Charleston, South Carolina, United States
As a PhD neuroscientist and consultant with expertise in maternal mental health and substance use research, I partner with organizations and individuals to build care systems that better serve women, families, and helping professions through academic research and direct collaboration. My work spans research, program development, and strategic leadership with a focus on collaborative care models, infrastructure development, and implementation science. I specialize in integrating allied professionals (doulas, peer support specialists, community health workers) onto multidisciplinary teams, ensuring that community voices and lived experience guide and ground decision-making at every stage. _________________________________________________________________________ Maternal Mental Health · Substance Use Disorder · Infrastructure · Implementation Science · Collaborative Care · Allied Professionals · Community Engagement · Perinatal Psychiatry · Women’s Health · Clinical Research
I partner with healthcare systems, nonprofits, and community organizations to build infrastructure that reduces turnover, prevents burnout, and addresses the reality that most systems fail to support the relational demands of helping professions. Working with both leadership and frontline staff, I create structural change that strengthens organizational capacity to support their workforce. -Organizational assessment and strategic workforce planning -Leadership coaching and team resilience training -Program design and implementation -Training curriculum design -Policy development for workforce sustainability -Culture transformation consultation
As the Associate Director of Research, Women's Reproductive Behavioral Health Division, I lead interdisciplinary research and program development focused on improving maternal mental health and substance use disorder treatment among pregnant and postpartum individuals. Key contributions: •Lead SC's Peer Recovery Doula Program, Rebirthed •Directed implementation science initiatives that integrate paraprofessionals into collaborative care models to expand access, equity, and effectiveness. •Secured and managed multi-million-dollar federal and foundation funding for maternal behavioral health research and implementation projects •Developed and led large-scale, community-engaged programs designed to reduce disparities and improve perinatal outcomes •Built and nurtured cross-sector partnerships between academic institutions, healthcare systems, and community-based organizations •Guided the evaluation and scale-up of evidence-based interventions within OB/GYN and behavioral health settings •Mentored early-career researchers and clinical trainees in implementation science, perinatal mental health, and health equity approaches
•Oversaw the development, implementation, and statewide scaling of South Carolina's Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program, Moms IMPACTT: IMProving Access to Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care Through Telemedicine and Tele-Mentoring. •Utilized data-driven approaches to monitor program fidelity, outcomes, and continuous quality improvement. •Coordinated stakeholder engagement, including healthcare providers, community organizations, and policymakers, to align program goals with local needs and promote equitable access. •Managed grant-funded activities, ensuring compliance with funding agency requirements and advancing dissemination of best practices.
•Conducted clinical research focused on improving access to treatment for women with peripartum mental health and substance use disorders, leveraging technology to enhance care delivery. •Performed large-scale randomized clinical trials investigating neurobiological interactions between stress, gender, and substance use disorder. •Supported advancement of clinical trial methodologies, including new trial launches and study startups, ensuring compliance with FDA, IRB, sponsor requirements, and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. •Collaborated closely with multidisciplinary teams to streamline study documentation and regulatory processes. •Contributed to grant writing and funding proposals to support ongoing research initiatives.
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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism