Publications & Projects
Epigenetic age acceleration and risk for post-traumatic stress disorder following exposure to substantiated child maltreatment
Epigenetic age acceleration and risk for post-traumatic stress disorder following exposure to substantiated child maltreatment
Integrating animal-assisted therapy into TF-CBT for abused youth with PTSD: A randomized controlled feasibility trial
Integrating animal-assisted therapy into TF-CBT for abused youth with PTSD: A randomized controlled feasibility trial
Child maltreatment and adolescent externalizing behavior: Examining the indirect and cross-lagged pathways of prosocial peer activities
Child maltreatment and adolescent externalizing behavior: Examining the indirect and cross-lagged pathways of prosocial peer activities
An observational study of Internet behaviors for adolescent females following sexual abuse
An observational study of Internet behaviors for adolescent females following sexual abuse
Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence
Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence

Controlling Contamination Bias in Child Maltreatment Research
Controlling Contamination Bias in Child Maltreatment Research
Contamination occurs in many different experimental designs outside the field of child maltreatment. In this project, contamination refers to the presence of child maltreatment in already established, non-child maltreatment comparison conditions. Research has shown that failure to detect and control contamination biases effect size estimates for child maltreatment outcomes and leads to variation in the significance and magnitude of those estimates within and across studies, increasing the chances of discovery and replication failures. The Detecting and Controlling Contamination Bias
Project (Shenk, PI; Shores, Ram, & Fisher Co-I’s) is supported by awards from the National Institutes of Health (R03HD104739) and the National Science Foundation (BCS-2041333) examining contamination in prospective cohort studies of child maltreatment. The current project is using existing data from two large, multi-wave, prospective cohort studies of confirmed child maltreatment, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N=1354) and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being-II (NSCAW-II; N=5872), to accomplish two specific aims: 1) estimate the prevalence of contamination, defined as any self- or caregiver-reported instance of child maltreatment by members of the established comparison condition, and 2) test different statistical approaches for reducing bias in risk estimates for child behavior problems attributable to contamination. Finally, this project will conduct extensive data simulations based on these results to extend inferences across different research conditions, including variations in sample size, contamination prevalence, statistical power, and effect size magnitude. The end product of this project will be to disseminate to the larger scientific field the optimal methods for detecting and controlling contamination bias across a range of research conditions in order to minimize variation in the significance and magnitude of effect size estimates reported across prospective studies.
T32 Fellows will have the opportunity to generate, execute, and report results from statistical models aiming to establish the optimal detection and control of contamination. Statistical models where Fellows can receive training include, multi-level modeling, propensity score matching, and synthetic controls.
A parent-focused child sexual abuse prevention program: Development, acceptability, and feasibility
A parent-focused child sexual abuse prevention program: Development, acceptability, and feasibility

Achieving the goals of translational science in public health intervention research: The multiphase optimization strategy (MOST)
Achieving the goals of translational science in public health intervention research: The multiphase optimization strategy (MOST)
Parent-focused sexual abuse prevention: Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial
Parent-focused sexual abuse prevention: Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial
Provider attitudes and self-efficacy when delivering a child sexual abuse prevention module: An exploratory study
Provider attitudes and self-efficacy when delivering a child sexual abuse prevention module: An exploratory study

Innovative methods for development of effective interventions
Innovative methods for development of effective interventions
I am interested in and committed to using innovative methods to support the development, optimization, and evaluation of multicomponent behavioral interventions. Working closely with Dr. Linda Collins, I use the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST), an engineering inspired framework, to build behavioral and biobehavioral interventions that are effective, efficient, economical, and immediately scalable across a number of public health priorities including STI prevention, palliative care, and child mental health.
Research Team

Kate Guastaferro, Ph.D., MPH
Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health
Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization
Smart Parents – Safe and Healthy Kids (SPSHK)
Smart Parents – Safe and Healthy Kids (SPSHK)
Parents have a responsibility to create a happy, healthy, and safe environments for their children. Many parent-education programs exist giving parents the skills to do this, but no parent-education program exists for the prevention of CSA specifically. Capitalizing on skills taught in existing parent-education programs, we seek to efficiently and economically help parents prevent their child from experiencing sexual victimization by teaching them about children’s healthy sexual development, facilitating parent-child communication regarding sex and sexual abuse, and enacting measures to ensure their children’s safety (i.e., monitoring and vetting of babysitters). SPSHK was designed as a single additional session added toward the end of an evidence-based parent education program. SPSHK aims to improve parents’ knowledge about sexual development (i.e., demonstration of age-appropriate and inappropriate behaviors), facilitate parent-child communication about sex and CSA, and empower parents to take charge of their children’s safety (i.e., vetting potential babysitters, monitoring exposure to media).
Research Team

