Research Support
Active Research Support
1R01HD116306-01A1 (Co-Pis: Becker-Drops, Connery, Barrientos) 09/09/2025 –08/31/2030
National Institute of Health and Human Development (NICHD)
The INICIO-Guatemala Study: Improving Neurodevelopment with an Intestinal Health and Caregivers’ Intervention in the Occidente, Guatemala
Role: Consultant
To evaluate the impact of Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers to change outcomes for children in Guatemala
QKWEF8XLMTT3 (PI: Sharp) 01/01/2025-06/30/2026
Federal ARPA: Harris County Early Childhood Resiliency Fund
Building Mother-Child Resiliency with MISC and Healing Circles: An Interdisciplinary, Evidence-
Based, Theory Driven Intervention and Training Model
Role: Principal Investigator
To evaluate the effectiveness of MISC-IPV in combination with trauma informed peer support to ameriorate the negative impace of intimate partner violence (IPV) on children. ,
1R01MH127060-02 (PI: Sharp) 09/01/2022 – 08/30/2027
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
MISC-CBO: A cluster randomized control trial to improve the mental health of OVC in South Africa
Role: Principal Investigator
To evaluate the effectiveness of MISC-CBO, in addition to its moderating influences, economic impact and implementation barriers and facilitators among orphans and vulnerable children due to poverty and impact of HIV/AIDS.
1R01HD102436-01A1 (PI: Sharp) 08/12/2021 – 07/31/2025
National Institute of Health and Human Development (NICHD)
MISC-IPV: A Community Based Intervention for Children Traumatized By Intimate Partner Violence Role: Principal Investigator
To assess feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers for African-American mothers and children exposed to intimate partner violence.
1 F31MH140528-01 (PI: Balzen)
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Pathways of Personality Disorder: Combining Multiple ethods of Repeated Assessment Across Development and in Daily Life |
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project evaluates.
1 F31 MH133356-01 (PI: Allman)
Implementation and Scale-Up of a Caregiver Intervention for Mothers who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence: the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project evaluates the implementation science factors related to scale-up for MISC with mothers who have survived intimate partner violence.
1 R01 MH129354-01 (PI: Temple) 12/01/2022-11/30/27
National Institute of Health
Prospective intergenerational mixed-methods investigation of the short- and longterm impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental, social, and behavioral health
Role: Co-Investigator
This project will evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prospectively in a large cohort of young people across generations.
R01MH090786 (Co-PIs: Gilbert; Whalen) 07/12/23-07/11/2028
National Institute of Mental Health
Developmental pathways to borderline personality disorder: Longitudinal observational, clinical, and neural predictors from early childhood to young adulthood
Role: Co-Investigator
This project will evaluate the prospective relations between risk factors in the domains of self- and interpersonal functioning across levels of analyses for the development of personality disorder in young people.
1 I01 CX002135-01A1 (Miles) 01/01/2021-12/31/2026
VA Clinical Science Research and Development
Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression – MERA: A Brief Aggression Treatment for Veterans with PTSD Symptoms
Role: Co-Investigator
Conduct a 2-site randomized clinical trial to test if Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression is efficacious at reducing aggression and emotion dysregulation in Veterans with PTSD symptoms compared to 3 sessions of Present Centered Therapy
SRG0-014-22 (PI: Hill) 10/2023-9/2025
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Role: Co-Investigator
This study will employ Cultural Consensus Modeling to examine suicidal thoughts and behaviors in sexual minority youth, ages 15-25. We will evaluate cultural models for their association with more traditional suicide predictors derived from IPTS (perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, acquired capability), in addition to variables related to minority stress.
Completed Research Support
R21MH128570 (MPI: Sharp, Busby, Brown) 08/15/2022 – 07/31/2024
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Cultural Consensus Modelling to Identify Culturally Relevant Risk Factors for Suicide among Black Youth
Role: Principal Investigator
We will use a rigorous ethnographic method to determine culturally relevant risk factors for suicide among Black youth by asking them directly and verifying through a 4-stage method.
1F31HD108859-01A1 (PI: Kerr) 09/01/2022 – 08/31/2024
National Institute of Mental Health
The Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers: Feasibility and Acceptability for Black and Hispanic Formerly Incarcerated Mothers
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project begins the process of adapting the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers for Black and Latinx mothers who are formerly incarcerated.
R21 MH125052-01A1 (PI: Babinski) 7/1/2021-6/31/2023
National Institute of Mental Health
Role: Consultant
Testing a biosocial model of borderline personality features in youth
A prospective study testing interactions between environmental factors and neural processes in the development of BPD in early adolescent girls.
1F31MH123127-01A1 (PI: Wall/Cano) 09/01/2020 – 09/01/2023
National Institute of Mental Health
The Feasibility and Acceptability of the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers for Mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project begins the process of adapting the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers for mothers with BPD.
