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Lab News

OCTOBER 2024

UPDATE: Applications for 2025–2026 are now closed. Please check our page again in October 2025 for information on how to apply for 2026–2027.

Applications are open for the T32 POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN TRAUMATIC STRESS RESEARCH

Please electronically email application materials BY 8:00pm EST ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 to:

Carla Kmett Danielson, Ph.D., Program Co-Director/Training Director; danielso@musc.edu

The National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is seeking applications for its NIMH-funded T-32 post-doctoral research training program, Basic & Translational Research Training in Traumatic Stress Across the Lifespan (T32MH018869). This program is in its 37th year of funding. We anticipate that ~2 fellows will be selected for the 2025-2026 year. The NCVC offers fellowship training for entry level and/or experienced clinical scientists to develop clinical research skills necessary to pursue an independent research career in the field of traumatic stress, with a particular emphasis on civilian trauma and its impact on mental health.  Stipends follow NIH levels based on number of years post degree and will be supplemented with an additional $10,000. Successful applicants must have a strong commitment to a career in clinical/translational research and a doctoral degree in psychology, medicine, social work, public health, or similar field.

The NCVC fellowship training program produces clinical scientists skilled in strategies to investigate the impact of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) upon the mental health of adults and youth. Our research training program provides trainees with mentorship, coursework, seminars, mental health treatment experiences, and research training necessary to conduct competent, interdisciplinary, and translational traumatic stress research.  All fellows have a primary faculty mentor and a co-mentor in a complementary area of specialization. Co-mentors are jointly identified by the fellow and the training faculty, based on training needs, and include PhDs and MDs with a broad range of scientific expertise including (but not limited to) developmental psychopathology, neuroscience, mental health equity, substance use disorders, digital health, HIV prevention, treatment effectiveness, and dissemination and implementation research. The NCVC has a number of major extramurally-funded projects that include studies of exposure to PTEs (e.g., child maltreatment, sexual violence and other forms of interpersonal violence, racism-related trauma, mass violence incidents, traumatic grief) and risk of PTSD and related mental disorders, studies of resilience following exposure to PTEs, treatment and prevention intervention development and randomized clinical trials, and projects addressing translation and dissemination of effective treatments to practice. The NCVC also hosts the Office for Victims of Crime-funded National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center that is engaged in large scale epidemiological studies of the mental health impact of mass violence incidents, resilience given exposure to such incidents, and evaluation of self-help apps to facilitate resilience and recovery.

The MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is a strong academic department that consistently ranks in the top 11 Departments of Psychiatry in the country for NIH funding. This complements the outstanding post-doctoral training available through the NCVC fellowship. NCVC faculty includes 15 diverse professionals who are energetic and enthusiastic participants in the fellowship training program.  Core faculty from other Colleges (e.g., Nursing), Departments (e.g., Neuroscience) and Divisions in Psychiatry at MUSC (e.g., Addiction Sciences, Brain Stimulation Lab, Global and Community Health) who specialize in traumatic stress research also serve as  mentors for post docs. Applicants can visit https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/psychiatry/divisions-and-programs/divisions/ncvrtc/faculty for overviews of the NCVC faculty’s research. In addition to the listed affiliated faculty, Drs. Leigh Ridings and Julianne Flanagan are available as potential mentors. 

Charleston is a beautiful, historic, diverse, ocean-side city with fun and interesting things to do and see.  Beaches, boating, fishing, golf, and other outdoor amenities combine with a strong value of historic and environmental preservation to produce a wonderful place to live and work. Charleston has been named the No. 1 City in the U.S. and Canada by Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.

Applications must include: a) a ONE PAGE letter outlining the basis of your interest in the fellowship and goals for advanced research training in traumatic stress research (inclusive of long term career goals); b) an updated CV; c) any p/reprints (minimum of one) you feel would help to demonstrate your research proficiency; and d) a list of 3 names (and contact information) for individuals who may serve as references for your research and work. We are not requesting letters of recommendation at this time but may do so at a later date. In considering research interests and goals for the fellowship training, interested applicants are encouraged to review current NIMH research priorities: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/index.shtml. We strongly value science from diverse perspectives and encourage applications from women and underrepresented ethnic, racial, cultural, and sexual minority groups, and people with disabilities. T32 applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (per NIH policy).

Please electronically email application materials BY 8:00pm EST ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 to:

Carla Kmett Danielson, Ph.D., Program Co-Director/Training Director; danielso@musc.edu

 

MAY 2024

Dr. Danielson presented at Psychiatry Grand Rounds for the University of Connecticut. She reviewed the current state and future of co-occurring traumatic stress and substance use problems among adolescents. Way to go, Dr. Danielson!

