Scholars

About Our Team.

A group of established researchers working together to shape the field of comorbid PTSD/AOD treatments.

Over 20 years of work.

This team of researchers have been working together for two decades, and are passionate about bringing this project to fruition. The team believes strongly in the possibility of this study to provide powerful answers for a variety of vulnerable populations

Our Institutions.

Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University
The City College of New York
Medical University of South Carolina
RTI International

Scholars

Alexandria Bauer, Ph.D.
Dr. Bauer received her BA in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2013, and she earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the Charleston Consortium in Charleston, SC, where she trained in rotations focused on trauma and cognitive-behavioral interventions. Dr. Bauer’s research interests include understanding and addressing health disparities that burden Black/African American and other racial/ethnic minority populations, particularly using community-based participatory research strategies.

Delisa Brown, Ph.D.
Dr. Brown is a Post- Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Brown received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Howard University, and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at MUSC under the mentorship of Dr. Sudie Back. Her research focuses primarily on the treatment of substance use disorders and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), namely race-based trauma. Dr. Brown is interested in developing culturally adapted evidence-based treatments to better serve the African American community and promoting the awareness of the debilitating effects of racial stressors such as discrimination and other forms of oppression; and advocating for its inclusions as a criterion A event for a PTSD diagnosis.

Erin Gandelman, MS.
Erin Gandelman, MS, is a fourth-year clinical psychology PhD student from Rosalind Franklin University. She completed the Drug Abuse Research Training (DART) Summer Fellowship program under the mentorship of Sudie Back, PhD. Her current research interests include investigating different treatments for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders, and more broadly examining potential associations between trauma, language, and emotional processing. Currently, Erin is also a psychology extern trainee in the Trauma Services Program at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital.

Christine Hahm, Ph.D.
Dr. Christine Tirabassi Hahn is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Hahn conducts research focused on the reduction of substance use and traumatic stress following recent exposure to sexual assault and intimate partner violence. She also investigates the role of emotional and behavioral regulation on traumatic stress, sexual risk taking, and substance use among people who have experienced sexual assault. Dr. Hahn was recently awarded a Career Development Award (K23) from NIAAA to test an early intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder following sexual assault

Amber Jarnecke, Ph.D.
Dr. Amber Jarnecke is a licensed clinical psychologist and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She received her B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from Purdue University. She completed her predoctoral clinical psychology internship and NIAAA-funded postdoctoral fellowship at MUSC. Dr. Jarnecke's research focuses on the intersection of substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and interpersonal violence. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to identify novel treatment targets and study mechanisms of treatment response for individuals with substance use disorders and PTSD. She is currently funded by an NIAAA Career Development Award (K23) to examine how the neurobehavioral reactivity of individuals with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and PTSD differs from that of individuals with either disorder alone.

Alexander Kline, Ph.D.
Alexander Kline, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the Interprofessional Advanced Fellowship in Addiction Treatment at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. His primary fellowship mentor is Sonya Norman, Ph.D. Dr. Kline earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University and completed his predoctoral internship at the VA San Diego Healthcare System/UCSD Psychology Internship Training Program. His research interests center around evidence-based interventions for PTSD and related comorbidities such as substance use, with emphasis on improving the effectiveness and reach of these treatments. Dr. Kline’s research has examined processes and predictors linked to intervention outcomes, particularly treatment response and dropout.

Matthew Luciano, Ph.D.
Matthew Luciano, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the San Diego State University working in the NIAAA T32 Fellowship Program. He completed his doctorate in clinical psychology at The University of Memphis where he studied brief interventions for veterans with PTSD and hazardous patterns of drinking. As a NIAAA fellow, Matt is developing two related programs of research. First, he is interested in the etiology of PTSD and AUD with a special focus on understanding the role that environmental reinforcement has on that relationship. Second, Matt is interested in developing and testing integrated treatments for comorbid PTSD and AUD with the hope that these integrated approaches can provide better outcomes for those with dual diagnoses. His fellowship mentor is Dr. Sonya Norman.

Robert Lyons, MS.
Robert Lyons, MS, is a fifth year doctoral student in the San Diego State University/UC San
Diego joint doctoral program in clinical psychology mentored by Sonya Norman, PhD. His
research interests broadly focus on improving treatments for individuals with co-occurring PTSD
and substance use disorders, with specific interests in evaluating mechanisms by which
integrated interventions work, and examining quality of life and functioning outcomes in the
context of integrated treatments.

Kaitlyn Panza, Ph.D.
Kaitlyn Panza, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow on the Interprofessional Advanced Fellowship in Addiction Treatment at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS). Her primary mentor is Sonya Norman, Ph.D. Dr. Panza earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Arizona State University and completed her predoctoral internship at the VASDHS/UCSD Psychology Internship Training Program. Broadly, her research interests focus on developing and evaluating concurrent treatments for PTSD and SUD. Additionally, her research involves studying developmental antecedents and course of PTSD and SUD and exploring how interpersonal relationships and exposure to trauma contribute to the development and maintenance of these disorders. Her dissertation research, funded by NIDA, examined trajectories of substance use (tobacco, marijuana, alcohol) and high-risk sexual behavior throughout young adulthood, and subsequently investigated the effects of early trauma, and peer and family factors, on the trajectories of these behaviors.

Sheila V. Patel, Ph.D.
Sheila V. Patel, PhD, is an Implementation Scientist in the Community Health and Implementation Research Program in the Behavioral Health Research Division at RTI International. She completed her doctoral training in health services research with a concentration in implementation science in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Broadly, Dr. Patel’s research focuses on the evaluation and implementation of health interventions and policies in a variety of contexts. Through this work, Dr. Patel has gained expertise in psychometric assessment, systematic review methods, and mixed-methods data collection and analysis. Her topical expertise includes mental and behavioral health and vulnerable populations such as youth and young adults.

Tanya Saraiya, Ph.D.
Tanya Saraiya, Ph.D., is a NIDA T32 postdoctoral fellow in the Addiction Sciences Division in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina where she has the pleasure to work with Dr. Sudie Back. She graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology from Adelphi University in 2020 under the incredible mentorship of Dr. Denise Hien. In graduate school, she also had the opportunity to be an R25 fellow in the TRACC program. Tanya is interested in refining and extending trauma and addiction treatments to meet the needs of diverse patients with complex presentations. When she's not working, you can find her outside, practicing yoga, or chilling with friends & family.

Alina Shevorykin, Ph.D., LMHC
Alina Shevorykin, PhD, LMHC is a post-doctorate associate in the Research on Addictive Disorders (ROAD) lab at the City College of New York, as well as Senior Program Coordinator at the Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities At The City College of New York, Columbia University Medical Center and Rutgers University (TRACC-RU) program, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in trauma and couples counseling.
Her primary areas of research include the link between trauma exposure and substance use (especially cannabis use and tobacco dependence), cognitive impairments in cannabis users, and racial/gender health disparities, as well as the development of effective prevention strategies and mental health treatments.

Past Scholars

Robert Lyons, MS.