# Advancing Couple and Family Alcohol Treatment through Patient-Oriented Research and Mentorship

> **NIH NIH K24** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2024 · $191,837

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Alcohol misuse has a salient precipitous effect on intimate partner violence (IPV), which is a persistent public
health crisis affecting approximately one-third of the U.S. population. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is
highly prevalent, has a clear causal effect on alcohol misuse, and it is a robust independent predictor of IPV.
However, few studies have examined the combined effects of PTSD and alcohol misuse on IPV. This question
is critical to address because effective prevention and treatment approaches for alcohol-related IPV are scant.
Integrating these two siloed areas of the literature can help inform the development of novel, trauma-informed
modalities for couples to produce stronger and more sustainable outcomes. Dr. Flanagan is the ideal candidate
to advance the clinical science in this area. Under the proposed mid-career development award, she will
accelerate her thriving patient-oriented alcohol research program by enhancing her skills with 1) oral alcohol
administration, 2) intensive ambulatory assessment, and 3) psychophysiology. She will achieve these goals
through expert consultation, didactic training, and implementation of the proposed research project. Her team
will examine the combined effects of alcohol misuse and PTSD on alcohol-related IPV among couples (N=70) in
both a controlled laboratory setting and in naturalistic settings. The study, which was designed to complement
mentees’ independent research interests, will also compare outcomes across settings and explore heart rate
variability as a physiological mechanism underlying the hypothesized relations. The invaluable protected time
and resources provided by this K24 will enable Dr. Flanagan to achieve her primary goal of expanding her
mentoring availability and skillset at this pivotal mid-career stage. She will engage a program of didactics and
expert coaching to amplify her investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion in mentoring, leadership, and
science. Achieving these synergistic objectives will accelerate the science of couple and family alcohol research
and set the stage for innovative new dyadic treatments. This award will also ensure that Dr. Flanagan is equipped
to support the next generation of enthusiastic new investigators and to ensure the longevity of this vital yet
underrepresented area of the alcohol field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10850705
- **Project number:** 5K24AA030825-02
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** JULIANNE Christina Flanagan
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $191,837
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-06-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10850705

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10850705, Advancing Couple and Family Alcohol Treatment through Patient-Oriented Research and Mentorship (5K24AA030825-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10850705. Licensed CC0.

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