FEBRUARY 2024

Members of the Invictus Lab held a retreat to catch up on the past year’s research and community engagement.

Back row (left to right): Meg Wallace (Director for Clinical Operations for the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center [NCVRTC]), Charli Kirby (Invictus Lab, Lab Manager), Carly Polk (Family Tree/NCVC therapist), Kayla Visser (EMPOWERR Program Coordinator), Ciara Robinson (NCVC/Family Tree therapist), Dr. Carla Danielson (Head of the Invictus Lab, NCVC Faculty)

Front row (left to right): Tiarra Deleston (EMPOWERR Program Youth Recovery Support Specialist), Erin Bisca (Family Tree/NCVC therapist), Madison Lance (EMPOWERR Program Health Educator)

NOVEMBER 2023

Dr. Danielson was interviewed for an episode of Science Never Sleeps, a MUSC Research podcast. Check out her episode, “Thriving After Trauma: Supporting Families & Caregivers with Carla Kmett Danielson, PhD” here.

Dr. Dean Kilpatrick, Distinguished University Professor and Director of the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Congratulations, Dr. Kilpatrick!

SEPTEMBER 2023

Dr. Morgan Goodyear, a new faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC, had her first peer-reviewed first-author paper accepted for publication based upon research she completed as part of her NIMH T32 post-doctoral fellowship (primary mentor: Danielson) at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. Results from the study reflect Dr. Goodyear's interests in showing how empirically supported psychosocial interventions can play a critical role in reducing other costly services (e.g., impatient hospitalizations) frequently utilized by adolescent populations with co-occurring psychiatric disorders.Way to go, Dr. Goodyear!

Goodyear, M., Hahn, A., Adams, Z., & Danielson, C. K. (In Press). Impact of evidence-based psychosocial treatment on service utilization among adolescents with co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and substance use problems. Annals of Pediatrics and Child Health. View this article

AUGUST 2023

The new academic year has brought us two new researchers: Dr. Rachel Siciliano and Marta Korom. Dr. Siciliano is a postdoctoral fellow in the NCVC, NIMH-funded T-32 post-doctoral research training program. Marta Korom is a predoctoral intern from the University of Delaware. Welcome, Dr. Siciliano and Marta!

JULY 2023

Dr. Danielson was selected for the Robert. L. Laufer, Ph.D. Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) for her exceptional contributions to traumatic stress research. Congratulations, Dr. Danielson!

JUNE 2023

Dr. Danielson completed her the Fulbright program at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia! Congratulations, Dr. Danielson!

MARCH 2023

Drs. Carla Kmett-Danielson and Michael. A. Arellano, and Psychiatry-affiliated faculty Drs. Donte Bernard and Zack Adams, had the following paper published:

Andrews, T., Walker, J., Bernard, D., Adams, Z., de Arellano, M. A., & Danielson, C. K. (2023). Clinical diversity in a randomized trial that explicitly sought racial/ethnic diversity in its sample: Baseline comparisons in a treatment of youth substance use and posttraumatic stress. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 15(Suppl 1), S183-S191. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001444

Charli Kirby joined the Invictus Lab as the new lab manager! Charli has worked at MUSC for 5 years and has experience working with adults with PTSD and substance use disorders. Welcome, Charli!

FEBRUARY 2023

Congratulations to Drs. Danielson and Rheingold for receiving the2022–2023 Advancement of Women Faculty Award (ARROW).

This award recognizes a member of the MUSC community who made outstanding contributions to the university through championing the advancement of women faculty at MUSC.

JANUARY 2023

The NCVC's NIMH T32 in Traumatic Stress, led by MPI Drs. Carla Kmett Danielson and Dean Kilpatrick, received a perfect score of 10 on their competitive renewal application. This will provide five more years of funding (Years 36-40!) for their post-doctoral fellowship training program, Basic and Translational Traumatic Stress Research Across the Lifespan. The Psychiatry Department has an impressive 26 faculty members who participate as Program Faculty in this fellowship training program. 

MAY 2022

Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson, on behalf of the National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center, was awarded a $20,000 grant award from the Jack & Anne Glenn Foundation to support a project titled: Risk Reduction for Adolescent Substance Use Problems and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Continuing to Address a Gap in Services for Teens and Families in Charleston, South Carolina.

Pictured below: Greer Glenn Phillips (Glenn Foundation Representative) met with Erin Bisca, LPC (NCVC Clinician), Carla Kmett Danielson, PhD (NCVC Faculty), and Meg Wallace, LISW-CP (NCVC Faculty) to discuss the impact of funding to provide specialized mental health services to address trauma and co-occurring substance use and risk behaviors (Risk Reduction through Family Therapy; RRFT) to the Charleston community.

