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. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24)
Project #
5K24MH001917-10
Application #
7462257
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-B (02))
Program Officer
Meinecke, Douglas L
Project Start
1999-09-27
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2008-07-01
Budget End
2009-06-30
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$141,449
Indirect Cost
Name
Howard University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
056282296
City
Washington
State
DC
Country
United States
Zip Code
20059
Huntley, Edward D; Hall Brown, Tyish S; Kobayashi, Ihori et al. (2014) Validation of the Fear of Sleep Inventory (FOSI) in an urban young adult African American sample. J Trauma Stress 27:103-7
Hall Brown, Tyish; Mellman, Thomas A (2014) The influence of PTSD, sleep fears, and neighborhood stress on insomnia and short sleep duration in urban, young adult, African Americans. Behav Sleep Med 12:198-206
Kobayashi, Ihori; Huntley, Edward; Lavela, Joseph et al. (2012) Subjectively and objectively measured sleep with and without posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma exposure. Sleep 35:957-65
Dallam, Deborah L; Mellman, Thomas A; Bhatnagar, Anuj et al. (2011) Trauma reenactments in aging Veterans with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 59:766-8
Mellman, Thomas A; Alim, Tanya; Brown, Denver D et al. (2009) Serotonin polymorphisms and posttraumatic stress disorder in a trauma exposed African American population. Depress Anxiety 26:993-7
Mellman, Thomas A; Brown, Denver D; Jenifer, Ericka S et al. (2009) Posttraumatic stress disorder and nocturnal blood pressure dipping in young adult African Americans. Psychosom Med 71:627-30
Mellman, Thomas A; Aigbogun, Notalelomwan; Graves, Ruth Elaine et al. (2008) Sleep paralysis and trauma, psychiatric symptoms and disorders in an adult African American population attending primary medical care. Depress Anxiety 25:435-40