Researcher partners from Israel, Egypt and the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute will speak Tuesday, April 27, about their joint efforts in gathering data for combating drug abuse in the two countries. They also will discuss the cultural and political hurdles of forming partnerships on the project in the volatile region.

The free program is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Neuropsychiatric Institute Auditorium, 740 Westwood Plaza, on the UCLA campus. Admission is free. For more information, call (310) 445-0874, ext. 311. Scheduled speakers are Richard Isralowitz, Spitzer Department of Social Work at Ben Gurion University; Dr. Nasser Lowza , a psychiatrist at Behman Hospital in Cairo, Egypt; and Richard Rawson, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, and associate director of the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.

Organized by the Institute’s Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, the research project is funded through the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Regional Cooperative as part of an effort to build bridges to peace by partnering in scientific endeavors. The program also receives logistical assistance from the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

The UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute is an interdisciplinary research and education institute devoted to the understanding of complex human behavior, including the genetic, biological, behavioral and sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior, and the causes and consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders. More information about the institute is available online at www.npi.ucla.edu.