Grants to Enhance Research on Racism 01/15/2020 – 02/15/2022
University of Houston
Cultural consensus modeling to identify culturally relevant risk factors for suicide among Black youth
Role: Principal Investigator
This project aims to use evidence-based ethnographic method to give direct voice to the risk factors for suicidal behaviors as perceived by Black youth themselves.
R34 11644058 (MPI: Neighbors, Sharp, Zvolensky) 2017-2021
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Brief Personalized Feedback Intervention for Hazardous Drinking in an HIV Clinic
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
This project tests the feasibility and acceptability of a social-cognitive intervention for substance use problems in HIV infected individuals.
1K01MH109859-01A1 (PI: Beeney) 9/13/2016-6/30/2021
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Neurodevelopment: attachment, social function and borderline personality
Role: Consultant
To examine the impact of adolescent-caregiver relationships on the development of neural and behavioral indicators of collaboration in trust within adolescent peer relationships, treating both as potential mechanisms in the exacerbation of borderline personality disorder symptoms.
No grant number (PI: Sharp) 2019-2020
University of Houston Provost 50-in-5 Award
A comparison of real-time mentalizing in treatment-seeking and healthy adolescents.
Role: PI
This project will compare real-time mentalizing between healthy and treatment-seeking caregiver-adolescent dyads during a conflict paradigm.
No grant number (PI: Berger Cardoso) 2019-2020
University of Houston High Priority Area Seed Grant
Role: Co-PI
Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers: A formative research study to
evaluate feasibility and acceptability for families separated by migration
This project evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of MISC for use in families separated and recently re-united due to migration.
1F31MH113291-01 (PI: Vanwoerden) 09/01/2017-05/31/2020
National Institute of Mental Health
The Development and Validation of an Observational Coding System for Real-Time Parent-Adolescent Mentalizing
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project develops and test a real-time observational coding system for parent-adolescent mentalizing.
1R01HD081985 (PI: Sharp) 09/01/2015 – 09/01/2019
National Institute of Child Health and Development
MISC-CBO: A community-based intervention for HIV affected children
Role: Principal Investigator
This project develops and tests a mentalization-based treatment approach to improve caregiving of HIV/AIDS affected orphans.
P50 DA26306 (PI: Grant) 2015-2019
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (TMARC)
Role: Consultant
To provide scientific leadership, technical support, and opportunities for training to coalesce the efforts of an interdisciplinary group of investigators to elucidate METH/HIV-induced CNS injury.
No grant number available (PI: Runions) 2018-2019
Telephon Kids, Australia
Development of Performance Measures for Identification of Adolescent Deliberate Self-Harm
Role: Consultant
This project develops vignettes that may aid teachers in schools to better identify teens with personality disorder and self-harm.
Grand Challenges Explorations Grant (PI: Brown) 11/1/16-4/31/18
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Family Planning Needs of South African Adolescent Girls:
Role: Co-investigator
This project aims to employ cultural consensus modeling to elucidate culturally relevant factors associated with contraceptive practices among South African adolescent girls.
SPLE-001-14 (PI: Miles) 04/06/2016- 03/31/2018
VA Clinical Science Research & Development
CAP - Using Emotion Regulation to Decrease Aggression in Veterans with PTSD
Role: Consultant
This project tests the effectiveness of a novel treatment approach that integrates a focus on emotion regulation to decrease aggression in veterans with PTSD.
No grant number (PI: Sharp) 2018
University of Houston Research Progress Grant
Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers – Houston
Role: Principal Investigator
The project supports training of graduate students in MISC to facilitate research project development of the use of MISC for mother with psychopathology and their offspring.
No grant number available (PI: Vanwoerden) 2017-2018
American Psychological Foundation Division 49
Group-based Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) to Address Problems in Emotion Regulations in Adolescents.
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project examines the effectiveness of an emotion regulation based group intervention for adolescents with interpersonal reactivity and emotion dysregulation and their parents.
R21MH099351 (PI: Alfano) 04/01/2014 – 03/31/2016
National Institute of Mental Health
Inadequate Sleep, Emotional Processing, and Childhood Risk for Affective Disorders
Role: Co-investigator
This project aims to examine the role of emotion processing and social cognition sleep and affective disorders in children.
R21 DA038204-01 (PI: Ditre) 2014-2016
National Institute on Drug Abuse
An integrated personalized feedback intervention for tobacco smoking and analgesic medication misuse among older adults with comorbid HIV and chronic pain
Role: Consultant
This project tests the feasibility and acceptability of a social-cognitive intervention for substance use problems in HIV infected individuals.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2008-2018
McNair Family Foundation
Borderline personality disorder in adolescence: social cognition and treatment response
Role: Principal Investigator
This project aims to examine the social-cognitive correlates of BPD and its outcomes in adolescents.
No grant number available (PI: Salas) 2012-2016
McNair Family Foundation
McNair Initiative for Neuroscience Discovery at Menninger and Baylor (MIND-MB)
Role: Co-Investigator
This project examines the brain correlates of psychiatric disorder in inpatient adolescents and adults.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2013-2015
American Psychoanalytic Association
The effects of exogenous oxytocin on mentalizing and the moderating role of attachment security in adolescents with borderline traits
Role: Principal Investigator
This project aims to examine the interplay between oxytocin and mentalizing in adolescents with BPD.
R43 HD077964-01 (PI: Delaney) 2013-2015
National Institute of Health
Cross-training of biological and foster parents in reflective parenting
Role: Consultant
This project tested a computerized mentalization-based intervention for foster parents.
F31 MH100865-01 (PI: Ha) 2013-2015
National Institute of Mental Health
The effects of intranasal oxytocin on social-cognitive functioning in adolescents with borderline personality disorder compared to a sample of non-clinical adolescents
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This projects aims to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin on mentalizing in adolescents with BPD.
F31 MH100827 (PI: Venta) 2013-2015
National Institute of Mental Health
Oxytocin and social engagement
Role: Faculty Sponsor
This project aims to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin on trust with mothers in adolescents with psychiatric problems.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2014-2015
University of Houston Small Grants Program
Role: Principal Investigator
This project examines the long-term social-cognitive and psychological effects of testosterone treatment in FTM transsexuals.
No grant number available (PI: Hanako Yoshida) 2014-2015
University of Houston CLASS Research Progress Grant
The developmental relevancy of maternal depression on infants’ visual experiences and language development
Role: Co-Investigator
This project examines the effects of maternal depression on infant cognitive and social-cognitive development.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2014 - 2015
Grants to Enhance and Advance Research (GEAR)
University of Houston
Personalized feedback to reduce HIV+ hazardous drinking in primary care
Role: Principal Investigator
This project tests the feasibility and acceptability of a social-cognitive intervention for substance use problems in HIV infected individuals.
No grant number available (PI: Tiago Sousa Mendes) 2015
Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD)
Post-doctoral research internship grant to study mentalizing under mentorship
Role: Mentor/faculty sponsor
This project examines the overlap between mentalization and object-relations theory.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2015
University of Houston CLASS Research Progress Grant
Early markers of suicidal behavior
Role: Principal Investigator
This project examines the social-cognitive and interpersonal basis of suicidal behaviors in youth.
R01 MH078757 (PI: Sharp) 2010-2014
National Institute of Mental Health
Emotional-behavior disorders in children affected by HIV/AIDS
Role: Principal Investigator
This project focused on developing tools and determining rates of mental health problems in orphans.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) March 2013-August 2013
University of Houston Small Grants Program
The Effect of Oxytocin on Trust between Parents and Adolescents
Role: Principal Investigator
This projects aims to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin on trust in adolescents with BPD.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2010-2012
Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD)
Young Investigator Award
fMRI of reward-related decision-making in adolescents at high risk for depression
Role: Principal Investigator
This project examine reward-related activity in biological offspring of depressed mothers.
RFP-AHRQ-08-10015 (PI: Fordis) 2008-2012
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
US Department of Health and Human Services
The John M. Eisenberg Center for Clinical Decisions and Communications Sciences
Role: Co-Investigator
This project focused on translating child/adolescent treatment research for consumer understanding.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2010-2011
South African Responsible Gambling Foundation
The neurobiological correlates of reward-related decision making in disordered gambling
Role: Co-Investigator
This project examined reward activity in problem gambling.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2009-2010
University of Houston Small Grants Program
Trust as a function of attachment security in adolescent borderline personality disorder
Role: Principal Investigator
This project examined social reward in adolescents with BPD.
P30A1036211 (PI: Butel) 2008-2010
National Institute of Health (NIH), CFAR BCM/UT
Emotional-behavior disorders in children affected by AIDS
Role: Principal Investigator of Developmental Grant
This project focused on developing tools and determining rates of mental health problems in orphans.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2006-2007
BCM Competitive Seed Funding Program
Trust and trustworthiness in children with externalizing disorder
Role: Principal Investigator
This project examined reward-related decision making in social context in adolescents.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2006-2007
South African Responsible Gambling Foundation
The psychology and behavioral economics of pathological gamblers
Role: Co-investigator
This project took a behavioural and neuroeconomic approach to understanding problem gambling.
No grant number available (PI: Fonagy) 2005-2006
O'Shaunnesy Foundation
Neurobiology of social-emotional functioning in Borderline Personality Disorder
Role: Co-Investigator
This project piloted the methodology for an fMRI study of social cognition in BPD.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2005-2006
Borderline Personality Disorder Research Foundation
Quick Action Small Grant
The recruitment of Borderline Personality Disorder in the community
Role: Principal Investigator
This project piloted the methodology for an fMRI study of social cognition in BPD.
No grant number available (PI: Sharp) 2001-2004
National Health Services Post-doctoral Fellowship
Eastern Region, UK
The development of child focused measures to detect the ‘hard-to-manage’ child in the community
Role: Principal Investigator
This project was a psychometric study for the development of measurement tools to early detect psychiatric problems in youth.