Colorado Pulmonary-Alcohol Research Consortium (CoPARC)

• translational research support in the field of alcohol abuse/dependence
• clinical research support in the field of alcohol abuse/dependence
• biorepository of human subjects’ samples and data

Pneumonia adversely affects health of 20 million individuals in the US with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Pneumonia in these individuals is frequently more severe with poorer outcomes. Research has begun to unravel mechanisms contributing to the increased susceptibility to alcohol-associated pneumonia. To develop new interventions for individuals with AUDs that decrease their predisposition for pneumonia, we have created the Colorado Pulmonary Alcohol Research Consortium (CoPARC) to conduct translational investigations. The goal of CoPARC is to serve as a readily accessible biorepository of data and clinical samples from subjects with AUDs as well as healthy controls. While our primary focus is on alcohol-related pulmonary processes, we hope to extend our resources to support research on alcohol’s effects on conditions that lead to critical illness.