INVEST/CTN Fellow Targets Methamphetamine Use Among Filipino Adolescents

INVEST/Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Fellow Leonardo R. Estacio, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H., spent his fellowship year focused on behavioral therapies to reduce methamphetamine abuse among adolescent Filipinos.

Working with mentor, Dennis M. Donovan, Ph.D., at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, Dr. Estacio was able to hone his research skills and competencies in quantitative research and developed an appreciation for the value of the combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods in conducting research. In addition, Dr. Estacio set goals for the year to improve his grant-writing skills, share and exchange research knowledge, and develop a network for future collaborative research among U.S. and international researchers. He ended the year with clearly established plans for integrating the knowledge and skills he gained during his fellowship year, including revising the grant proposal he began with his mentor, forming a drug abuse research team to spearhead research at his university, training university and community leaders in drug abuse research and prevention, and establishing relationships with other Southeast Asian scientists for collaborations.