Division of Metabolism and Health Effects | NIAAA

The Division of Metabolism and Health Effects (DMHE) develops scientific initiatives and supports basic and translational research on the health consequences of alcohol consumption and metabolism, with the goal of improving human health and well-being. The DMHE supports research on 

  • The health effects of alcohol that may result from a single dose, chronic or binge drinking behavior emphasizing metabolic pathways, adduct formation, non-enzymatic metabolism, and various substrates that may be affected by alcohol or alcohol metabolites
  • Identification of molecular pathways by which alcohol causes tissue and organ damage
  • Biomarker development to detect and monitor alcohol-induced pathologies
  • Etiology and progression of medical disorders arising from the use of alcohol
  • The use of systems biology, bioinformatics, and real-time imaging methods to uncover biological pathways and networks involved in alcohol metabolism and organ damage across the lifespan.

The DMHE encourages multidisciplinary approaches that integrate genetic, molecular, cellular, and animal models to understand mechanisms of alcohol action and injury. Research areas supported by the Division include:

  • Alcohol Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics
  • Alcohol-Induced Tissue Damage
    • Alcohol-associated Liver Disease
    • Alcoholic Pancreatitis
    • Alcohol and the Lung
    • Alcohol and the Cardiovascular System
    • Alcohol and Musculoskeletal Disorders
    • Biomarkers of Alcohol Use and Alcohol-induced Tissue Injury
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
  • Alcohol and Cancer
  • Alcohol and the Immune System
  • Alcohol and Viral Infections
  • The Role of Mitochondria in Alcohol-induced Pathology
  • Alcohol, Retinoic Acid, and Stem Cells
  • Alcohol and Trauma
  • Genetics, Genomics and Alcohol-induced Tissue Injury
  • Epigenetics: DNA Methylation, Histone Modification, and RNA-mediated Gene Regulation
  • Systems Biology Approaches in Alcohol Research
  • Alcohol and Aging
  • Alcohol and Protein Homeostasis (Proteostasis)

Selected Efforts

AlcHepNet is a network with the goal of transforming the clinical treatment of alcoholic hepatitis by rapidly translating novel and innovative basic science discoveries into clinical practice.

Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD) is a multidisciplinary consortium of domestic and international projects addressing the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), diagnosis of the full range of birth defects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, and ameliorative interventions for affected individuals.

Uganda Russia Boston Alcohol Network for Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (Urban Arch) is an international consortium conducting and disseminating interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding how alcohol use impacts people affected by HIV and develops interventions to reduce alcohol use and alcohol and HIV-related consequences in this population.

The Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium (SHARC) seeks to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among the diverse range of populations affected by alcohol and HIV infection in the Southeastern United States. 

Staff

NamePositionFocus Area*
Kathy Jung, Ph.D.
Division Director
Alcohol-induced organ injury and effects of alcohol on organ-organ interactions and immune function; alcohol biomarkers; microbiome; wearable alcohol biosensors
Bill Dunty, Ph.D.
Program Director
Alcohol-associated carcinogenesis; Animal models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD); Basic and clinical research on the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure; Cell Biology; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Peter Gao, M.D.
Program Director
Aging; Alcohol-associated Liver Disease; clinical studies on alcohol abuse and alcoholism; pancreatitis; regenerative medicine
Li Lin, Ph.D.>
Program Director
Aging; Alcohol-associated Liver Disease; cardiovascular disease; Immune function; alcohol-induced organ injury; Immunology; lung and vascular functions; translational research
Gary Murray, Ph.D.
Program Director
Alcohol and cancer; Alcohol-associated Liver Disease; Biochemistry; enzymology; kinetics; lipid metabolism; metabolism; mitochondrial diseases; pancreatitis; wearable alcohol biosensors
Liz Perruccio, M.S., Ph.D.
Program Director
Alcohol-associated carcinogenesis; Cell Biology; epigenetics; Extracellular matrix; Gut-Brain axis; liver pathology and fibrogenesis
H. Joe Wang, Ph.D.
Program Director
Alcohol and HIV/AIDS; Alcohol and infectious disease (including viral hepatitis and HIV); Alcohol-associated Liver Disease; Alcohol use-related pathophysiology of the immune system