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amy salisbury

Amy Salisbury, Ph.D., RN, FAAN

Associate Dean, Research, Scholarship and Innovation

Ann Steigleder Endowed Chair for Research
Professor

(804) 828-2095

Box 980567, Richmond, VA 23298-0567

Office of Research, Scholarship and Innovation

Education

  • B.A. (Psychology: Neuroscience Concentration), Clark University
  • R.N. (Diploma of Nursing), St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing
  • M.S. (Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing), University of Rhode Island
  • Ph.D. (Biobehavioral Sciences: Developmental Psychobiology), University of Connecticut
  • T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship (Child Psychiatry), Brown Medical School/Rhode Island Hospital
    • Training and research in fetal and infant behavioral development, infant mental health, and
      prenatal exposure to maternal psychiatric illness and/or substance use, 2000-2002

Research/Scholarship Interests

My research examines bio-behavioral development from before birth through early childhood. The research focuses on pathways of risk or resilience for psychopathology in children, the effects of prenatal exposures, infant mental health, preterm infant development, and sleep development. I have been examining neurobehavioral development in prospective longitudinal studies from the prenatal period through childhood using standardized protocols to measure fetal behavior and central nervous system functioning, infant neurobehavior, and sleep state. The work includes both a perinatal and infant mental health perspective to understand the developing system in the context of risks.

Teaching

I thoroughly enjoy mentoring and have worked with over 40 interns, students, and junior faculty, most of whom have gone on to successful research and clinical careers. My teaching style is a combination of didactic and experiential methods that provide hands-on experience in clinical research. Students are given theoretical basics and then encouraged to find a problem or question that excites them for their own research project. I am delighted that as a mentor I continually learn and grow from those experiences. I have also had the opportunity to train numerous colleagues throughout the world on a standardized neurobehavioral assessment of infants for clinical and research purposes.

Current Funded Grants

  • 3/1/20-2/28/22, Principal Investigator, Pilot Funding from NIGMS COBRE (Center of Biomedical Research and Excellence) on Opioids and Overdose | Rhode Island Hospital, P20GM125507- 01; PI Josiah Rich Monitoring newborn sleep to improve treatment and outcomes from opioid exposure.
  • 8/1/2018-7/30/2023 R01 DA045492 Multi Principal Investigator (Stroud, Salisbury) NIDA : Electronic Cigarettes During Pregnancy: Impact on Fetal Development
  • 9/1/2017-8/31/2022 R01 DA044504 Co-Investigator (Stroud) NIDA: Prenatal Marijuana: Impact on Infant Neurobehavior, Stress, & Epigenetic Mechanisms
  • 2/1/2008-1/31/2019 R01 MH078033 Principal Investigator, NIMH: Fetal and Neonatal Neurobehavior and Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure: The Child
  • 8/1/2014-7/31/2019 R01 NR014540 Multi Principal Investigator (Battle, Salisbury) NINR: RCT of a tailored walking program to reduce stress among pregnant women
  • 8/1/2013-4/30/2019 R01DA036999 Co-Investigator (PI: Stroud, L.) Co-Investigator, NIDA Fetal behavior, brain, & stress response: Ultrasound markers of maternal smoking
  • 9/11/2011-8/31/2016, R01DA03118, Co-I, (Stroud), NIDA, Maternal Smoking: HPA and Epigenetic Pathways to Infant Neurobehavioral Deficits
  • 12/1/2014-12/30/2016, Co-I (Deoni), Bill & Melinda Gates, Imaging Healthy Infant Brain Myelination
  • 3/1/2014-3/28/2017 R03DA0358 Co-I (Stroud) NIDA Imaging the Developing Fetal Brain: Novel Markers of Risk for Maternal Smoking
  • 8/1/2013- 4/30/2019 R01 DA03699 - 5 Co-I ( Stroud) NIDA Fetal behavior, brain, & stress response: Ultrasound markers of maternal smoking
  • 2/1/2013- 7/31/2019 R01 MH78033- - 10 PI (Salisbury) NIMH Fetal and Neonatal Neurobehavior and Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure: The Child
  • 6/1/2002- 8/31/2007 K23 MH06547 - 5 PI (Salisbury) NIMH Maternal Antidepressant Use and Fetal Neurobehavior
  • 7/1/2007- 6/30/2010 R03 MH08221 - 2 Co-I (Sheinkiopf) NIMH Pre- and Postnatal Neurobehavioral Profiles in Infants at Risk for Autism
  • 7/1/2007- 12/30/2010 Non- - 3 Co-I (Stroud) Flight Attendant Medical Maternal Smoking: Fetuses in Withdrawal?
  • 8/13/2007- 6/30/2011 R34 MH07910 - 3 Co-I (Battle) NIMH Treatment Decision-Making among Depressed Pregnant Women
  • 7/28/2010- 7/27/2011 S10 RR02642 - 1 PI (Salisbury) NIH National Center for 2D-4D Capable Ultrasound Machine
  • 7/1/2005- 11/30/2011 R01 DA01955 - 5 Co-I (Stroud) NIDA Prenatal Smoking, fetal behavior, and infant withdrawal
  • 10/22/2005- 12/30/2011 R01 DA01577 - 5 Co-I (Lester) NIDA Maternal Opioid Treatment: Human Experimental Research Direct $1,593,125 Indirect $384,940
  • 2/1/2008- 1/31/2013 MH78033- - 5 PI (Salisbury) Fetal and Neonatal Neurobehavior and Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure
  • 2/15/2012- 1/31/2014 R03 MH96036 - 2 PI (Salisbury) NIMH Sleep and biological rhythms after fetal exposure to antidepressants
  • 9/1/2007- 6/30/2014 R01 MH79153 - 5 Co-I (Stroud) NIMH Maternal Depression, placental HPA regulation, & fetal-neonatal stress response

Professional Service

I have served on numerous NIH grant review committees and served as a standing member of the NIH Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities Study Section, Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes Integrated Review Group from 2015-2019. Other recent service includes Co-Chair of the NIH HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD): Non-Imaging Assessments Workgroup; Fetal Assessment Section. Consensus Panel for the Standards and Competencies of Developmental Family-Centered Integrative Care for Newborns and Families in the Intensive Care Unit that published standards in 2020. I have served on the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Subcommittee Workgroup Membership and am an ECHO NOWS Rhode Island State Substance Exposed Newborn Taskforce Member.