Our Work

project

Prevention of Psychopathology Subsequent to Child Maltreatment Project

Recent research on the etiology of psychiatric disorders suggests that child maltreatment affects a circumscribed set of centralized risk mechanisms, known as transdiagnostic mechanisms, responsible for the increased incidences of multiple psychiatric disorders in this population. This project is testing the feasibility and initial efficacy of delivering individual components to alter unique transdiagnostic mechanisms following an act of child maltreatment to optimize intervention effects and reduce the incidences of multiple psychiatric disorders.

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

Project Details

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Sep 17, 2019

Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Contact

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

project

The Life Events and Reactions Study

LEARS is a genetic case-control association study (N=100) examining the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with the onset of psychiatric disorders in the child maltreatment population. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 years of age who have experienced substantiated child maltreatment participated in this study. Biospecimens (oral fluid, buccal swab) collected in this study are being used to generate estimates of variation in DNA and DNA methylation to predict the course and severity of psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses obtained from a structured psychiatric interview. Results from this study will provide insight into the genetic, epigenetic, and psychological contributions for these disorders in the child maltreatment population so that interventions targeting these processes can be developed or applied more effectively. 

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

Project Details

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Sep 17, 2019

Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Contact

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

project

Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Mid-life Cognitive Function Project (R01AG059682)

This project is examining epigenetic age acceleration, a cross-tissue index of cellular aging, and its relation to mid-life cognitive function in the Female Growth and Development Study (FGDS), a 30-year prospective cohort study of childhood sexual abuse. The FGDS also provides an unprecedented opportunity to test the mediational properties of glucocorticoid remodeling occurring over the 20 years following exposure to child sexual abuse on epigenetic age acceleration. Once models of epigenetic age acceleration and cognitive outcomes are developed with the FGDS discovery cohort, they will be exported for replication in three independent and international cohorts (N=2700) from the U.S., Canada, and Germany to extend models to more diverse samples, including older ages and alternative cognitive outcomes (e.g. mild cognitive impairment). 

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

National Institute of Aging  

Project Details

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Sep 17, 2019

Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• National Institute of Aging

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Contact

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

project

Identifying Methods for Controlling Contamination in Child Maltreatment Research

Variation in the significance and magnitude of effect size estimates reported across prospective studies has led to replication failures and the weakening of causal inferences about the long-term health effects of child maltreatment. Contamination, or the presence of child maltreatment in comparison conditions, truncates effect size magnitudes and increases Type II errors that lead to replication failures. This project is researching the optimal methods for controlling contamination in child maltreatment research with the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N=1354) dataset, a multi-site, multi-wave nationally representative prospective cohort of child maltreatment. Results will help minimize replication failures in future child maltreatment research while generating reproducible effect size estimates across outcomes.

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

Project Details

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Sep 17, 2019

Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Contact

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

grant

Selective Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders Subsequent to Child Maltreatment

 

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

The Social Science Research Institute  

Details

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• 2015 — 2019

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Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• The Social Science Research Institute

grant

Epigenetic Age Acceleration as a Biomarker of Early Adversity and Mid-life Cognitive Function (R01AG059682)

 

Research Team

Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies

National Institute of Aging  

Details

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• 2018 — 2022

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Principal Investigator(s)

• Chad Shenk, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• National Institute of Aging

publication

Prior exposure to interpersonal violence and long-term treatment response for boys with a disruptive behavior disorder

 

Citation

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• Shenk, C.E., Dorn, L.D., Kolko, D.J., Rausch, J.R., & Insana, S.P. (2014). Prior exposure to interpersonal violence and long-term treatment response for boys with a disruptive behavior disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27, 585-592. doi: 10.1002/jts.21962. PMCID: PMC4943457

publication

Symptoms of major depressive disorder subsequent to child maltreatment: Examining change across multiple levels of analysis to identify transdiagnostic risk pathways

 

Citation

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• Shenk, C.E., Griffin, A.M., & O’Donnell, K.J. (2015). Symptoms of major depressive disorder subsequent to child maltreatment: Examining change across multiple levels of analysis to identify transdiagnostic risk pathways. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 1503-1514. doi: 10.1017/S0954579415000905. PMCID: PMC4774890.

