Principal investigators: Kelsey Hagan, Ph.D. and Annie Haynos, Ph.D.
VCU Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology

Recurrent engagement in high-risk eating disorder behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting) is central to the morbidity and mortality of eating disorders.

These severe psychiatric disorders commonly onset during late adolescence and young adulthood, when the cognitive underpinnings of risk-taking undergo dramatic change. Yet, the mechanisms through which high-risk eating disorder behaviors emerge and become entrenched are understudied. To address this gap, the overarching aim of this IRBEH pilot proposal is to leverage recent advances in computational psychiatry to test:

1. Whether the cognitive underpinnings of risk-taking differ between Spit for Science participants with and without eating disorders.
2. How risk-taking parameters are linked to eating disorder and other high-risk (e.g., substance use) behaviors.

Additionally, Spit for Science participants identified as having an eating disorder will be invited to complete a semi-structured eating disorder diagnostic interview to assess diagnostic concordance between diagnoses generated from self-reports and interviews. Establishing diagnostic concordance will bolster external grant applications and publications using Spit for Science data. The results of this pilot Spit for Science spin-off project will set the stage for external funding to further investigate the cognitive mechanisms of risk-taking in future Spit for Science cohorts.

Principal investigator: Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychiatry

A key problem in substance use disorders (SUD) is their etiological and functional heterogeneity, which is not well captured by the current psychiatric nosology. An influential neuroscience-based heuristic framework, Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA), proposes that to address this heterogeneity, the assessment of addictions should be multi-dimensional and focus on three key domains: executive function (EF), incentive salience (IS), and negative emotionality (NE), assessed with comprehensive batteries of self-report and neurobehavioral tasks.

While computational tools have increased the knowledge extracted from these tasks, we still have surprisingly few reliable, precise, and rapid assays for monitoring and characterizing these domains. The burden of administration of current assessment batteries may take up to 10 hours and most assessment instruments lack precision in identifying underlying etiological mechanisms. Critically, most neurobehavioral and neuroimaging tasks have low test-retest reliability, which limits their utility for biomarker discovery.

To address these limitations, we propose to apply Bayesian adaptive design optimization (ADO; Myung & Pitt, 2009) to established tasks that index the three ANA domains, with the goal of developing rapid, robust, and reliable neurobehavioral probes of these domains. ADO is a general-purpose computational (active-learning) algorithm that optimizes data collection and extracts the maximal information from participant responses in the fewest possible trials. The current study proposes to develop and evaluate a battery of ADO-based tasks, software, and mobile apps using state-of-the-science computational approaches that will significantly reduce the time for neurocognitive task administration, while increasing task reliability, precision, and efficiency.

To capture the heterogeneity of addiction, this battery will be tested with several diverse populations with different types of SUD (opioid, stimulant, cocaine, alcohol, and tobacco) in 3 different countries (USA, South Korea, Bulgaria) where we have developed solid infrastructure for this type of research. This value-added perspective builds in a replication in our design and allows us to address not only the generalizability of the ANA domains to different types of SUD, but also the cultural generalizability of the ANA domains, which has never been explored. In this study, we will:

1. Develop a battery of reliable and efficient ADO-based neurobehavioral tasks of the ANA domains and test it in 400 neurotypical individuals in 3 countries.
2. Assess the predictive utility of the newly developed ADO tasks for SUD outcomes by testing 400 patients with different types of SUD in 3 countries.
3. Design web-based platforms and mobile apps for measuring cognition with the newly developed ADO tasks, and open-source software platforms with the ADO and other computational methods we develop. 

Principal investigator: Abigail Conley, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Counseling and Special Education

The proposed study seeks to better understand sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and the grooming process of college students and the ways in which universities can provide an “exit ramp” out of trafficking.  This project will be conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a Minority Serving Institution in the southeastern U.S. located off the I-95 corridor south of Washington, D.C.—a known trafficking pathway—where there is also data documenting sex trafficking of current undergraduate and graduate students as well as high involvement in arrangement relationships. This project aims to provide survivor-informed recommendations for sex trafficking policy changes on college campuses, facilitating improved coordination among colleges, law enforcement, and anti-violence community organizations, as well as increase the potential for the primary prevention of the crime of sex trafficking.

Principal investigator: Eva Lancaster, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychiatry

Major depression (MD) is a highly prevalent yet debilitating psychiatric disorder. Genome-wide association studies have demonstrated the role of genetics in depression etiology, however, only a small amount of variance in MD liability has been accounted for. These studies have primarily relied on broadly-defined depression phenotyping in cohorts of European descent, seriously limiting the understanding of MD etiology.

Addressing the lack of diversity in genomic research is paramount for both scientific and ethical reasons. The proposed project will address limitations of current research to improve cross-population genetic risk prediction and advance understanding of MD etiology. These goals will be accomplished through targeted data collection and the application of novel machine learning techniques that leverage extant data available in the VCU Spit for Science (S4S) study to generate an ancestrally diverse cohort in which to investigate strictly-defined MD.

