Education

• Washington and Lee University, BS in Biochemistry and BA in Psychology, 2018
• Virginia Commonwealth University, MS in Developmental Psychology, 2020
• Virginia Commonwealth University, PhD in Behavioral and Statistical Genetics, 2024

Research Interests

Genetic and environmental influences on alcohol misuse and suicidal behavior.

Research Description

I am interested in investigating how genetic liability and environmental risk factors come together to engender alcohol problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. I have experience working with longitudinal, observational studies (e.g., the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health), family-based studies (e.g., the Finnish Twin studies), and data from the Swedish national registries. My work employs a range of statistical methods, including structural equation modeling, polygenic risk scoring, growth curve modeling, and the co-relative model.

Awards

• Smriti Bardhan Award of Excellence in Genetics Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2024
• Kenneth S. Kendler Award for Excellence in Pre-Doctoral Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023
• Poster Award, International Summit on Suicide Research, 2023
• Research Society on Alcoholism Graduate Student Small Grant, 2021-2022

Selected Publications

Stephenson, M., Ohlsson, H., Lannoy, S., Sundquist, J., Sundquist, K., & Edwards, A. C. (2024). Clarifying the relationship between physical injuries and risk for suicide attempt in a Swedish national sample. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 149(5), 389-403. doi:10.1111/acps.13675

Stephenson, M., Prom-Wormley, E., Lannoy, S., & Edwards, A. C. (2023). The temporal relationship between marriage and risk for suicidal ideation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 343, 129-135. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.007

Stephenson, M., Lannoy, S., & Edwards, A. C. (2023). Shared genetic liability for alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and suicide attempt: Evaluating the role of impulsivity. Translational Psychiatry, 13(87). doi:10.1038/s41398-023-02389-3

Stephenson, M., Aliev, F., Kuo, S. I., Edwards, A. C., Pandey, G., Su, J., Kamarajan, C., Dick, D., & Salvatore, J. E. (2022). The role of adolescent social relationships in promoting alcohol resistance: Interrupting the intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse. Development and Psychopathology, 34(5), 1841-1855. doi:10.1017/S0954579422000785

Stephenson, M., Barr, P., Ksinan, A., Aliev, F., Latvala, A., Viken, R., Rose, R., Kaprio, J., Dick, D., & Salvatore, J. E. (2020). Which adolescent factors predict alcohol misuse in young adulthood? A co-twin comparisons study. Addiction, 115(5), 877-887. doi:10.1111/add.14888