publication

Contamination in the prospective study of child maltreatment and female adolescent health

 

Citation

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• Shenk, C.E., Noll, J.G., Peugh, J.L., Griffin, A.M., & Bensman, H.E. (2016). Contamination in the prospective study of child maltreatment and female adolescent health. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 41, 37-45. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsv017. PMCID: PMC4710181

publication

History of maltreatment in childhood and subsequent parenting stress in at-risk, first-time mothers: Identifying points of intervention during home visiting

 

Citation

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• Shenk, C.E., Ammerman, R.T., Teeters, A.R., Bensman, H.E., Allen, E.K., Putnam, F.W., & Van Ginkel, J.B. (2017). History of maltreatment in childhood and subsequent parenting stress in at-risk, first-time mothers: Identifying points of intervention during home visiting. Prevention Science, 18, 361-370. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0758-4

publication

The effect of substantiated and unsubstantiated investigations of child maltreatment and subsequent adolescent health

 

Citation

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• Kugler, K., Guastaferro, K., Shenk, C.E., Beale, S., Zadzora, K., & Noll, J.G. (2019). The effect of substantiated and unsubstantiated investigations of child maltreatment and subsequent adolescent health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 87, 112-119.

publication

Early life stress and telomere length: investigating the connection and possible mechanisms: a critical survey of the evidence base, research methodology and basic biology

 

Citation

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• Shalev, I. (2012). Early life stress and telomere length: investigating the connection and possible mechanisms: a critical survey of the evidence base, research methodology and basic biology. Bioessays, 34(11), 943-952.

publication

Internalizing disorders and leukocyte telomere erosion: a prospective study of depression, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder

 

Citation

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• Shalev, I., Moffitt, T. E., Braithwaite, A. W., Danese, A., Fleming, N. I., Goldman-Mellor, S., ... & Robertson, S. P. (2014). Internalizing disorders and leukocyte telomere erosion: a prospective study of depression, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Molecular Psychiatry, 19(11), 1163.

publication

Exposure to violence during childhood is associated with telomere erosion from 5 to 10 years of age: a longitudinal study

 

Citation

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• Shalev, I., Moffitt, T. E., Sugden, K., Williams, B., Houts, R. M., Danese, A., ... & Caspi, A. (2013). Exposure to violence during childhood is associated with telomere erosion from 5 to 10 years of age: a longitudinal study. Molecular Psychiatry, 18(5), 576.

publication

Early-life stress and reproductive cost: a two-hit developmental model of accelerated aging?

 

Citation

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• Shalev, I., & Belsky, J. (2016). Early-life stress and reproductive cost: a two-hit developmental model of accelerated aging? Medical Hypotheses, 90, 41-47.

publication

Child maltreatment as a root cause of mortality disparities: a call for rigorous science to mobilize public investment in prevention and treatment

 

Citation

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• Shalev, I., Heim, C. M., & Noll, J. G. (2016). Child maltreatment as a root cause of mortality disparities: a call for rigorous science to mobilize public investment in prevention and treatment. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(9), 897-898.

grant

Biological embedding of early-life experiences: How early-life experiences impact childhood development and can accelerate aging

 

Research Team

Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health

Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development

Sara van Dam Project Grants, Netherlands  

Details

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• 2016 — 2018

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Principal Investigator(s)

• Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• Sara van Dam Project Grants, Netherlands

grant

Early-life adversity and gene expression response to acute psychological stress

 

Research Team

Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health

Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute  

Details

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• 2017 — 2018

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Principal Investigator(s)

• Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• The Clinical and Translational Science Institute

grant

Temporal Genomics Mechanisms Underlying Disease and Aging

 

Research Team

Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health

Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development

National Institute of Aging  

Details

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• 2018 — 2020

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Principal Investigator(s)

• Idan Shalev, Ph.D.

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Sponsor

• National Institute of Aging

publication

Compliance and internalization in preschool foster children

 

Citation

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• Jones Harden, B., Duncan, A. D., Morrison, C. I., Panlilio, C., & Clyman, R. B. (2015). Compliance and internalization in preschool foster children. Children and Youth Services Review, 55, 103 – 110.