UCF Researcher Awarded Grant to Study Nicotine Addiction
The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Dr. Cali Calarco $943,000 to examine nicotine's impact on brain cells.
Updated on Sept. 26, 2026 in Substance Abuse
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The University of Central Florida has received a $943,000 grant to investigate how nicotine exposure alters mitochondrial signaling in the brain. Dr. Cali Calarco will lead the five-year project to better understand neural pathology in the nucleus accumbens.
Why it matters
Current treatments for nicotine use disorder often face limited success and significant side effects, creating an urgent need for targeted therapies. This research aims to pinpoint specific molecular pathways that could lead to more effective treatments for addiction.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded a $943,000 grant for this five-year study. This research arrives as youth use of oral nicotine pouches nearly quadrupled between 2022 and 2025.
The players
Dr. Cali Calarco
She is the primary researcher and grant recipient conducting this neurobiological study at the University of Central Florida.
University of Central Florida
This is a public research university in Orlando that serves as the site for the laboratory investigation.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
This federal agency is part of the National Institutes of Health and supports scientific research on drug use and addiction.
The details
Researchers are tracking how nicotine modifies mitochondrial morphology, trafficking, and metabolic signaling in real time within the nucleus accumbens. The team hopes to identify precise targets to treat nicotine use disorder and potentially other compulsive behavioral dependencies.
Timeline
2022 to 2025 saw a nearly fourfold increase in youth oral nicotine pouch use.
The research project is funded for a five-year duration.
Health Landscape
This study follows the funding and structural patterns set by the National Institute on Drug Abuse's K01 Career Development Award. It reflects a broader shift toward molecular-level research intended to replace older, less effective pharmacological interventions.
This research provides a long-term roadmap toward developing new, more effective medications for nicotine cessation. Future therapies resulting from this work may offer patients better outcomes with fewer adverse side effects compared to current treatment options.
The takeaway
Advancements in understanding how drugs physically reshape brain cells are critical to moving beyond generic cessation tools. This study highlights the importance of targeting specific neural architecture to successfully treat the biological roots of addiction.
Further reading
For additional context on the scientific challenges of addiction, visit our Substance Abuse section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Neuroscience News.
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