Negar Fani

I take a multi-modal (behavioral paradigms, neuropsychological testing, psychophysiology, functional and structural MRI) approach to examining biomarkers for heterogeneous manifestations of trauma, including racial trauma, and developing novel, mechanistically-targeted treatments for trauma-related problems. I use ecologically-salient stimuli to examine the intersection of emotion with cognitive processes in trauma-exposed people, with a particular focus on attention. I augment existing interventions (such as breath-focused mindfulness) with technologies such as sternal vibration and electrical stimulation to enhance treatment engagement and efficacy in trauma-exposed populations. I have been an investigator in one of the longest-running studies of trauma in an inner-city environment—the Grady Trauma Project (GTP)—for over 15 years. Our research participants are Black Americans, most of whom have experienced multiple types of adversity, and many of whom have problems with attention. I use data gathered over the years to inform my intervention targets. For example, my findings indicating attentional control and interoceptive deficits in dissociative trauma-exposed people informed the development of a device that augments breath-focused mindfulness with breath-synced vibration. As a clinician-scientist, my practice and research have a reciprocal relationship, and I partner with community organizations to continually evaluate the acceptability and utility of our interventions with community members.