Building an InterprofessionaL and aDept workforce in substance Use and Pain” (BUILD-UP)

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Substance use—including substance misuse and use disorders—and chronic pain are very common conditions in the US and constitute an important public health problem. Substance use and chronic pain commonly co-occur, are highly interrelated, and there is a dearth of interventions demonstrated to improve patient outcomes. Given the degree of interconnectedness between substance use and chronic pain, addressing these conditions together is an important opportunity to improve outcomes for both. At the same time, impactful scientific inquiry is best accomplished by interdisciplinary and adept teams; therefore, there is an urgent need for research teams to collaborate across disciplines.

The mission of this new NIDA T32 training program entitled, “Building an InterprofessionaL and aDept workforce in substance Use and Pain” (BUILD-UP) is to provide personalized and rigorous training to postdoctoral fellows who plan research careers at the intersection of substance use and chronic pain.

BUILD-UP includes several notable features:

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1. Unique Content Focus

   BUILD-UP is one of only two T32 post-doctoral fellowships in the US to focus on the intersection of pain and substance use, including substance use disorders.

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2. Fully Remote Option

   Fellows can be in-person or fully remote, allowing flexibility for trainees.

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3. Inclusion of Fellows with different interprofessional affilitations

   The program accepts trainees with different interprofessional affiliations interested in clinically-relevant human research, the program accepts PhDs, MDs, and doctorally prepared clinicians across disciplines (e.g., DPT, DNP).

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4. Cross-institutional Opportunities

   In 2025, BUILD-UP’s MPI, Dr. Jessica Merlin, moved to The Ohio State University (OSU). Today, BUILD-UP is a joint effort between Pitt and OSU.