Thomas Mellman is a psychiatrist and clinical investigator with interests in psychopathology, trauma, sleep, psychopharmacology and related neuroscience. His principal research focus has been sleep disturbances occurring with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His recent investigations have recruited patients with recent traumatic injuries in order to understand factors that contribute to the early development of PTSD. Dr. Mellman left Dartmouth Medical School and joined the faculty of Howard University School of Medicine in January 2004 and is research director for the Howard-NIMH Mood and Anxiety Collaborative Research Program. The present application is to competitively renew funding of his K-24 Award in order to continue and extend the work in the setting of Howard University. Projects on acute trauma, PTSD and sleep disturbances are being continued. The relocation to Howard provides access to urban populations with recent and chronic trauma exposure. An extension of the research focus to issues that are of specific relevance to African American populations is proposed (sleep phenomena of isolated sleep paralysis and non-dipping of nocturnal blood pressure). Collaborations with NIMH and Howard's National Human Genome Center provide opportunities to further knowledge of molecular genetic neuroscience and to incorporate molecular genetic analyses into developing investigations via collaborations. Collaborations with NIMH staff will also provide opportunities to develop new experiments that address sleep and learning. Dr. Mellman has a key role in research training in the Department of Psychiatry of Howard University. A core mission of the University is developing minority investigators. Plans are proposed to continue and expand providing research training experiences and individual mentoring. ? ?
