Denise Hien

Denise Hien, Ph.D., ABPP, is the Director of CAS, and the Helen E. Chaney Endowed Chair in Alcohol Studies. She also serves as the Vice Provost of Research for Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and was the former Interim Dean of Rutgers-GSAPP. Recognized as a leader in the field of post-traumatic stress and addictions, her body of work has contributed to the evidence base on effective interventions for individuals with PTSD and substance use disorders. She and her group have conducted programmatic research through single- and multi-site clinical trials across the United States in community-based substance abuse treatment settings, with continuous funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) (21 grants total: 7 R01, 2-R25, 1 multi-site) for over 25 years. She currently leads an NIDA R25 training grant for translational addiction research for racial/ethnic minority BS/MD, MA and PhD candidates in the biomedical and social sciences, and a new NIAAA R01, a meta-analysis with individual patient data examining effectiveness of treatment for PTSD and AODs. She is board-certified in clinical psychology and has served as a standing and ad hoc member on NIDA, NIAAA and NIMH Institutional Review Groups, and a health disparities advisory group to the Director of NIDA on Asian/Pacific Islander issues. Dr. Hien hopes to increase the center’s visibility in shaping the national conversation about traumatic stress and its’ role in the development and maintenance of alcohol and other substance use disorders.

Dr. Hien received her B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University, and her M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She received her postdoctoral training in substance use research at the Division on Substance Use Disorders at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she has retained a longstanding appointment, now as Adjunct Senior Research Scientist. Over her career, she has served on the doctoral faculties of the Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and The City College of New York. Within each of these institutions, she has held numerous leadership roles in academic and research administration.

Books & Articles:

Selected Recent Publications (out of over 100: For a more complete list, see CV and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/denise.hien.1/bibliography/public/

Impact (as of Sept, 2020)

The ISI web of science citation report: 2657 citations, average 33 per article, h-index=25; googlescholar report: 5,277 citations, h-index=35; researchgate report: 3,658 citations, h-index=29. Number of citations exceeds 500 for a review I co-authored in Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2007. Other journals where I published are also of high impact (e.g., American Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics). Impact (including on the general public, but also in the criminal justice system) is also evident as further described below (invited talks, consulting activities).

Ruglass, LM, Espinosa, A, Sheyvorkin, A, Sykes, K, Dambreville, N, Nicholson, R, & Hien, DA. (2017). Direct and indirect effects of cumulative trauma, PTSD, and substance use disorder on probability of arrest among lower income African American and Latina women, Race and Justice. Advance online publication. (E-pub 2016 June 30).

Papini, S., Ruglass, L. M., Lopez-Castro, T., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A. J., Hien, DA. (2017). Chronic cannabis use is associated with impaired fear extinction in humans. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126 (1), 117-124. (E-pub 2016 Nov 3).

Ruglass, LM, Shevorykin, A, Radoncic, V, Galatzer-Levy, I, Zumberg, K, Smith, P & Hien, DA. (2017). Impact of cannabis use on PTSD + SUD outcomes, Journal of Clinical Medicine. 6(2), 14. (E-pub 2017 Feb 7).

Ruglass, LM, Papini, S, Lopez-Castro, T, Back, S, Killeen, T & Hien, DA. (2017). Concurrent treatment with prolonged exposure for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders: A randomized clinical trial, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 86:150–161 (doi: 10.1159/000462977).

Rubin, M, Hien, DA, Dipanjana, D, & Melara, R. (2017). The role of spontaneous eye blinks in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Brain Sciences, 7(2). (doi:10.3390/brainsci7020016) PMID 28165364.

Campbell, ANC., Back, SE, Ostroff, JS, Hien, DA., Gourevitch, M, Sheffer, C, Brady, KT, Hanley, K, Bereket, S, & Book, S. (2017). Addiction Research Training Programs: Four Case Studies and Recommendations for Evaluation. Journal of Academic Medicine, 11(5), 333-338 (doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000328).

Ruglass, LM, Shevorkyin, A, Brezing, C, Hu, M & Hien, DA. (2017). Demographic and clinical characteristics of treatment seeking women with PTSD and concurrent cannabis and cocaine use disorders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 80, 45-51. (doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2017.06.007), PMID 28755772.

