About Our Research

The Hawn TRAC Lab has several research studies in the works!  These include: 

  • Understanding various forms of trauma-specific self-medication (e.g., trauma-related drinking to cope, cannabis use to cope, and eating behaviors to cope)
  • Studying the effects of self-medication on known biomarkers of disease and premature death(e.g., epigenetic aging, peripheral biomarkers of inflammation and neuropathology)
  • Improving understanding of the full range of responses to trauma, including both adaptive (e.g., resilient) and adverse (e.g., PTSD) responses
  • Examining shared genetic risk across ultra-processed food addiction and substance use disorders