Chris Kahler

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

Psychologist, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Director, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health. Vice Prez, Research Society on Alcohol. Intervention researcher: alcohol, smoking, HIV

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

I appreciated the opportunity to talk about our evolving understanding of the health risks of alcohol, how this understanding can inform guidance around "low-risk" drinking, and steps people can take to evaluate and modify their own drinking to protect health. Let's keep this conversation going!

@maxkozlov.bsky.socialReposted by @chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

Under pressure, the DOD just released the text of its secret 10-year agreement with the NIH. Here are the biggest revelations from the document 🧵

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

It is hard to convey how destructive this change would be. In a climate where far less grants are being awarded, the initial score provides crucial information not just to applicants but to department chairs, center directors, and promotion referees about a faculty member's prospects for funding.

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

I couldn't agree more about the horrible impact of delays. Very few institutions can bridge faculty with the hope that funding will finally come in September. People will lose jobs due to government caprice and not the merit of their research. That hurts all of us. #StandUpForScience

Pam Herd@pamherd.bsky.social

The number of NIH competitive awards is down 50% from 2025, and down ~70% from prior years. Even if they catch up by the end of the year, only wealthy institutions can bridge these huge funding gaps.They're killing science-and violating the constitution-by weaponizing the bureaucracy

figure showing the trends I detail in the tweet text
@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

If you interact with the media for a story related to substance use, ask to see their draft story so you can provide feedback on potentially stigmatizing language. We all need to do our part to fight stigma around substance use disorders. Media matters.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.comUse of stigmatizing language related to substance use disorders in media: A systematic reviewSubstance use disorder (SUD)-related stigma may contribute to delayed help seeking and undertreatment. Stigmatizing language (“substance abuse,” “alco…
@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

Some movement in the right direction, but the distance to make up is truly immense. 66 new R01s in FY24, so 53 short with 3 weeks to go. This extends to early career awards. 39 new F31s in FY24 compared to just 5 so far in FY25.

Amanda Elton@amandaelton.bsky.social

#NIAAA funded 5 new R01s last week, bringing the FY25 total to 13. 10 of 50 grants funded last week were new (not renewals). Perhaps marks a shift towards funding of new awards in the final stretch?

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

It is hard to envision a scenario where reducing alcohol use would not be seen as one important strategy for reducing chronic disease. Unless, of course,....there were other interests pushing back on this. $$$$ vs. population health?

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

Short summary: this is...
"...yet another sign that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not add alcohol to his list of “Make America Healthy Again” priorities, despite robust evidence that heavy drinking is a major driver of disease and death in the U.S."
www.statnews.com/2025/09/04/f...

statnews.comMajor report that tied moderate drinking to disease won’t be released, researchers sayA major government study of alcohol's health effects was supposed to inform national dietary guidelines. Kennedy appears to be dismissing the study.
@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

The numbers for #NIAAA are especially bleak. No new (Type 1) NIAAA awards posted on Reporter last week. With 4 weeks to go, there is an immense amount of ground to make up to ensure that novel alcohol research is supported and investigators can support their work, their staff and trainees.

Drug Monkey@drugmonkey.bsky.social

One month to go for NIH grants in the FY2025 cycle drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/o...

drugmonkey.wordpress.comOne month to go for NIH grants in the FY2025 cycleAs of today*, the NIH has funded 2,479 new (Type 1) R01 projects for Fiscal Year 2025. This FY expires at the end of the month, so we have four more weeks to go. For reference, NIH funded 4,612 new…
@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

For #NIAAA in FY 2025, only 22 total new awards made so far. 5 R43s, 1 R42, 5 R01s, 2 U43s, 1 T32, 4 F31s, 1 F32, and 2 K99s. At this time in FY 2024, there had been 123 new awards made, and 221 by the end of September (including supplements). That is a lot of ground to make up.

Drug Monkey@drugmonkey.bsky.social

NIH progress on new R01s in FY 2025 drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/n...

drugmonkey.wordpress.comNIH progress on new R01s in FY 2025I know Doctor Editor Director Professor Berg has more sophisticated analyses going but this simple data set made sense to me once I realized how few new R01 NIAAA has issued so far (5). Since we ar…
@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

The uptick in #NIAAA NOAs in July continued, ending the month at 173 awards (new or non-competing). That is almost double the number awarded in July 2024, so the institute is definitely making up ground. Hopefully, the T32s are awarded soon, along with the many others folks are still waiting on. 🫰

@chriskahlerphd.bsky.social

Some positive signs this morning that the #NIAAA funding funnel may be starting to move. After only 6 NOAs were issued from June 1 to July 6, 39 have been issued since July 7th. Hopefully, the NIAAA T32s are coming soon, along with many long-overdue NOAs.