Lab Members

Back-Flanagan Group

Investigators

Sudie Back

Sudie Back, Ph.D.

Dr. Back's primary research focus is the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She leads a variety of studies to examine SUD and PTSD, including randomized controlled trials of behavioral as well as pharmacologic interventions, laboratory-based investigations, and neuroimaging studies.

Julianne Flanagan

Julianne Flanagan, Ph.D.

Dr. Flanagan's program of research focuses on the relationships between post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, and interpersonal violence. She is currently conducting laboratory and treatment development studies aimed at better understanding behavioral and neurobiological underpinnings of violence among individuals and couples. She is also conducting studies examining behavioral and pharmacological interventions to mitigate these commonly co-occurring problems.

Elizabeth Santa Ana, PhD

Elizabeth Santa Ana, Ph.D.

Dr. Santa Ana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC and the Evidence-Based Training Coordinator for the VISN 7 Homeless Program at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is a core investigator within the Charleston Health Equity and Rural Outreach Innovation Center (HEROIC) at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and she collaborates with other MUSC faculty in Psychiatry on projects involving PTSD, substance use disorder, relapse prevention, and chronic pain for patients with substance use and other co-existing disorders.

Delisa-Brown-2021-Photo

Delisa Brown, Ph.D.

Dr. Brown is a Research Assistant Professor in Addiction Sciences at MUSC.  Her research focuses disparities in substance use disorders and comorbid stress-related conditions ( e.g., PTSD, racial trauma, early childhood adversity) that impact women and African Americans.  She is currently examining the impact of race-related stress among individuals with alcohol use disorder and PTSD with a goal of understanding behavioral and neurobiological underpinnings of experiences of racial discrimination among African Americans and other racial minorities. She is also conducting a laboratory study to investigating sex differences in the impact of early childhood stress on opioid craving among men and women with opioid use disorder.

Jarnecke-2021

Amber Jarnecke, Ph.D.

Dr. Jarnecke is an Assistant Professor in the Addictions Sciences at MUSC. Her research focuses on individual and contextual factors that contribute to the association between substance use disorders and intimate partner violence. She is currently collaborating with an interdisciplinary team to study the neurobiology of and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorders.

 

Shannon Forkus, Ph.D. 

Sarah Giff, Ph.D.

Study Therapists

Chloe Ambrose, LISW

Abbie Bruner, MA, LPC-A 

Study Personnel

Anjinetta-yates-johnson2021

Anjinetta Johnson, PAC.

Anjinetta graduated from MUSC's Physician's Assistant Program in 2001. She has been involved in behavioral health research since 2010 in the role of Medical Clinician for Research Studies. She performs history and physical exams on research participants to help determine if they are healthy enough to be a part of the study. She also dispenses study medications, and monitors and follows up on study-related adverse events.

Chris DeLeon

Chris DeLeon, BS

Chris is a Program Coordinator for the POET Study. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Coastal Carolina University. He was previously a research assistant on a study investigating the effectiveness of mindfulness in Veterans with substance use disorders (SUD).

Sullivan Williams

Sullivan Williams

Sullivan is a Program Assistant on the Couples Team in the Flanagan lab and is currently running the K24 study. Sullivan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Psychology from Gettysburg College in 2023.

Angela Zaur

Angela Zaur

Angela is the Program Coordinator for Dr. Back’s COPE study for veterans with PTSD and AUD. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Neuroscience from North Central College in 2018. After graduating, she enlisted in AmeriCorps in rural Montana and integrated behavioral health into their primary care and OBGYN clinics. She transitioned to research in veterans with comorbid PTSD and substance use at Virginia Commonwealth University and the McGuire Veterans Hospital, running over ten studies over three years.

Roisin Cahill 

Roisin Cahill

Roisin is the Research Assistant for Dr. Back’s COPE Study for veterans with PTSD and AUD. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Clemson University. Roisin is interested in therapy interventions for PTSD and enjoys being a member of the impact lab team.

Amanda De La Cruz

Amanda De La Cruz

Amanda De La Cruz is a Research Program Assistant for Dr. Back’s Cognitive Processing Therapy + Relapse Prevention study. Amanda recently graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. She plans on furthering her education with an interest in the comorbidity between addiction and PTSD and its influence on the neurochemistry and morphology of the brain.

Amber Jarnecke, Ph.D.

Amber Jarnecke, Ph.D.

Dr. Amber Jarnecke is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Addictions Sciences at MUSC. She believes that people’s relationships and social connectedness are key to well-being; thus, her primary research focuses on the ways that interpersonal relationships affect recovery from substance use and after trauma. She is currently conducting studies that examine the neurobiological underpinnings of substance use disorders and PTSD and contributing to research testing novel interventions for these conditions.

 

Morgan Thomas

Morgan Thomas is a Program Assistant on the Couples team at MUSC. Morgan is currently running the START & HEART studies which investigate substance use and couple interactions. Morgan graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Kat Roberts

Kat Roberts

Kat Roberts joined the IMPACT Lab in August 2023. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Hamilton College in May 2022. She is the Program Coordinator for Dr. Back’s Cognitive Processing Therapy + Relapse Prevention intervention aimed at reducing alcohol use and PTSD severity among individuals with co-occurring AUD/PTSD. In the future, Kat hopes to pursue a graduate degree in social work, specializing in substance abuse in at-risk populations.

Amanda Westbrook, BA

Amanda Westbrook

Amanda Westbrook is a Program Assistant in the IMPACT lab working on both the POET study and Back’s Cognitive Processing Therapy + Relapse Prevention intervention aimed at reducing alcohol use and PTSD severity among individuals with co-occurring AUD/PTSD She received her Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in April of 2023. Amanda is interested in studying Substance Use Disorder with a focus on opiate addiction and treatment.

Back-Flanagan Group Program Manager

Stacey Sellers, MS

Stacey Sellers, MS

Stacey is the Program Manager for the group. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Neuroscience from the College of Charleston and her Masters of Clinical and Translational Science from Creighton University. She has worked in research at MUSC and Creighton University for over 15 years, focusing her work on the treatment of substance use disorders.