Kate Guastaferro, Ph.D., MPH
Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health
Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization

Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative
Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative
The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative (SHCI) is a cooperative project between the CMSN and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) with the goal of developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention strategy. SHCI consists of three evidence-based components: a community-based intervention, a school-based intervention, and a parent-focused intervention (see above). The components were rolled out in five counties over three years using a staggered implementation approach. We hypothesize that by targeting different segments of the population (i.e., adults in the community, children, and at-risk parents), the prevention of CSA is attainable. Impact of this approach is measured by administrative data (e.g., reports and substantiations of CSA), measurement of knowledge and skills learned among those who participate in the three interventions, and community level awareness via a statewide web panel survey.
Research Team

Kate Guastaferro, Ph.D., MPH
Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health
Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization
Rapid Translation of Research into Coronavirus Policy Response
Rapid Translation of Research into Coronavirus Policy Response
This project will utilize an already-established Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) established by Drs. Taylor Scott and Crowley that consists of a team of RPC fellows in Washington, DC and major research sites across the country in collaboration with Penn State’s Office of Government and Community Relations. This project will build on the infrastructure of the RPC to respond to legislators’ needs for research related to social and behavioral policy responses to the coronavirus.
Impact of COVID-19 Social Distancing Response on Family Wellbeing and Child Safety
Impact of COVID-19 Social Distancing Response on Family Wellbeing and Child Safety
Drs. Connell and Strambler will conduct survey-based research to examine the relation of COVID-19 related stressors (e.g., direct exposure, impact of school and work closures, social distancing) on parents' levels of stress associated with parenting responsibilities or economic strain, as well as the effects on parents' discipline practices or care of their children that could adversely impact child safety and wellbeing. This information will provide critical insight into how best to support vulnerable children and their families during public health crises.
Research Team

Christian M. Connell, Ph.D.
The Ken Young Family Professor for Healthy Children, College of Health and Human Development
Director Child Maltreatment Solutions Network

PA Adoptees Longitudinal Study (PALS)
PA Adoptees Longitudinal Study (PALS)
Pennsylvania Adoptees Longitudinal Study (PALS) is a developmental study of children adopted from the child welfare system between the ages of 4 and 10. The goal is to identify factors that predict both positive and negative outcomes for these children later in life.
Research Team
Brian Allen, Psy.D.
Child Abuse Pediatrics, Child and Adolescent Psychology
Academic Appointments
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Erika Lunkenheimer, Ph.D.
Associate Director: Child Maltreatment Solutions Network

Child Maltreatment and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Child Maltreatment and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
This grant (R01HL158577; PI: Schreier) takes advantage of a large, well-characterized, prospective cohort of youth who were recently investigated for child maltreatment and comparison youth without a maltreatment history to better understand the physiological mechanisms between early adversity and cardiovascular diseases risk. By taking advantage of detailed assessments of immune function coupled with administrative health care records and thorough behavioral and psychosocial assessments, we will prospectively examine links between child maltreatment and cardiovascular disease risk, with the hopes of informing future prevention and intervention efforts.
Research Team
Christine Heim, Ph.D.
Professor of Biobehavioral Health

Idan Shalev, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biobehavioral Health
Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development

TechnoTeens
TechnoTeens
TechnoTeens is a NICHD R01-funded study where we are objectively tracking the internet and social media behaviors of 460 sexually abused and comparison teens longitudinally from age 12 to 15. This study aims to articulate the role of internet pornography and high-risk social media behaviors on sexual development and on internet-initiated victimization (including sexual exploitation, cyber bullying, “slut-shaming”, and sex-trafficking). This is the first study to objectively monitor internet activity and social media behaviors and to record and quantify adolescents’ “internet and social media footprints” in real-time. Results will inform internet safety campaigns for normative and at-risk teens.

Early Psychosocial Intervention and Parent and Child Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Early Psychosocial Intervention and Parent and Child Cardiovascular Disease Risk
This project focuses on the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk among 7-8 year old children and their parents part of an ongoing intervention trial evaluating the impact of a perinatal coparenting intervention (Family Foundations; PI: Mark Feinberg). We are following up with the original sample of 399 first-time parents and their children who were recruited across several states. This will allow us to investigate psychosocial pathways within the family that influence cardiovascular disease risk as well as potential intervention effects of Family Foundations on parent and child cardiovascular disease risk.