Alcoholism is a complex psychiatric disorder that has a multifactorial etiology. Epigenetic mechanisms are uniquely capable of accounting for the multifactorial nature of the disease in that they are highly stable and are affected by environmental factors, including alcohol itself. Chromatin remodeling causes changes in gene expression in specific brain regions contributing to the endophenotypes of alcoholism such as tolerance and dependence. The epigenetic mechanisms that regulate changes in gene expression observed in addictive behaviors respond not only to alcohol exposure, but also to comorbid psychopathology such as the presence of anxiety and stress. This review summarizes recent developments in epigenetic research that may play a role in alcoholism. We propose that pharmacologically manipulating epigenetic targets, as demonstrated in various preclinical models, holds great therapeutic potential in the treatment and prevention of alcoholism.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex brain disorder with an array of persistent behavioral and neurochemical manifestations. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to the development of AUD, and recent studies on alcohol exposure and subsequent changes in gene expression suggest the importance of epigenetic mechanisms. In particular, histone modifications and DNA methylation have emerged as important regulators of gene expression and associated phenotypes of AUD. Given the therapeutic potential of epigenetic targets, this review aims to summarize the role of epigenetic regulation in our current understanding of AUD by evaluating known epigenetic signatures of brain regions critical to addictive behaviors in both animal and human studies throughout various stages of AUD. More specifically, the effects of acute and chronic alcohol exposure, tolerance, and post-exposure withdrawal on epigenetically-induced changes to gene expression and synaptic plasticity within key brain regions and the associated behavioral phenotypes have been discussed. Understanding the contribution of epigenetic regulation to crucial signaling pathways may prove vital for future development of novel biomarkers and treatment agents in ameliorating or preventing AUD.

One area in which medical students can add significant value is medical education, and involving them as key stakeholders in their education can have a profound impact on students and the institutions that serve them. However, detailed descriptions of the structure, implementation and quality of programs facilitating student engagement are lacking. We describe the structure of a novel student engagement program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine-Chicago (UICOM-Chicago) known as the Student Curricular Board (SCB). We surveyed 563 medical students across all levels of training at our institution in order to examine the impact of this program, including its strengths and potential areas of improvement. The SCB serves as a highly structured and collaborative student group that has far-reaching involvement from course-level program evaluation to longitudinal curriculum design. Medical stu-Joseph R. Geraghty and Alexandria N. Young contributed equally to this work. A version of the ideas described herein was presented as a poster and oral presentation at the Association of American Medical Colleges Central Group on Educational Affairs (CGEA) meeting in Chicago, IL, 29-31 March 2017.