Our Projects
Current Research Projects
Researching Equitable Sleep Time in Kentucky Communities (REST-KY)
The REST-KY study is a five-year collaborative project sponsored by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) led by Dr. Christal Badour and Dr. Mairead Moloney in the Department of Sociology focused on understanding individual-, social/community-, and societal-level factors that impact sleep and health disparites among adults living in Appalachian Kentucky. Our lab is particularly interested in understanding how individual-level risk factors such as adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence, other trauma and stress, substance use behavior, and community-level risk factors such as community cohesion, availability of employment opportunities, and access to healthcare perpetuate disparities in sleep and other aspects of health.
New Beginnings Following Trauma Study
This multiple baseline study is investigating the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of Written Exposure Therapy-Integrated (WET-I) in reducing symptoms of PTSD among individuals with comorbid PTSD and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) who are currently enrolled in a methadone or buprenorphine treatment program in Kentucky. WET-I is a 5-session, trauma-focused, integrated therapy that combines an evidence-based intervention for PTSD with harm reduction techniques for OUD. Therapy sessions are conducted in-person at the University of Kentucky Clinic for Emotional Health or via teletherapy.
Healthy Recovery After Trauma (HRT) Study
This non-concurrent multiple baseline treatment study is aimed at evaluating whether Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an empirically supported treatment for PTSD, is efficacious at reducing mental contamination (i.e., experiences of dirtiness and contamination in the absence of a physical contaminant) and trauma-related shame/guilt among individuals with PTSD following sexual trauma when delivered alone, or in combination with six sessions of self-compassion therapy for PTSD. Therapy sessions are conducted in-person at the University of Kentucky Clinic for Emotional Health or via teletherapy.
Reclaiming Your Life After Sexual Trauma (RLT) Study

Emotions and Eating Behaviors Among Young Women
The Posttraumatic Experience & Regulation of Shame (PERS) Study
Relationship and Sexual Health of Young Adult Latina/Hispanic Women
Measuring Victimization and PTSD in the Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study (KTOS)
The Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study (KTOS) is an annual state-wide survey sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) and the UK Center for Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) to evaluate outcomes for patients receiving publicly-funded substance use treatment in the state of Kentucky. In collaboration with the PI on this project, Dr. TK Logan of CDAR, we are now evaluating how adverse childhood experiences, violence victimization, and PTSD symptoms impact recovery and relapse among patients participating in the KTOS.