Nicole Nugent
· Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Professor of PediatricsBrown University · Microbiology and Immunology
Active 2000–2024
About
Dr. Nicole Nugent is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is also a child clinical psychologist at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nugent is the Founding Director of the Rhode Island Resilience Project and serves as Associate Director of the Stress Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Institute. Additionally, she is the Director of Resilience and Psychological Services at the Hasbro Pediatric Refugee Clinic, a role that informs her research efforts aimed at translating findings into interventions across diverse populations. Her research focuses on resilience, trauma, and psychological well-being, particularly in children and adolescents, with an emphasis on understanding and improving mental health outcomes through clinical and community-based approaches.
Research topics
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Clinical psychology
- Medicine
- Biology
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
- Machine Learning
- Internal medicine
- Environmental health
- Human–computer interaction
- Operating system
- Bioinformatics
- World Wide Web
Selected publications
Translational Psychiatry · 2021 · 164 citations
- Psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Medicine
Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for chronic and severe mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that maltreatment is associated with epigenetic changes that may subsequently serve as mechanisms of disease. The current review uses a systematic approach to identify and summarize the literature related to childhood maltreatment and alterations in DNA methylation in humans. A total of 100 empirical articles were identified in our systematic review of research published prior to or during March 2020, including studies that focused on candidate genes and studies that leveraged epigenome-wide data in both children and adults. Themes arising from the literature, including consistent and inconsistent patterns of results, are presented. Several directions for future research, including important methodological considerations for future study design, are discussed. Taken together, the literature on childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation underscores the complexity of transactions between the environment and biology across development.
JMIR Mental Health · 2021 · 54 citations
- Computer Science
- Medicine
- Psychology
BACKGROUND: Between 15% and 70% of adolescents report experiencing cybervictimization. Cybervictimization is associated with multiple negative consequences, including depressed mood. Few validated, easily disseminated interventions exist to prevent cybervictimization and its consequences. With over 97% of adolescents using social media (such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat), recruiting and delivering a prevention intervention through social media and apps may improve accessibility of prevention tools for at-risk youth. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of and obtain preliminary outcome data on IMPACT (Intervention Media to Prevent Adolescent Cyber-Conflict Through Technology), a brief, remote app-based intervention to prevent and reduce the effect of cyberbullying. METHODS: From January 30, 2020, to May 3, 2020, a national sample of 80 adolescents with a history of past-year cybervictimization was recruited through Instagram for a randomized control trial of IMPACT, a brief, remote research assistant-led intervention and a fully automated app-based program, versus enhanced web-based resources (control). Feasibility and acceptability were measured by consent, daily use, and validated surveys. Although not powered for efficacy, outcomes (victimization, bystander self-efficacy, and well-being) were measured using validated measures at 8 and 16 weeks and evaluated using a series of longitudinal mixed models. RESULTS: Regarding feasibility, 24.5% (121/494) of eligible participants provided contact information; of these, 69.4% (84/121) completed full enrollment procedures. Of the participants enrolled, 45% (36/80) were randomized into the IMPACT intervention and 55% (44/80) into the enhanced web-based resources groups. All participants randomized to the intervention condition completed the remote intervention session, and 89% (77/80) of the daily prompts were answered. The retention rate was 99% (79/80) at 8 weeks and 96% (77/80) at 16 weeks for all participants. Regarding acceptability, 100% (36/36) of the intervention participants were at least moderately satisfied with IMPACT overall, and 92% (33/36) of the participants were at least moderately satisfied with the app. At both 8 and 16 weeks, well-being was significantly higher (β=1.17, SE 0.87, P=.02 at 8 weeks and β=3.24, SE 0.95, P<.001 at 16 weeks) and psychological stress was lower (β=-.66, SE 0.08, P=.04 at 8 weeks and β=-.89, SE 0.09, P<.001 at 16 weeks) among IMPACT users than among control group users. Participants in the intervention group attempted significantly more bystander interventions than those in the control group at 8 weeks (β=.82, SE 0.42; P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: This remote app-based intervention for victims of cyberbullying was feasible and acceptable, increased overall well-being and bystander interventions, and decreased psychological stress. Our findings are especially noteworthy given that the trial took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of Instagram to recruit adolescents can be a successful strategy for identifying and intervening with those at the highest risk of cybervictimization. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04259216; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04259216.