As women exhibit higher MD prevalence than men, and genetic risk factors only partially overlap between sexes (rG= 0.55), these aims will primarily explore female-specific sources of MD liability. Specifically, this proposal aims to:

1. Develop cross-ancestry phenotypic algorithms for clinically-relevant measures of MD.
2. Determine cross-population genetic contributions to MD risk with onset during a critical developmental period.
3. Provide a deeper understanding of underlying processes by assessing genetic correlations across understudied female-specific comorbidities (e.g., psychological premenstrual symptoms).

Principal investigator: Dr. Jasmin Vassileva, Ph.D.
VCU Psychiatry, Psychology, and the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies

Aims to test the feasibility of a novel, psychoeducational neurocognitive program for college students, designed to enhance metacognitive awareness, increase cognitive resilience, and promote the use of specific neurocognitive skills to help students cope with stress and prevent substance misuse.

Principal investigator: Tegwyn Brickhouse, Ph.D.
VCU School of Dentistry

Differences in substance use and oral health quality of life have been found between social class, ethnic identities, regional location, and level of educational attainment. Multiple studies point to the need to explore how socio-demographic factors shape substance use and oral health. Preliminary research using Spit for Science suggests that ethnic identity and adverse childhood experiences both influence substance use and risky health behaviors. This study expands on that work by examining how risky behaviors, as well as psychosocial factors like discrimination and adverse childhood experiences, relate to HPV knowledge, vaccination, and oral health outcomes.

Principal investigator: Kaitlin Bountress, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychiatry

Traumatic events are common, and PTSD often co-occurs with increased alcohol use. This study examines whether shared risk factors explain that connection. It focuses on distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity, as well as genetic influences, to better understand how PTSD and alcohol use develop together and how social factors may shape those relationships.

Principal investigator: Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D.
VCU School of Media and Culture

This study explores how social media can support mental health among college students. It looks at how students use social media, how they seek support, and how platforms might be used more effectively to promote well-being. The project includes survey data, focus groups, and in-depth analysis of student social media use.

Principal investigators: Danielle Dick, Ph.D. and Josh Langberg, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychology

Participants complete a survey about substance use, mental health, and campus resources. They then receive personalized feedback based on their responses. This study evaluates how tailored recommendations can support student success and well-being.

Principal investigator: Kaitlin Bountress, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychiatry

This study explores how genetic risk and fear-based processes relate to PTSD and alcohol misuse. It tests a novel, app-based approach to measuring fear conditioning and examines how these factors differ across groups with varying trauma and drinking patterns.

Principal investigators: Ananda Amstadter, Ph.D. and Sage Hawn
VCU Department of Psychology

This project examines how trauma-related drinking motives connect PTSD and alcohol use disorder. Using Spit for Science data and new survey data, it explores genetic and environmental factors that shape these relationships in young adults.

Principal investigators: Ananda Amstadter, Ph.D., Kenneth Kendler, M.D. and Erin Berenz, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychiatry

This study looks at how genetic risk and emotional vulnerability contribute to coping-oriented drinking among young adults with trauma exposure. It combines existing Spit for Science data with new data collection to better understand risk and inform prevention.

Principal investigator: Cristina Bares, Ph.D., MSW
VCU Department of Social Work

This study examines how depressive symptoms relate to cigarette use using Spit for Science data. A follow-up component tracks daily mood and smoking behavior through text-based surveys to better understand how these patterns change over time.

Principal investigators: Danielle Dick, Ph.D., Jim Bjork, Ph.D. and Megan Cooke
VCU Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry

This study combines genetics and brain imaging to better understand different patterns of binge drinking. It looks at how genetic risk relates to brain activity and different behavioral profiles among young adults.

Principal investigators: Danielle Dick, Ph.D., Kristen Donovan, MPH and Linda Hancock, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychology and the Wellness Resource Center at VCU

This study tests whether tailoring alcohol prevention programs based on individual risk leads to better outcomes. It compares matched and mismatched interventions to see what works best for reducing risky drinking.

Principal investigators: Danielle Dick, Ph.D., Kristen Donovan, MPH and Linda Hancock, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychology and the Student Wellness Resource Center

This project evaluates an online alcohol education program to see if it reduces alcohol and drug use among college students. It compares participants who complete the program with those who do not.

Principal investigators: Jessica Salvatore, Ph.D. and Danielle Dick, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychology

This study examines how genetic risk and relationship quality interact in shaping mental health outcomes. It focuses on how close relationships may either increase or reduce risk for substance use and related conditions.

Principal investigator: Jinni Su, Ph.D.
VCU Department of Psychology

This study explores how genetic risk interacts with culturally relevant factors like racial discrimination and racial socialization. It aims to better understand substance use risk and resilience among African-American young adults.

Principal investigators: Thomas Eissenberg, Ph.D. and Marzena Hiler
VCU Department of Psychology

This study looks at why some e-cigarette users transition to traditional cigarette smoking. It uses concept mapping and survey methods to identify key reasons and patterns among young adults.