All about CHAAMP

Foundation of Hope’s Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program.

A Snapshot of CHAAMP.

Breakthrough research for the future of our youth.

The Foundation of Hope Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program (CHAAMP) is a new scientific research program within the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at UNC. It is focused on breakthrough research to transform the way we understand, prevent, and treat child and adolescent mood and anxiety disorders. The funding from the Campaign for CHAAMP will accelerate CHAAMP’s growth and take it to the next level.

CHAAMP Progress to date.

This progress is HOPE.

The Foundation of Hope Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program (CHAAMP) has demonstrated remarkable growth and success in the last 18 months.

Under the leadership of Director Danielle Roubinov, PhD, there are now 6 research projects underway, 4 new research team members (plus 5 trainees), and multiple research collaborations happening across the University. In addition, recruiting is ongoing for the next expert in adolescent anxiety and depression. Read more about these amazing accomplishments that the CHAAMP team has achieved in such a short time.

What makes CHAAMP unique?

A new approach to research.

Through a combination of basic research, clinical research, and community-based research, CHAAMP aims to:

Live at the forefront of developing novel treatments across the full spectrum of mood and anxiety disorders.

Identify early signals of risk by focusing not only on intervention but prevention as well.

Bridge gaps in services through innovative partnerships with pediatric primary care offices, schools churches, or community centers until a family can obtain longer-term treatment.

Support the entire family because pediatric mental health impacts the whole family. CHAAMP research will develop two-generation treatment programs that support both caregivers and children.

“I will never be the same. To not find answers when you have a child you think you’re losing is terrifying. We did everything we could to help him get better, but there’s not much out there to get him better.”

Terry Barber, mother of Luke who died in December 2021

The experts behind CHAAMP.

Meet our stellar research team.

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody

MD, MPH, Chair of the UNC Department of Psychiatry, Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor, Director, UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders

“We are grateful to Foundation of Hope donors who understand how their support moves the entire field of child and adolescent mental health research forward. Few foundations in the country do what they do to seed research and now, build this nationally leading CHAAMP program.”

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody’s Biography

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH is the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also directs the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders and leads the UNC SOM and UNC Health Well-Being initiative. Dr. Meltzer-Brody is an internationally recognized physician- scientist in perinatal depression. Her research investigates the epidemiologic and biological predictors of perinatal depression including genetic, neurosteroid and other neuroendocrine biomarkers. She has also served as the academic PI for novel clinical trials developing an effective (now FDA approved) new pharmacologic treatment for postpartum depression (brexanolone). Dr. Meltzer-Brody recently received the 2020 O Max Gardner award, a UNC System Award (17 universities) for the highest faculty honor. She is also the recipient of the 2019 American Psychiatric Association Alexandra Symonds Award in Women’s Mental Health and was named one of the “Top 10 Women in Medicine” by the Triangle Business Journal.

Dr. Danielle Roubinov

PhD, Associate Professor, UNC Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychologist, Director of CHAAMP

“It’s exciting to see the extent that research can change people’s lives. I am deeply committed to transforming the mental health care we provide for children and families to reshape trajectories of risk to pathways of resilience.”

Dr. Danielle Roubinov’s Biography
Dr. Roubinov is transforming mental illness research for kids and teens through her visionary approach at CHAAMP. Dr. Roubinov previously was with UCSF, where she founded the Childhood Adversity and Resilience Lab. She led basic and translational studies to understand the processes through which early adversity affects children’s mental health and develop interventions that help at-risk children and families develop resilience.

She’s passionate, dedicated, and brilliant, earning multiple early-career research awards from the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychosomatic Society, and was recently named an Azrieli Global Scholar in Child and Brain Development by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. She believes that all children deserve a lifetime of health, positive development, and achievement.

Adolescent Clinician-Scientist Recruitment begins Summer 2023

The Campaign for CHAAMP supports the recruitment of a clinician-scientist to serve a population that is in acute crisis right now — teens and young adults. Clinical providers and emergency departments are overwhelmed — families, schools, and communities are struggling to help the 60% of adolescents with major depression who are not receiving treatment.

Middle Childhood Clinician-Scientist Recruitment begins Fall 2024

The Campaign for CHAAMP will also support the hiring of a Middle Childhood Clinician-Scientist, thus ensuring that CHAAMP’s research spectrum covers the entire developmental lifespan.