Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of New Mexico (UNM), has received the Marlatt Mentorship Award from the Research Society on Alcohol. The award is given to individuals who have shown exceptional mentorship of young researchers in the alcohol research field. Witkiewitz is director of UNM’s Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions (CASAA) and has mentored 25 people during her 13 years at UNM.
“The award was actually created after my mentor died. Dr. Alan Marlatt was my graduate school mentor, which is why it really meant a lot to win it. He was a leader in the alcohol research field himself and mentored a lot of leaders in the field,” Witkiewitz said. “I wouldn’t be where I am as a scientist without him.”
She noted that after Marlatt passed away early in her career, members of the Research Society on Alcohol provided support and guidance to her.
All throughout her career, Witkiewitz tried to pay that forward. “Above all else, I value and really work hard in mentoring. I always say that my mentees come first.”
Witkiewitz is only the second faculty member from UNM to receive this honor. The previous recipient was Barbara McCrady, Ph.D., former CASAA Director who recruited Witkiewitz to UNM and won the award in 2016. “I’m proud that UNM is known for our phenomenal mentoring of alcohol researchers, and this award acknowledges the work we’ve been doing to carry on Marlatt’s legacy,” Witkiewitz said.
She described mentoring as both challenging and fulfilling: “To have new ideas and enthusiasm and excitement is refreshing because science can really grind you down as an individual and to be surrounded by trainees who are optimistic and bring new ideas makes it fun. And having them develop their careers is both incredibly challenging and tremendously fulfilling,” Witkiewitz said.
CASAA has had funding for its training program through a National Institutes of Health Training Grant for 15 years—first awarded to McCrady and now led by Witkiewitz—which supports four predoctoral fellows and three postdoctoral fellows or trainees each year toward becoming independent alcohol researchers. Seventeen of Witkiewitz’s trainees have been funded by this grant; five are now among CASAA’s current twelve training faculty.
The NIH recently renewed its support for CASAA with another five-year grant totaling $2.38 million, allowing more trainees at UNM to continue developing their careers as independent alcohol researchers.
“If it wasn’t for this training grant, I would have never been able to mentor these phenomenal scientists,” Witkiewitz said.
