Meet The Team

Dr. Wilkerson is an Associate Professor in the Sleep, Mood, and Anxiety Research and Treatment (SMART) Division within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, diplomat in behavioral sleep medicine (DBSM), and Clinical Director of the SMART Clinic. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University, she earned her M.Ed. in Counseling Education and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Texas.

Amber M. Jarnecke, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She specializes in substance use and trauma and believes that people’s relationships and social connectedness are key to well-being; thus, her primary research focuses on the ways that interpersonal relationships impact recovery from substance use disorders and PTSD.

Daniel J. Taylor, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, and a licensed psychologist board certified in both Sleep Medicine and Behavioral Sleep Medicine. He is an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) and the primary investigator of the grant that funded CBTIweb.org.

Dr. Delisa Brown received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Howard University in 2018. She completed her clinical psychology internship and NIAAA-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina (2017-2020). She joined the MUSC faculty in 2021 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addiction Sciences Division. Dr. Brown's research interests broadly involve understanding, preventing, and addressing racial disparities in mental health problems and substance use among African American adults.

Dr. Santa Ana is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. She is the Associate Director of the Charleston Health Science Research Health Equity and Rural Outreach Innovation Center. She has treated patients using COPE since 2013 and has served, alongside her colleagues Drs. Back, Saraiya, and Lozano, as a COPE trainer at the VISN and national levels for several years.

Dr. Brady is an experienced clinical and translational researcher and has been conducting scientific investigations and clinical work in the field of addictions and psychiatric disorders for over 30 years. She has received numerous federal research grants and has published over 400 peer-reviewed journal articles and co-edited 10 books. She is the former Vice President for Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. She has been conducting clinical and translational research and treatment development in the area of PTSD and addictions throughout their career.

Dr. Sudie Back received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia in 2004. She completed her clinical internship training with specialization in the treatment of substance use disorders at Yale University School of Medicine (2002-2003). She then completed her postdoctoral training at MUSC in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (2004-2005). She joined the MUSC faculty in 2005 and is currently Professor and Director of the Addiction Sciences Division, and Director of the NIH-sponsored Diversity in Addictions Research Training (DART) program at MUSC.

Tanya Saraiya is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. Broadly, her work aims to develop, test, and implement treatments for trauma/PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders. She is actively adapting the COPE therapy to individuals with opioid use disorder and PTSD in her NIH-funded research. Across her work, Dr. Saraiya is passionate about enhancing treatments particularly to serve underrepresented and historically marginalized populations, such as women and racial/ethnic minorities.

Dr. Killeen received her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of South Carolina/Medical University of South Carolina in 1998. She is a former National Institute of Nursing Research and American Nurses’ Association Research Scholar. She has worked in the field of addiction and comorbid disorders, specifically PTSD, for 27 years. She has been principal and co-investigator on numerous NIH grants involving behavioral and pharmacologic interventions.

Dr. Alexander Busch is a mental health professional with highly specialized training in the diagnosis and psychological treatment of mental, behavioral, and emotional illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). His main focus is on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Some of the common disorders that he can treat are learning disabilities, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

Dr. Cristina M. López is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and the Mental Health Disparities and Diversity Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She received her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Florida State University. She completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston Consortium), followed by an instructor position with Family Services Research Center (FSRC) from 2012-2013.

Jessee R. Dietch, PhD, DBSM is an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University where she directs the Sleep Health Assessment, Intervention, and Dissemination (SHAID) lab. Her research focuses on development and dissemination of behavioral sleep health interventions for sleep disorders including insomnia, shift work sleep disorder, and nightmares.

Julianne C. Flanagan, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and a Staff Psychologist at the Ralph H. Johnson VAHCS. Her program of research focuses on examining factors that explain the intersection of alcohol use and PTSD with intimate partner violence (IPV) and developing novel treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) and co-occurring conditions such as PTSD and IPV among individuals and couples.

Ken Ruggiero, PhD, is Professor and SmartState Endowed Chair of the Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL), as well as Director of the Telehealth Resilience and Recovery Program. He received his BA from the State University of New York at Buffalo and MA and PhD from West Virginia University and completed his internship and NIMH postdoc at MUSC. Dr. Ruggiero’s research centers on the development, testing, and implementation of technology-enhanced interventions.

Dr. Bishu worked at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Division of General Internal Medicine as a Statistician. On March 2019, he was appointed Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, MUSC. He is currently working in the COIN as a Statistician and Health Research Investigator at the Ralph H Johnson VAMC, Charleston. He specializes in big databases analyses (MEPS, NHANES, NIS and NRD).

Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD, DBSM, is an Associate Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She works with the STRONG STAR Consortium and specializes in behavioral sleep medicine, PTSD, and developing and testing web-based provider trainings.

Dr. Dismuke-Greer is a Research Health Science Specialist at the Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), VA Palo Alto Health System. Her methodological areas include economic evaluation, statistical modeling, disability research, rehabilitation research, community reintegration research, and analysis of vulnerable population disparities, especially for Veterans living in US Territories and Native American Veterans living on Federal Tribal Lands.

Dr. Mulugeta Gebregziabher is tenured Professor of Biostatistics and Vice Chair for Academic Programs at Department of Public Health Sciences at MUSC. He is a Health Research Scientist and Methods Core Leader of the Health Services Research and Development funded Health Equity and Rural Outreach Innovation Center (HEROIC) at the Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center in South Carolina. He is also Director of the HRSA funded Region IV Public Health Training Center for South Carolina.

Sonya Norman, PhD, is Director of the National Center for PTSD’s Consultation program and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Norman is a researcher in the treatment of PTSD and addictions, and in novel treatments to address trauma-related guilt, shame, and moral injury.

Tenelle O. Jones has passionately focused on promoting the overall mental, physical and spiritual health of all communities for the past 21 years. There is no individual, family or community adversity that she is not equipped and well trained to handle. She is enthusiastic about showing others that they matter and have a place in this world. She believes that as long as she lets her light shine and remains true to self, it will give others the courage to do the same.