Peter Jongho Na, MD, MPH, assistant professor of psychiatry, has been chosen to receive a Career Development Award-2 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The title of Na’s project is, “Understanding the role of modifiable environmental and psychosocial factors in moderating genetic risk for substance use disorders in veterans.” The award term began July 1. Na's mentors for the award are Joel Gelernter, MD, and Robert Pietrzak, PhD, MPH.
Na's previous work has identified modifiable environmental and psychosocial factors that moderate the genetic liability of alcohol use problems. The objective of his Career Development Award is to extend his previous work to other substance use disorders, including opioid, cannabis, and cocaine use disorders.
The VA Career Development Program is designed to attract, develop, and retain clinician scientists at the VA. Many VA psychiatrists have been funded by the Career Development Program and now serve as leading mental health researchers.
Na works at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven. He completed an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine in 2021.