UF CARE serves as a hub for research addressing all aspects of substance use and addiction.
UF CARE now includes over 50 full-time faculty spanning seven colleges and 16 departments on the Gainesville campus, who are committed to understanding the biological, psychological, and social correlates and consequences of substance use. UF CARE investigators have active research programs in diverse domains of addiction science, ranging from molecular biology and drug discovery to epidemiology and clinical trials. UF CARE faculty provide training to affiliate members (undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as post-doctoral fellows). Many of these trainees are supported by NIH through two T32 substance related training grants, individual NIH grants, and numerous K awards. UF CARE conducts a monthly seminar series in which both local and national speakers present their work and meet with faculty and trainees. CARE also conducts an annual symposium during which nationally/internationally recognized speakers participate in scientific exchange with faculty and trainees from UF and other regional universities. UF CARE seeks to support and nurture developing scientists and thus provides competitive travel awards for those presenting at national conferences. Finally, UF CARE partners with local community leaders in K-12 education, law enforcement, and mental health, to serve as a resource and to better understand the needs of these institutions in order to enhance the relevance of its programming.