Journal of Traumatic Stress · 2020 · 37 citations
Senior authorCorresponding- Clinical psychology
- Psychology
- Genetics
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been of interest in attempts to identify genetic vulnerability for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although numerous HPA-axis genes have been implicated in candidate gene studies, the findings are mixed and interpretation is limited by study design and methodological inconsistencies. To address these inconsistencies in the PTSD candidate gene literature, we conducted meta-analyses of HPA-related genes from both a traditional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-level analysis and a gene-level analysis, using novel methods aggregating markers in the same gene. Database searches (PubMed and PsycINFO) identified 24 unique articles examining six HPA-axis genes in PTSD; analyses were conducted on four genes (ADCYAP1R1, CRHR1, FKBP5, NR3C1) that met study eligibility criteria (original research, human subjects, main effect association study of selected genes, PTSD as an outcome, trauma-exposed control group) and had sufficient data and number of studies for use in meta-analysis, within 20 unique articles. Findings from SNP-level analyses indicated that two variants (rs9296158 in FKBP5 and rs258747 in NR3C1) were nominally associated with PTSD, ps = .001 and .001, respectively, following multiple testing correction. At the gene level, significant relations between PTSD and both NR3C1 and FKBP5 were detected and robust to sensitivity analyses. Although study limitations exist (e.g., varied outcomes, inability to test moderators), taken together, these results provide support for FKBP5 and NR3C1 in risk for PTSD. Overall, this work highlights the utility of meta-analyses in resolving discrepancies in the literature and the value of adopting gene-level approaches to investigate the etiology of PTSD.
SleepBandits: Guided Flexible Self-Experiments for Sleep
2020 · 35 citations
- Computer Science
- Computer Science
- Human–computer interaction
Self-experiments allow people to explore what behavioral changes lead to improved health and wellness. However, it is challenging to run such experiments in a scientifically valid way that is also flexible and able to accommodate the realities of daily life. We present a set of design principles for guided self-experiments that aim to lower this barrier to self-experimentation. We demonstrate the value of the principles by implementing them in SleepBandits, an integrated system that includes a smartphone application for sleep experiments. SleepBandits guides users through the steps of a single-case experiment, automatically collecting data from the built-in sensors and user input and calculating and presenting results in real-time. We released SleepBandits to the Google Play Store and people voluntarily downloaded and used it. Based on the data from 365 active users from this in-the-wild study, we discuss opportunities and challenges with the design principles and the SleepBandits system.
Genomic influences on self-reported childhood maltreatment
Translational Psychiatry · 2020 · 84 citations
- Psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Psychiatry
), although we show evidence that our top hits may be specific to childhood maltreatment. This is the first large-scale genetic study to identify specific variants associated with self-reported childhood maltreatment. Speculatively, FOXP genes might influence externalizing traits and so be relevant to childhood maltreatment. Alternatively, these variants may be associated with a greater likelihood of reporting maltreatment. A clearer understanding of the genetic relationships of childhood maltreatment, including particular abuse subtypes, with a range of phenotypes, may ultimately be useful in in developing targeted treatment and prevention strategies.
Recent grants
NIH · $3.3M · 2021
NIH · $760k · 2015
NIH · $3.3M · 2016–2022
Frequent coauthors
- 101 shared
Karestan C. Koenen
- 86 shared
Ananda B. Amstadter
Virginia Commonwealth University
- 79 shared
Leslie A. Brick
- 73 shared
Michael F. Armey
- 73 shared
Caroline M. Nievergelt
University of California, San Diego
- 60 shared
Douglas L. Delahanty
Kent State University
- 59 shared
Erika J. Wolf
Boston University
- 51 shared
Mark W. Logue
VA Boston Healthcare System
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