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UNC School of Medicine | Department of Anesthesiology

Austin Lab

1) Understanding causes and consequences of adverse childhood experiences and other forms of trauma and violence

Dr. Austin has led research using multiple linked administrative data sources to examine risk and protective factors in early development among Alaska children and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to assess outcomes associated with multiple adverse childhood experiences. During her time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she led the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s trauma-informed care research and programmatic portfolio.

Research highlights:

  • Austin AE, Anderson KN, Goodson M, Niolon P, Swedo E, Terranella A, Bacon S. Screening for adverse childhood experiences: A critical appraisal. Pediatrics. 2024 ;154(6):1-14.
  • Austin AE, Short NA. Sexual violence, prescription opioid use and misuse, and the mediating role of depression and anxiety. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2020;59(6):818-827.
  • Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Zolotor AJ, Halpern CT, Marshall SW, Naumann RB, Shanahan ME. Trajectories of child protective services contact among Alaska Native/American Indian and non-Native children. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2019;95:1-11.

2) Promoting access to substance use disorder treatment, particularly among pregnant and parenting people and the Medicaid population

Dr. Austin is an investigator with the Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN), a collaboration of academic and Medicaid agency partners in multiple states. With MODRN, she has participated as co-Investigator and North Carolina site Principal Investigator on three grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA048029; R01DA055585-01; RM1DA059365-01) to assess the quality of opioid use disorder treatment in Medicaid. She has also led contracts and collaborations with the North Carolina Division of Public Health, North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, and Wake County Division of Child Welfare to conduct research and surveillance to inform overdose prevention efforts in the state and evaluate programs for infants with prenatal substance exposure.

Research highlights:

  • Austin AE, O’Callaghan K, Rushmore J, Cramer R, McDonald R, Learner ER. State abuse and mandated reporting policies for prenatal substance and congenital syphilis case rates: United States, 2018-2022. American Journal of Public Health. 2025;115(4):566-574
  • Austin AE, Tang L, Kim JY, Allen L, et al. Changes in medication to treat opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 state Medicaid programs. JAMA Health Forum. 2023;4(6):1-14.
  • Austin AE, Durrance CP, Ahrens KA, Chen Q, Hammerslag L, McDuffie MJ, Talbert J, Lanier P, Donohue JM, Jarlenski M. Duration of medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and postpartum by race and ethnicity: Results from 6 state Medicaid programs. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2023;247:1-6.
  • Austin AE, Naumann RB, Simmons E. Association of state child abuse policies and mandated reporting policies with prenatal and postpartum care among pregnant women with substance use. JAMA Pediatrics. 2022;176(11):1123-1130.
  • Austin AE, Di Bona V, Cox ME, Proescholdbell S, Fliss MD, Naumann RB. Maternal use of medications for opioid use disorder and prescription opioids in cases of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome: North Carolina Medicaid, 2016-2018. American Journal of Public Health. 2021;111(9):1682-1685.

3) Evaluating the impacts of programs and policies that address social determinants of health on mental health, substance use, and violence

Dr. Austin was the Principal Investigator of a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01CE003334) to examine the impact of state adoption of policies that expand eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on multiple violence, mental health, and substance use outcomes among children, adolescents, and adults. She also received a New Investigator Award from the American Public Health Association to examine the association of Medicaid expansion with suicide deaths among non-elderly adults. Her current research focuses on the impact of social safety net expansions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research highlights:

  • Austin AE, Naumann RB. Impact of the end of advanced Child Tax Credit payments and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program emergency allotments on food insufficiency and food pantry use. American Journal of Public Health. 2026 (online first).
  • Naumann RB, Frank M, Shanahan ME, Reyes HLM, Ammerman AS, Corbie G, Austin AE. Association of state adoption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility policies with rates of substance misuse, use disorders, and treatment need. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2023;66(3):526-533.
  • Austin AE, Shanahan ME, Frank, Naumann RB, Reyes HLM, Corbie G, Ammerman AS. State expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility and rates of child protective services-investigated reports. JAMA Pediatrics. 2023;77(3):294-302.
  • Austin AE, Naumann RB, Short NA. Association of Medicaid expansion with suicide deaths among nonelderly adults. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2021;190(9):1760-1769

4) Intersections of mental health, substance use, trauma, and social determinants of health with chronic pain

Dr. Austin’s current research includes a focus on the intersection of multiple social and behavioral factors with experiences of chronic pain. She was the co-Principal Investigator of a research project funded by the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center to understand the health and social services needs of pregnant and parenting women with chronic pain.

Research highlights:

  • Caton L, Short NA, Goetzinger A, Chidgey B, Austin AE. “My goal is…to get through the day without pain”: A qualitative study on chronic pain experiences and treatment needs among parenting women. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2024;28:1210–1218.
  • Short NA, Patidar S, Margolies S, Goetzinger A, Chidgey B, Austin AE¥. Identifying patterns of pain, depression, anxiety, and interpersonal trauma exposure associated with opioid misuse risk: Latent class analysis among patients with chronic pain. Pain Medicine. 2023;25(4):275-282.