Research

African Americans endure a disproportionate burden of injury, disability, disease and death with regard to substance use. We are currently investigating novel mechanisms that can be leveraged to inform prevention and treatment efforts.

HEALTH DISPARITIES

SUBSTANCE USE
& ABUSE

Substance use is associated with negative behavioral outcomes (e.g., assault, injury, sexual violence, suicide), disease, and death. We are committed to finding real-world solutions to this preventable public health problem.

STRESS NEUROBIOLOGY

OBASI & Colleagues (2020) 

Depression, Perceived Social Control, and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function in African-American Adults. Health Psychology, 39(2), 107-115.

The Effects of Alcohol and Cigarette Consumption on dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Rural African Americans. Journal of Black Psychology, 43(6), 588-607.

OBASI & Colleagues (2017)

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Reactivity to Acute Stress: An Investigation into the Roles of Perceived Stress and Family Resources. Prevention Science, 18(8), 923-931.

OBASI &

Colleagues (2017)

Effects of evaluative context in implicit cognitions associated with alcohol and violent behaviors. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 3, 48-55.

OBASI & Colleagues (2016)

OBASI & Colleagues (2015) 

The relationship between alcohol consumption, perceived stress, and CRHR1 genotype on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rural African Americans. Frontiers in Psychology, 6:832. 

The moderating role of implicit alcohol-related cognitions in hazardous alcohol use. Addict Res Theory, 23(5), 380-390.

CAVANAGH & OBASI (2015)