Hien, DA, Lopez-Castro, T, Papini, S, Gorman, B. & Ruglass, LM. (2017). Emotion dysregulation moderates the effect of cognitive behavior therapy with prolonged exposure for co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 52, 53-61.

Maru, M., Saraiya, T., Lee, C., Meghania, O., Hien, DA., & Hahm, H. (2018). The relationship between intimate partner violence and suicidal ideation among young Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese American women, Women and Therapy. 0:0, pp. 1-17 (doi:10.1080/02703149.2018.1430381).

Chao, T, Radoncic, V, Hien, DA, Bedi, G & Haney, M. (2018). Stress responding in cannabis smokers as a function of trauma exposure, sex, and relapse in the human laboratory. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 185, 23-32. (doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.11.021).

Melara, R, Ruglass, LM, Fertuck, E & Hien, DA. (2018). Regulation of threat in post-traumatic stress disorder: Associations between inhibitory control and dissociative symptoms. Biological Psychology, 133, 89-98. (doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.01.017).

Melara, R, Singh, S, Hien, DA. (2018). Neural and behavioral correlates of attentional inhibition training and perceptual discrimination training in a visual flanker task. Frontiers in Neuroscience.(doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00191).

Hien, DA, Zumberg, K., Owens, M, Lopez-Castro, T, Ruglass, L, & Papini, S. (2018). Lagged effects of symptom change in a randomized controlled trial for PTSD and substance use disorders with modified prolonged exposure and relapse prevention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86 (10), 810-819, doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000345. NIHMS 984048, PMID 30265040.

Papini, SP, Rubin, M, Powers, MB, Smits, JA, Hien, DA. (2018). Pretreatment PTSD symptom network metrics predict the strength of the association between node change and network change during treatment, Journal of Traumatic Stress. https://doi.org: 10.1002/jts.22379

Saraiya, T., Zumberg, K., Campbell, A., & Hien, DA. (2019). Posttraumatic stress symptoms, shame, and substance use among Asian Americans, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 96, 1-11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2018.10.002.

Lopez-Castro, T., Smith, K.Z., Nicholson, R.A., Armas, A. & Hien, D.A. (2019). Does a history of violent offending impact treatment response for comorbid PTSD and substance use disorders? A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 97, 47-58, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2018.11.009.

SP, Rubin, M, Powers, MB, Smits, JA, Hien, DA. (2020). Pretreatment PTSD symptom network metrics predict the strength of the association between node change and network change during treatment, Journal of Traumatic Stress. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jts.22379

Saraiya, T., Swarbrick, M., ^Franklin, L., Kass, S. & Hien, D.A. (2020). Perspectives on trauma and the design of a technology-based trauma-informed intervention for women receiving medications for addiction treatment in a community based setting, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.112, 92-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.01.011

Fitzpatrick, S., Saraiya, T., Ruglass, L.M., Lopez-Castro, T. & Hien, D.A. (2020). Trauma characteristics of age of onset of trauma and severity predict treatment outcomes in a randomized clinical trial: A secondary analysis. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.01.012

Hien, D.A., Kropp, F., Wells, E.A., Campbell, A.N., Hatch-Maillette, M., Lopez-Castro, T., Killeen, T., Ruglass, L.M., Saavedra, L. (2020). The “Women and Trauma” study and its national impact on advancing trauma specific approaches in community substance use treatment and research. For the 20th Anniversary of the Clinical Trials Network, Special Issue in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 112, 12-17.

Saraiya, T., Lopez-Castro, T., Fareri, D., Fertuck, E., & Hien, D.A., Melara, R. (2020). The social cognitive appraisal of trustworthiness in individuals with dimensional levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms: A translational study, European Journal of Psychotraumatology. org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1697582

Morgan-Lopez, A.A., Saavedra, L.M., Hien, D.A., Killeen, T.K., Back, S.E., Ruglass, L.M., Fitzpatrick, S., Lopez-Castro, T., & Patock-Peckham, J.A. (in press). Estimation of equable scale scores and treatment outcomes from patient- and clinician-reported PTSD measures using item response theory calibration. Psychological Assessment.