Dr. Colleen Halliday had a paper accepted for publication reporting on the results from her K award with mentor Dr. Danielson. Way to go, Dr. Halliday! The PDF of the publication can be found on our publications page. The citation for the paper can be found below:

Halliday, C.A., Perkins, K.A., Salazar, C.A., & Danielson, C.K. (2022). The role of ethnic-specific gender schemas in ethnic disparities in adolescent girls’ disruptive behavior: A preliminary examination. J Comm Med and Pub Health Rep, 3(03). 

APRIL 2022

Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson was honored with the Groundbreaker Award from the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force for her work with serving survivors of trafficking and the impact the Risk Reduction through Family Therapy (RRFT) model has had for survivors and their families. Awesome work, Dr. Danielson! 

Pictured below: NCVC team members congratulating Dr. Carla Danielson as she receives the Groundbreaker Award from the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force.

 

MARCH 2022

Congratulations to both Kayla Hall and Curtisha Shacklewood on their acceptances into PhD graduate programs! Kayla will be attending the University of Toledo to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology starting in August 2022. She will be studying risk and resiliency factors in the development of PTSD and substance use diagnoses in adults. Curtisha Shacklewood will be attending the University of South Carolina to obtain a PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology starting in August 2022. She will be studying the impact of race-related community violence and other stressors on adaptive functioning.

Pictured below: Kayla Hall at the University of Toledo and Curtisha Shacklewood at the University of South Carolina.

    

SEPTEMBER 2021

The SAMHSA Family tree grant was awarded! The SAMHSA Prevention Navigator grant was also awarded.

AUGUST 2021

Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson was awarded the NIDA R01 grant, which will be used for the study titled “Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost, and Implementation Factors to Optimize Scalability of Treatment for Co-occurring SUD and PTSD Among Teens.”

MAY 2021

Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson received the K24 grant renewal (Mentorship and Research in HIV and Addiction Prevention Among Traumatized Youth: K24DA039783-06).

OCTOBER 2020

In June 2020, Dr. Bernard was invited to participate in a webinar entitled “Psychological and Physiological Impacts of Racism” that was a part of Boston University’s Day of Collective Engagement.

AUGUST 2020

 Dr. Bernard’s theoretical paper conceptualizing racial discrimination as a unique form of trauma within the adverse childhood experience framework in Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma. The paper is entitled “Making the “C-ACE” for a culturally-informed adverse childhood experiences framework to understand the pervasive mental health impact of racism on Black youth”. Bernard, D.L., Calhoun, C. D., Banks, D.E., Halliday, C. A., Hughes-Halbert, C., & Danielson, C. K. (in press). Making the “C-ACE” for a culturally-informed adverse childhood experiences framework to understand the pervasive mental health impact of racism on Black youth. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.

JUNE 2020

Dr. Bernard was invited to participate in a webinar entitled “Still, we rise”: Navigating racial and religious identity in the academy” sponsored by University of Michigan National Center for Institutional Diversity. Dr. Bernard was one of six Black scholars to address the ways in which they experience and navigate the intersections of their racial/ethnic, religious, and other identities within academia.

Dr. Bernard was invited to participate in a webinar entitled “Psychological and Physiological Impacts of Racism” that was a part of Boston University’s Day of Collective Engagement.

APRIL 2020

Our EMPOWERR Director, Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson, was recently interviewed on the topic of increased alcohol use during the COVID19 pandemic. Read more about it here.

FEBRUARY 2020

The results from Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson’s Risk Reduction through Family Therapy (RRFT) randomized clinical trial were recently published in JAMA Psychiatry. This is the first full scale clinical trial in the world to evaluate an exposure-based treatment for adolescents with co-occurring substance use problems and PTSD. In other words, RRFT is now the first (and only) evidence-based treatment for this population. Dr. Danielson spent the last 17 years at MUSC developing and evaluating this treatment, and this paper is the cumulation of this work.

Dr. Bernard was accepted into the NIH funded Research Resilience Training Program [R25MH118935] to work with Dr. Sean Joe. He virtually participated in this program throughout the month of July and continues to work with Dr. Joe on understanding factors that promote risk and resilience among Black youth who live in resource constrained settings. In March 2020, Dr. Bernard was accepted into the NIMH funded Child Intervention, Prevention, & Services (CHIPS) institute [R25MH068367] and formally participated in the training program in September

JANUARY 2020

Dr. Danielson has been accepted into the Innovation for Impact Program at Yale University (R25DD043870), which is a program that trains substance abuse researchers in entrepreneurship. She will participate in a week long intensive course at Yale to learn how to to ensure her RRFT treatment for adolescents with co-occurring substance use problems and PTSD has the largest impact possible on public health.

