Interventions with Trauma-Exposed Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Identifying targets for intervention and developing and implementing tailored interventions for at-risk pregnant and postpartum women who have been exposed to high rates of trauma
Research
How can we promote better mental health outcomes for both mothers and children?
I study how trauma and prenatal exposures shape outcomes for mothers and their children, and how better screening and culturally responsive interventions can change those outcomes, especially for Black families who carry a disproportionate share of the burden.
At the Grady Trauma Project I lead work comparing PTSD screening approaches for pregnant Black women and developing a culturally responsive intervention for those who screen positive. With the THRIVE Lab I work alongside community partners on strength-based approaches to healing and resilience. My graduate work in the BUILD Lab with the ECHO Program examined prenatal cannabis and maternal depression in relation to newborn brain connectivity and child autism traits.
Three threads
Maternal Mental Health and Child Development
Understanding the relationship between maternal depression, maternal posttraumatic stress, and child neurodevelopment.
Prenatal exposures and early neurodevelopment
How exposure to substances, like cannabis, in utero might influence child neurodevelopment.
Funding
2025 to 2026
Early Stage Investigator FellowshipCORAL Center of Excellence in Maternal Health Research, NIH-funded
2020 to 2022
NIH Diversity Supplement, ECHO ConsortiumThe Impact of the Intrauterine and Early Childhood Environments on Neurocognitive and Metabolic Development in African American Youth: Focus on the Gut-Brain Axis
Publications
* indicates co-first authorship.
Prenatal Cannabis Use and Offspring Autism-Related Behaviors: Examining Maternal Stress as a Moderator in a Black American Cohort
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-05982-zInvited talks and presentations
Sep 30, 2026
Two for One: Intergenerational Impacts of Maternal Mental Health Interventions for Child DevelopmentClinical Psychology Colloquium, University of Louisville
Sep 10, 2026
Listening, Screening, and Supporting: A Culturally Responsive PTSD Intervention for Pregnant Black WomenBlack Maternal Health Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
Nov 14, 2025
Examining Associations Among Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms, Vitamin D Levels, and Child Autism Traits in Black American FamiliesInternational Society of Developmental Psychobiology, San Diego, CA
Jul 10, 2024
Maternal Prenatal Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Metabolites Correlate with Infant Resting-State Functional ConnectivityInternational Congress of Infant Studies, Glasgow, Scotland
Apr 14, 2023
Prenatal Cannabis Use and Offspring Autism-Related Behaviors: Examining Maternal Stress as a Moderator in a Black American CohortEDGE Research Symposium on Racial and Social Disparities, Inequities, and Injustice, Emory
Nov 9, 2022
Prenatal Cannabis Use and Offspring Child Autism-Related OutcomesInternational Society for Developmental Psychobiology, San Diego, CA
Apr 13, 2022
Examining the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and child autism behaviors: a multi-cohort investigation in ECHOECHO Consortium Annual Conference
Apr 14, 2021
The Impact of Intrauterine and Early Childhood Environments on Neurocognitive and Metabolic Development in African American Youth: Focus on the Gut-Brain AxisECHO Consortium Annual Conference