Dr. Louisa Stark, a NIDA science education grantee, has won the Science Prize for Online Resources in Education for developing two interactive Web sites on genetics, one of which includes a module on addiction.
The first site, learn.genetics.utah.edu, explains genetics in terms that students in grades 5 through 12 can easily understand. It covers 15 topics ranging from DNA to epigenetics. The site's module "The New Science of Addiction: Genetics and the Brain" (learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction) has been used in addiction treatment in several countries.
The second site, teach.genetics.utah.edu, complements the Learn Genetics materials. It helps educators bring genetics alive in the classroom by providing them with tools and resources to supplement their curricula. Among these tools are "print and go" lesson plans covering a broad range of topics, such as cloning, gene therapy, personalized medicine, and stem cells.
Web designer Mr. Kevin Pompei collaborated with Dr. Stark in designing the sites. Dr. Stark is director of the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah.