$157 M in NIH Funding Targets Environmental Influences on Child Health (Dr. Jody Ganiban)

rwatkinsNovember 16, 2017January 20, 2018Leave a comment

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced $157 million in grant awards to launch a seven-year initiative called Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). The ECHO program will investigate how exposure to a range of environmental factors in early development—from conception through early childhood—influences the health of children and adolescents. The NIH funding includes grants to support and extend existing longitudinal studies of children and families that examine environmental influences on children’s health outcomes. Among the grant awards is $3.2 million in funding over a two-year period to a pediatric cohort led Jody Ganiban, professor of clinical psychology in the Columbian College, Jenae Neiderhiser, professor of psychology at Penn State, and Leslie Leve, professor and associate dean for research and faculty development at the University of Oregon. This award includes the possibility of annual grant extensions through the life of the ECHO initiative.

Read the whole story: https://columbian.gwu.edu/157-million-nih-funding-targets-environmental-influences-child-health

Alumni Spotlight – Aaron Moffett (BA ’99)

rwatkinsNovember 16, 2017January 20, 2018Leave a comment

As Team USA head coach at the Invictus Games, Aaron Moffett, BA ’99, combines his psychology training and his sports passion to help veterans overcome physical and emotional wounds.

At the Toronto opening ceremonies of the 2017 Invictus Games, with dignitaries like Britain's Prince Harry and former president Barack Obama looking on, USA Head Coach and Columbian College alumnus Aaron Moffett, BA ’99, took a moment to survey his team of athletes. They included a world record-holding Navy swimmer who lost both his eyes when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan; a one-armed archer whose Air Force squad was ambushed by a terrorist cell in Indonesia; a wheelchair cyclist who, after years of serving as linguist for the Air Force, developed debilitating multiple sclerosis; and a veteran servicewoman who found a measure of peace in the pool after struggling with the effects of a sexual assault.

“These wounded warriors are overwhelmingly resilient, incredible people who are dedicated to their country,” Moffett said. “I am privileged to be even a small part of their recovery.”

Read the full story: https://columbian.gwu.edu/coaching-wounded-warriors-across-finish-line

Alumni Spotlight – Isaiah Pickens (BA ’05)

rwatkinsNovember 16, 2017January 20, 2018Leave a comment

After graduating from GW ('05), Pickens initially planned to pursue careers as both an actor and a psychologist. It didn’t take long, he said, to learn that “you can’t go on auditions and get your PhD at same time,” he said. But after earning his doctoral degree at Fordham University, Pickens was determined to combine psychology and entertainment as a means of reaching a broad audience. He created iOpening Enterprises, a multi-media company that promotes accessible health messages to young people through books, film and life skills workshops. He is a regular contributor to Psychology Today, HuffPost and BlackDoctor.org, and he has appeared in national media outlets to discuss the psychological implications of current events as they relate to trauma and mental health issues.

Read the full story: https://columbian.gwu.edu/guiding-troubled-teens