The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has awarded New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) Professors of Cariology and Comprehensive of Care, Richard Heyman, PhD, and Amy Slep, PhD, a three-year, $1.8M grant to evaluate models for reviewing maltreatment cases among army personnel.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has awarded New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) Professors of Cariology and Comprehensive of Care, Richard Heyman, PhD, and Amy Slep, PhD, a three-year, $1.8M grant to evaluate models for reviewing maltreatment cases among army personnel.
Drs. Heyman and Slep’s study will test and evaluate three models for reviewing and determining maltreatment (domestic and child abuse) cases among Army personnel and their families through a multifaceted analysis drawing from multiple sources of data, feedback, and information.
“This research is of high importance to soldiers and their family members, as accountability, protection, intervention, and prevention promote ready and resilient families,” says Dr. Heyman. This project also serves the broader civilian community, in that community members can implement translatable results from their work.
The research also has implications for commanders and unit leaders, who respond more effectively when they perceive the case review process as fair. In addition, unit leaders are uniquely positioned to serve as outreach and family advocates. Army and Department of Defense (DOD) leadership will also benefit from Drs. Heyman and Slep’s review, as they are responsible for examining and responding to domestic trends.
Drs. Heyman and Slep codirect the Family Translational Research Group at NYUCD. One of the key emphases of the group’s work is on translating basic knowledge into prevention and treatment and on improving adoption of evidence-based practices.
Dr. Heyman has received over 50 grants and contracts from major U.S. funding agencies on a variety of family-related topics, from anger escalation in couples to the impact of family violence on children to community-level prevention of family maltreatment, substance problems, and suicidality to social determinants of health.
Dr. Heyman has published over 125 scientific articles/chapters focused on the risk factors and consequences of couple dysfunction, intimate partner violence, and child maltreatment. In addition to translational research on preventing couple and family problems, Dr. Heyman's treatment and prevention work also targets suicidality, alcohol misuse/drug use, and dental fear.
Dr. Slep has received over 50 federal research grants and has published over 100 scientific articles and book chapters. Her work focuses on anger, conflict, and violence in families. She studies the interconnections among partner violence and child maltreatment and how to best define, assess, and prevent maltreatment. She is also committed to identifying low cost, effective ways of embedding preventive interventions in community settings.
About New York University College of Dentistry Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating more than 8 percent of all dentists. NYUCD has a significant global reach and provides a level of national and international diversity among its students that is unmatched by any other dental school.