said the center’s NIH P60 renewal supports a five‑year trajectory of research, training, and translational work. He highlighted a human cohort study (New Orleans Alcohol Use and HIV) focused on aging people living with HIV and noted that roughly one‑third of that cohort also use cannabis, which raises questions about comorbidity and self‑medication.
On treatment models, Edwards said medication and behavioral therapy must be integrated. "Any of those medication strategies won't work without corresponding behavioral therapy," he told supervisors, and he urged sustained, community‑based programs rather than short, episodic 30‑day interventions.
Edwards called attention to alcohol’s broader health consequences: "Alcohol contributes to seven cancers. Alcohol is a carcinogen," he said, and described interdisciplinary training efforts to prepare physician‑scientists and clinicians to translate research into practice.
Board members thanked Edwards and asked follow‑up questions about program effectiveness and funding sustainability. The board later approved continued authorization for the center as part of the consent agenda, citing decades of sustained extramural support and recent multi‑year funding.