DECEMBER 2019

Dr. Danielson has been awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award! She will be working with Dr. Emma Barrett and Professor Maree Teeson and their group in the Matilda Centre at the University of Sydney in June, 2020.

AUGUST 2019

Congratulations to our Director, Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson, for being honored at the recent MUSC faculty convocation for receiving the Peggy Schachte Research Mentorship Award! This award recognizes her tireless efforts in mentoring early career faculty and trainees in research, with an emphasis on assisting them in achieving extramural funding. The majority of this research mentorship falls in the area of the intersection of substance use problems, traumatic stress, and HIV risk. 

Pictured below: Dr. Carla Danielson receiving the Peggy Schachte Research Mentorship Award.

JUNE 2019

Dr. Austin Hahn was awarded a Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Award from NIDA and a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) K12 Career Development Award. The K12 award allowed him to transition from a postdoctoral position to a faculty position in the Addiction Sciences Division of Psychiatry at MUSC. 

JULY 2018

Dr. Danielson (as Contact Principal Investigator and Training Director) and Dr. Dean Kilpatrick (as Co-PI and Program Director) have been awarded the renewal of their NIMH T32, entitled Basic & Translational Research Training in Traumatic Stress Across the Lifespan (T32MH018869) for 07/01/18-06/30/23, housed at the National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center. This grant focuses on training post-doctoral fellows in traumatic stress research.   

Dates: 07/01/18-06/30/23

Funds received: $1,146,842

Principal Investigator and Training Director: Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson

Co-PI and Program Director: Dr. Dean Kilpatrick 

FEBRUARY 2018

Drs. Danielson and Halliday-Boykins have been awarded a supplement from NIMH/NIH to the CHARM R01Impact of Race-Related Violence Exposure and Discrimination on Threat-Related Negative Valence Systems and Racial Disparities in Anxiety (1R01MH112209-03S1).
Dates awarded: 02/01/18-01/31/20
Funds awarded: $371,049.00  

MAY 2017

Dr. Danielson has been selected as a Fellow for the Association for Psychological Sciences.

APRIL 2017

Dr. Danielson was awarded a NIMH/NIH grant titled Threat-Related Negative Valence Systems, Child Victimization, and Anxiety (1R01MH112209-03)

Dates: 04/03/17-01/31/22

Funds awarded: $3,482,046.00 

JANUARY 2017

Dr. Danielson and co-authors (Cohen, J. C., Adams, Z., Youngstrom, E. A., Soltis, K., Amstadter, A. B., & Ruggiero, K. J.) have published a paper on clinical decision making following a distaster in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. This paper helps inform how to identify adoelscents most at risk for PTSD in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

OCTOBER 2016

Dr. Danielson has received a Senior Research Award from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) in support of a NIDA-invoted presentation she is giving at the October annual meeting in New York City.

JULY 2016

Dr. Danielson received a Research Equipment Enhancement Fund (REEF) award for EEG Equipment for Neural Level and Psychophysiological Assessment.
Dates: 07/01/16-present
Funds received: $24,000

OCTOBER 2015

Dr. Danielson has been selected as inaugural Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Dr. Danielson has been awarded a SAMHSA CSAP/MAI grant titled, Comprehensive HIV and Substance Abuse Prevention Strategies for Ethnic Minority Teens and Emerging Adults in the Charleston Tri-County Area: EMPOWERR Program Capacity Expansion .
Dates: 10/01/15-09/30/20
Funds received: $1,170,00
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Alyssa Rheingold

JULY 2015

Dr. Danielson has been awarded a grant from NIDA/NIH titled, Mentorship and Research in HIV and Addiction Prevention Among Traumatized Youth (K24DA039783-05).
Funds awarded: $810,685
Dates: 07/01/15-06/30/20

JUNE 2015

Dr. Danielson has been selected as the Outstanding Mentorship/Teaching Award, Charleston Consortium Psychology Internship/MUSC

NOVEMBER 2014

Dr. Danielson has received the Mid-Career Innovator Award (Inaugural Awardee in honor of Dr. Alan Marlatt) for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

AUGUST 2014

Dr. Danielson along side Dr. Jenna MacCauley, Dr. Kirsten Gros, April Borkman, MA,  Brittany Bryant, MSW, and Dr. Ken Ruggiero published a paper on the web delivery of HIV risk-reduction programming. This article (1) details the development process for the creation of SiHLEWeb, a web-adapted version of an evidence-based, culturally informed HIV prevention program traditionally delivered to female African-American adolescents via an in-person group format, and (2) presents findings from quantitative and qualitative usability testing conducted among 18 African-American girls (13–18 years). Results suggest that users found the website improved knowledge and learning, was helpful, efficient to use, and generally attractive. Implications for Internet delivery of health prevention programming are also discussed.