Research Projects

ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

BrotherlyACT ™

A web- and mobile-compatible intervention for violence and early substance use prevention among young Black males using life skills coaching, safety planning tools, and an AI-facilitated chatbot

FatherlyACT

A trauma-informed father-son dyadic in-person and online program to improve the safety and well-being of mothers and children exposed to intimate partner violence by enhancing healthy father-child connections, lessening the devastating impact of partner violence on mothers and children.

SecondACT

A trauma-informed father-son dyadic in-person and online program to improve the safety and well-being of mothers and children exposed to intimate partner violence by enhancing healthy father-child connections, lessening the devastating impact of partner violence on mothers and children.

FUNDERS

Chicago Chronic Conditions Equity Network (Pilot & Mini-Grant; NIMHD; 5P50MD017349-02)
Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM) - NIH/NCATS-funded Pilot Translational and Clinical and Translational Science Awards (through Grant Numbers UL1TR002389, KL2TR002387, and TL1TR00238).
Rush-BMO Institute for Health Equity
Cohn Fellowship (Cohn Family Foundation and Rush Research Mentoring Program)

Focus Areas

Mental Health: We explore how digital therapeutics can expand access to personalized, culturally grounded mental health care that meets the realities of modern life.
Early Substance Use: We investigate how immersive technologies and biofeedback can strengthen prevention at critical developmental stages through harm reduction, relapse prevention, and recovery‑supportive tools.
Trauma & Interpersonal Violence: We combine technology and neuroscience to advance evidence‑based trauma therapies that promote resilience and transform approaches to violence prevention.
Stress Embedding & Biobehavioral Pathways: We examine how neighborhood disadvantage and overlapping stressors become biologically embedded—shaping the gut microbiome, disrupting HPA‑axis regulation, and influencing long‑term mental and behavioral health—while developing interventions that can buffer these effects and support youth resilience.