Our Team
Heidi Zinzow, Ph.D., Co-Director
Dr. Zinzow is a Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychology and Clemson University School of Health Research. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia in 2007 and completed an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship in Traumatic Stress at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina before assuming her faculty appointment at Clemson University in 2008. Dr. Zinzow has authored over 90 publications on trauma and mental health, and her research has been funded by several federal agencies, including NIH, SAMHSA, and NSF. Her research focuses on prevention programs and clinical interventions for trauma and related mental health problems, including PTSD, substance use, and suicidality. She has also conducted research on help-seeking, as well as risk and protective factors for victimization, perpetration, and trauma-related mental health symptoms. Dr. Zinzow is the co-founder of Clemson University’s suicide prevention initiative, Tigers Together to Stop Suicide, is a member of the Administrator Researcher Collaborative on campus sexual misconduct and plays an active role in TIGERS Advance (Faculty Advancement Office) to promote cultural inclusivity and gender equity on campus. Prior research projects include development and testing of 1) a web-based intervention to prevent sexual violence and heavy drinking, 2) a digital app to prevent sexual violence and promote bystander intervention, 3) a suicide prevention advocacy training program, and 4) a mindfulness-based intervention for opioid relapse prevention. Current projects include a campus climate survey to assess sexual misconduct and a brief trauma screening, referral, and sexual violence prevention program for women with substance use disorders.
Alain Litwin, M.D., Co-Director
Dr. Litwin is the Vice Chair of Academics and Research in the Department of Medicine at Prisma Health and University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville where he leads the training and research programs across 19 divisions. Dr. Litwin is Professor of Medicine at University of South Carolina and Professor of Psychology at Clemson University and serves as the Executive Director of the Prisma Health Addiction Medicine Center and Co-Director of the Clemson Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research. He is board certified in addiction medicine and internal medicine and has been providing substance use disorder and medical care (including HIV and HCV care) to people with substance use disorders and complex social, psychiatric, and medical needs within integrated primary care and substance use treatment programs for 20 years. With funding greater than $50 million, his research, clinical and mentoring activities focus on developing and studying models of care for patients with substance use disorders. He co-leads the Opioid Council for Prisma Health, the largest health system in South Carolina, and oversee taskforces focused on opioid stewardship, pain management, and addiction treatment. He serves on SC’s Governor’s Opioid Task Force and co-leads the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction. He leads an early career NIH research accelerator program, and has an extensive history of mentoring, leading to 11 career development awards and 9 R01s, and served as the Principal Mentor on three NIDA career development awards and Co-Mentor on two additional NIDA/NIMH awards. Dr. Litwin is an expert in conducting stakeholder-engaged and informed research including engaging people actively using drugs and is the Principal Investigator of PCORI-funded HERO national trial which has 8 local stakeholder groups across 8 states and 1 national stakeholder group. He is leading or collaborating on 5 current NIH trials that focus on peer recovery support specialists. Dr. Litwin is a Fellow of the fifth class of the Health Innovators Fellowship and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Laura S. Bogardus, Ph.D., Associate Director
lbogard@clemson.edu
Laura S. Bogardus earned a Ph.D. in international family and community studies from Clemson University, an M.A. in human behavior and conflict management from Columbia College, and a B.A. in political science from Miami University. As a doctoral student, she was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Excellence in Engagement and Social Advocacy Graduate Student Award; the Kimbrough and Melton Parents Award; and the Graduate Student Award of Excellence. A distinguished Marano Fellow of the Aspen Institute's Sector Skills Academy for Innovative Workforce Strategies, Dr. Bogardus is also a Certified Senior Human Resource Professional (SHRM-SCP), a ProsciR Certified Change Management Practitioner, and is formally trained in the process of civil mediation. Dr. Bogardus’ research and policy interests include fair employment practices, workforce inclusion, recovery-friendly workplaces, immigration and employment and mental health in the workplace. She has significant experience as an organizational development leader in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors with expertise in board management, program design and project execution. She serves on the board of Upstate International in Greenville, South Carolina, and is an active consultant and supporter of the nonprofit community.
Noah Reynolds, M.S., Project Manager
nreyno3@clemson.edu
Noah holds an M.S. in social science from Clemson University and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in learning sciences. His research interests focus on prison education programs, restorative justice and deflection. At CAMHR, some of Noah's responsibilities include engaging deflection and pre-arrest diversion programs across South Carolina, managing technical assistance and training requests and expanding the reach of the Clemson Prison Education Project, which facilitates graduate student and faculty-led non-credit courses to incarcerated students.
Lauren Smalls, Research Assistant
ltsmall@clemson.edu
Lauren earned a B.A. in psychology from Clemson University. During her time as an undergraduate student at Clemson, she held the positions of president and secretary of The Association of Minority Psychology Students, served as an intern at Clemson Creative Counseling, and worked as a teaching assistant for the Advanced Experimental Psychology course. Her research interests focus on the intersection of interpersonal relationships, mental health, and well-being outcomes, examining the role of these dynamics in various social contexts. Lauren also works alongside the creative inquiry team led by Dr. Zinzow on the sexual violence prevention program for women with substance use disorders.
Laura Gordon, J.D., Graduate Assistant
lgordo2@clemson.edu
Laura Gordon is an incoming Ph.D. student in the Health Psychology program at Clemson University. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Laura earned her juris doctorate in 2017 from the University of California San Diego and a master’s in marriage and family therapy in 2024. Laura worked as a substance abuse counselor and provided clinical support to individuals navigating trauma, domestic violence and complex co-occurring mental health challenges. She also worked in California’s court mandated therapy program for offenders and victims of domestic violence, blending her legal and mental health educational backgrounds. Laura’s professional experience has deeply shaped her research interests, which center on the intersection of trauma, stress physiology and post-traumatic growth. Laura is passionate about developing integrative, resilience-focused interventions that honor the mind-body connection and help individuals reclaim agency in their healing and cultivate the capacity for courage in forging forward.
Snehal Lopes, Ph.D., Research Associate
snehall@clemson.edu
Snehal Lopes earned a doctorate degree in applied health research and evaluation from Clemson University in 2022. She engaged with Clemson University–Prisma Health Addiction Medicine Center collaborative projects. She has led several studies under the Hepatitis C Real Options Project (HERO), a multisite study across eight US states, among persons who inject drugs with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection across states in the U.S. Much of her work under the HERO project focuses on mental health, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with HCV treatment cascade outcomes. She also supports other research projects at Prisma Health, and in various community organizations in South Carolina with the development of research protocols and statistical analysis plans, data management, data analysis (using both quantitative and qualitative methods) and dissemination of the study findings.
Dominique Dawkins, MPA, Project Manager
dldawki@clemson.edu
Dominique earned a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University and holds a B.A. in political science and global studies from Bennett College. Prior to her role with Clemson, Dominique served as a program manager for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Thriving Communities Environmental Justice Technical Assistance (TCTAC) Program, managing a $10 million grant with her team and connecting with communities, local governments, and Tribes across the nation. She began her career in local government, working in Bertie County, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, across administration, budget and community development offices. With a strong foundation in community development and engagement, Dominique is passionate about connecting people to resources, advancing civic education and community service. Her strengths include collaborative leadership, data-informed decision-making and effectively navigating complex systems.
