USF’s Center on Co-Occurring Disorders, Justice, and Multidisciplinary Research (CJM Center)
About the Project
The Department of Mental Health Law and Policy within USF’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences received a grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the amount of $1.46 million over two years to support the development of a Research Core Center, entitled the USF Center on Co-Occurring Disorders, Justice, and Multidisciplinary Research (CJM Center). The grant is designed to support recruitment and development of three junior investigators in areas of biomedical research relevant to NIH, to enhance existing innovative programs of excellence. The three junior investigators (see below) hired under the grant will have joint appointments on tenure-earning faculty lines at USF, each with affiliations to the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy. Two of the investigators will have primary faculty appointments in the BCS College (MHLP serves as the home department for both; one with a joint appointment to COPH’s Department of Community and Family Health, and one with a joint appointment to the Department of Criminology), and one faculty member will have a primary appointment in the College of Arts and Sciences (Psychology serves as the home department, with a joint appointment to MHLP). The grant provides a rich infrastructure of research support, including both internal mentors at USF, external mentors at NIDA-supported Research Centers (CJDATS-2 Network), conference travel, pilot research funds, limited requirements for teaching assignments during the first four years, and involvement in a ‘Virtual Collaboratory’ research network.
NIDA P30 Research Core Center Grant Highlighted in USF Magazine
Three highly skilled and talented junior investigators have been successfully recruited to join USF’s Department of Mental Health Law and Policy (and affiliated departments), selected from a pool of 89 applicants. These new CJM Center and USF faculty members are expected to strengthen and complement the Department’s expertise in the area of co-occurring disorders in the justice system.
New USF Faculty Members Hired Through the CJM Center:
Dr. Marina Bornovalova (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Psychology): Dr. Bornovalova completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota after receiving her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on the interrelationship between personality disorders and substance use disorders. Dr. Bornovalova’s work includes examination of underlying vulnerabilities/risk factors related to emotional dysregulation, and the efficacy of related cognitive-behavioral treatment interventions.
Dr. Amy Cohn (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Criminology): Dr. Cohn completed post-doctoral fellowships at Brown University and at Rutgers University, after receiving her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Cohn’s research examines the intersection between alcohol/substance abuse, aggression, and intimate partner violence. Her work also explores the effects of psychiatric co-morbidity on treatment efficacy, use of technology to enhance treatment engagement, and cognitive-behavioral substance abuse interventions to prevent violence.
Dr. Sarah Desmarais (joint appointment with USF’s Department of Community and Family Health): Dr. Desmarais completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia after receiving her Ph.D. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University. Dr. Desmarais’ research focuses on risk assessment and management among mentally disordered offenders, including structured short-term risk assessment techniques. Her work also examines criminal justice responses to victims of partner violence, including use of prevention strategies.
Principal Investigator |
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Affiliated Research Faculty / Staff |
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Non MHLP PI |
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Funding Agency |
National Institutes of Health |
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Award Amount |
$1,460,000 |
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Dates |
10/01/2009 - 08/31/2012 |