M e d i c a l R e c o r d F e at u r e
Caron Opens First-Of-Its-Kind Center for Medical Research
The Fran and Doug Tieman Center for Research, named for Caron Treatment Centers’ former President and CEO, announced the opening of a first-of-its-kind to be located at a nonprofit addiction treatment facility with a focus on medical research. Caron, a leading, internationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention, and addiction medicine education, has already demonstrated a track record of success in medical research. However, the revamped building, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and labs, now offers much-needed space to facilitate more studies. It will also allow for recruitment of individuals interested in participating in research from outside Caron.
The focus of the Center for Research includes crucial components of substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery such as identifying genetic markers associated with increased risk for addiction, relapse prediction, and repurposing medications approved by the FDA to treat other diseases.
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“Addiction is a disease of the brain so it’s important for us to understand the biological mechanisms involved,” said Dr. Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH, BDS, FAAFP, FASAM, Caron’s Founding Executive Director of Research. “Just as with cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, research is essential to advance our field.” The Center for Research will also focus on expanding academic partnerships to foster research and train healthcare professionals to apply the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatments in their practices. The Center for Research is also establishing a pipeline program to engage high school and college students interested in pursuing careers in research and healthcare. “Research done well requires proper funding, precision, patience and diligence,” said Dr. Joseph Garbely, DO, DFASAM, FAPA, who is the Chief Medical Officer and the Executive Vice President for Medical Strategy, Education and Research at Caron Treatment Centers. “By making this investment, we can substantially improve our understanding of relapse, increase treatment options, and identify tools and markers to make addiction a significantly more preventable and treatable disease.”
