Vujanovic, Anka Professor

My research program is focused on understanding the complexity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some of its most prevalent and high-risk correlates, including substance use disorders (SUD) and suicide risk, through the study of underlying psychological mechanisms relevant to treatment development. My work is comprised of interrelated lines of inquiry: (1) investigation of psychological and behavioral processes relevant to the etiology and maintenance of (a) PTSD symptoms and (b) PTSD/SUD; (2) examination of suicide risk among trauma-exposed populations; and (3) development of theoretically and empirically driven, novel interventions for PTSD and co-occurring conditions that target the psychological mechanisms isolated in more basic research. I have utilized various methodological approaches, including clinical trials, longitudinal methods, ecological momentary assessment, and experimental laboratory paradigms. My team's studies have been conducted in academic clinical research centers, first responder departments, medical and mental health clinics, and acute-care psychiatric inpatient hospitals. My work encompasses populations exposed to diverse types of trauma, including sexual trauma survivors, military veterans, first responders, and human trafficking survivors.