Saraiya, T., Pavlicova, M., Hu, M., Nunes, E. V., Hien, D. A., & Campbell, A. (2020). Exploring gender differences among treatment-seekers who use opioids versus alcohol and other drugs. Women & Health, 31, 1-18. PMID: 32233747. PMCID: PMC7332367

Norman, S. & Hien, D.A. (2020). Behavioral Interventions for Comorbid PTSD and Substance Use Disorders. PTSD Research Quarterly, National Center for PTSD, Veterans Administration (distributed online to over 60,000 readers), Volume 31(2), ISSN 1050-1835, https://www.ptsd.va.gov/publications/rq_docs/V31N2.pdf

Allan, N. P., López-Castro, T., Hien, D. A., ^Papini, S., Killeen, T. K., Gros, D. F., Ruglass, L. M., Barrett, E., & Back, S. E. (in press). Response-to-treatment for comorbid post-traumatic stress and substance use disorders: The value of combining person- and variable-centered approaches. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.

Ruglass, L.M., Morgan-Lopez, A.A., Saavedra, L.M., Hien, D.A., Back., S.E., & Killeen, T.K. (in press) Measurement non-equivalence on the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-IV-TR) by race/ethnicity among women with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. Psychological Assessment.

Morgan-Lopez, A.A., Killeen T.K., Saavedra, L.M., Hien, D.A., Fitzpatrick, S., Ruglass, L.M., & Back, S.E. (in press). Crossover between diagnostic and empirical categorizations of full and subthreshold PTSD. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Saraiya, T., Fitzpatrick, S., Lopez-Castro, T., Back, S., Hien, D.A. (in press). The social emotional profiles of PTSD, complex PTSD, and Borderline Personality Disorder: A latent class analysis of ICD-11 criteria. Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Saavedra, L.M., Morgan-Lopez, A.A., Hien, D.A., Back, S.E., Killeen, T.K., Ruglass, L.M., & Lopez-Castro, T. (in press). Putting the patient back in clinical significance: Using item response theory in estimating clinically significant change in treatment for PTSD and SUDs. Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Research Interests

Effects of trauma exposures and addiction on the mind and body; intergenerational trauma and the impact of parental history on child functioning; the role of threat-related cognitive processing in the development and maintenance of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and associated interpersonal impairments; efficacy of treatment interventions for co-occurring PTSD and addiction; psychophysiological (EEG) predictors of social emotions related to trauma and PTSD; multicultural/diversity barriers in mentoring in social sciences.

Board Certification in Clinical Psychology (ABPP), 25 years in private practice working with traumatic stress and addiction related disorders, evidence-based assessment and treatment of PTSD and SUD, clinical supervisor and mentor, consulting for legal cases on physical and sexual abuse in the women’s prison population by prison guards. Licensed psychologist in New York State and New Jersey.

Grants and Awards (see CV for past support)

2013-2025	Principal Investigator, Translational Research Training in Addictions at City College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (TRACC-RU) (MPI: Dr. Lesia M. Ruglass, Co-I’s: Frances R. Levin, M.D., Robert Melara, Ph.D.), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) R25.
2018-2022	Principal Investigator, “Meta-Analysis with Individual Patient Data for PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorders” (MPI: Antonio Morgan-Lopez, Ph.D.), National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIH) R01.
2017-2022	Co-Investigator, “Using the Strategic Prevention Framework to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking and Drug Use” (PI-Robert Melara, Ph.D.) New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
2017-2022	Consultant, “Global Evaluation & Applied Research Solutions (GEARS) Inc.” (PI: Diane Roberts, MA, President). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, IDIQ Grant.
2019-2024	Scientific Advisory Board, “Missing Data Matters: Substance Use Disorder Clinical Trials” (PI: Dan Scharfstein, MD; Co-I’s: Edward Nunes, MD & Aimee Campbell, Ph.D.), National Institute on Drug Abuse.
2019-2021	Principal Investigator, Addiction Continuing Education for Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors, State of New Jersey, Department of Health, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
2020-2022	Principal Investigator, COVID-Dynamic Study, (Co-I’s: Yihong Zhao, Ph.D., Matt Lee, Ph.D., Ralph Adolphs, Ph.D., Caltech, Teresa Lopez-Castro, Ph.D., CCNY, Damian Stanley, Ph.D., Adelphi University). Funded through Caltech, Yale University, Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies

Denise Hien

Dr. Denise Hien