Elizabeth E. McAfee, B.A

Education/Training

Awards, Honors, & Scholarships

Research Experience

Publications

Peer Reviewed Manuscripts

• Powers, A., Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E., Abrams, C., O’Banion, D., Michopoulos, V., Brennan, P., & Stevens, J. (In press). Maternal PTSD symptoms and sensitivity during caregiving in early postpartum: Moderating role of resting and reactive RSA in a trauma-exposed sample. Psychological Medicine.
• McAfee, E.E., Lathan, E.C., Lipschutz, R., La Barrie, D.L., Stenson, A.F., Jovanovic, T., Bradley, B., Powers, A. (In press). Disentangling the Association between Worry Dysregulation and Anxiety in Black Children: The Role of Sex. Journal of Child and Family Studies.
• Lathan, E.C., Langhinrichsen-Rohling, R., McAfee, E.E., Sonu, S.C., Haynes, T., & Powers, A. (in press). Health Care Providers’ Comfort Caring for Trauma-Exposed Patients in the Primary Care Setting: A Mixed Methods Approach. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
• Huibregtse, M.E.*, Wallace, S.*, Ravi, M., Karra, S., McAfee, E., Hinojosa, C.A., Mekawi, Y., Powers, A., Michopoulos, V., & Lathan, E.C. (in press). The relations among childhood maltreatment and later intimate partner violence victimization with and without a weapon in a sample of pregnant Black women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
• Lathan, E.C., McAfee, E., Spivey, B., Garcia, V., Kaslow, N.J., & Powers, A. (in press). Risk for posttraumatic stress disorder by trauma type: The role of self-compassion. Psychological Trauma: Research, Practice, Policy, and Practice.
• Powers, A., Lathan, E. C., McAfee, E., Mekawi, Y., Dixon, H. D., Lopez, E., Ali, S., Hinrichs, R., Bradley, B., Carter, S., & Kaslow, N. (2024). Feasibility and acceptability of a virtual mindfulness-based intervention for Black adults with PTSD and depression: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders.
• Lathan, E.C., Britt, A., Ravi, M., Ash, M.J., McAfee, E.E., Wallace, S., Johnson II, C.B., Woods-Jaeger, B., Powers, A., & Michopoulos, V. (2023). When reproduction is no longer autonomous: Feeling respected by maternity care providers moderates the association between autonomy in decision making and birth-related PTSD symptoms in a community-based sample of pregnant Black women. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 24(4), 520-537. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2023.2212406

Published Abstracts

• Powers, A., Abrams, C., McAfee, E., Wallace, S., O’Banion, D., Hinrichs, R., Michopoulos, V., & Stevens, J. (2022). Maternal-infant emotional connection is related to reduced physiological stress response in mothers and their babies: Preliminary results from a trauma-exposed sample of primarily Black mother-infant dyads. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(Suppl 1), 111-112.

Books and Book Chapters

• McAfee, Elizabeth. You Need to Get Help: A Shameless Work in Progress. New Degree Press, 2022.

Manuscripts Under Review

• Lipschutz, R., Dahlgren, K., Santos, J., Abdul Chambers, K., McAfee, E.E., Abrams, C., Merrill, N., Brennan, P. A., Rilling, J. K., Michopoulos, V., Powers, A.*, & Stevens, J. S.* (Under review). Neural correlates of maternal posttraumatic stress in the first postpartum year: Blunted salience and prefrontal responses to infant distress.
• Powers, A., Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E., Abrams, C., O’Banion, D., Michopoulos, V., Brennan, P., Stevens, J., (Revise and Resubmit). Maternal PTSD Symptoms and Sensitivity during Caregiving in Early Postpartum: The Moderating Role of Resting and Reactive RSA in a Trauma-Exposed Sample.

Manuscripts In Preparation

• Lipschutz, R., Dahlgren, K., McAfee, E., Santos, J., Rilling, J., Michopoulos, V., Powers*, A., Stevens*, J. (in preparation). Maternal PTSD and neural reactivity to infant cues in postpartum women.
• Haynes, T., Powers, A., McAfee, E.E., Langhinrichsen-Rohling, R., Sonu, S.C., Lathan, E.C. (in preparation). Barriers to and Facilitators of Trauma-Informed Care: Findings from Focus Groups of Primary Care Providers.

Peer-Reviewed Poster Presentations and Symposiums

Poster Presentations

• Powers Lott, A., Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E.E., Abrams, C., O’Banion, D., Michopoulos, V., Brennan, P., & Stevens, J. S.* (2026). Maternal PTSD symptoms and sensitivity during caregiving in early postpartum: The moderating role of resting and reactive RSA in a trauma-exposed sample. Poster accepted for presentation at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting.
• Lipschutz, R., Dahlgren, K., McAfee, E.E., Santos, J., Rilling, J. K., Brennan, P., Michopoulos, V., Powers, A.*, & Stevens, J. S.* (2026). Insula reactivity to infant cries mediates maternal PTSD and mother–infant connection in trauma-exposed women. Poster accepted for presentation at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting.
• Murgueitio, N., Dahlgren, K., Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E.E., Santos, J., Rilling, J. K., Powers, A.*, & Stevens, J.* (2026). Long-term effects of childhood deprivation and threat on maternal neural processing of infant cries. Poster accepted for presentation at the Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
• McAfee, E.E., Lipschutz, R., Abrams, C., Brennan, P., Powers, A. (2025, April). Maternal PTSD, Infant Physiology, and the Moderating Role of Maternal Sensitivity on Negative Infant Behaviors. Poster accepted for presentation at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2025 Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
• McAfee, E.E., Lipschutz, R., Abrams, C., Narayanan, A., O’Banion, D., Brennan, P., Stevens, J., Powers, A. (2024, October). Intergenerational stress transmission: exploring associations between maternal stress and sensitivity with infant biobehavioral outcomes. Poster presented at International Society for Developmental Psychobiology 2024 conference, Chicago, IL. Received an ISDP Student/Postdoc Member travel award for this abstract.
• Powers, A., Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E., Abrams, C., O’Banion, D., Michopoulos, V., Brennan, P. A., & Stevens, J. S. (2024, December). Maternal posttraumatic symptoms are related to negative parenting behavior and lower infant respiratory sinus arrythmia in early postpartum. Poster accepted for presentation at The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference, Phoenix, AZ.
• Lipschutz, R., Dahlgren, K., McAfee, E., Santos, J., Rilling, J., Michopoulos, V., Powers*, A., Stevens*, J. (2024, December). Maternal PTSD and neural reactivity to infant cues in postpartum women. Poster accepted for presentation at The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference, Phoenix, AZ.
• McAfee, E.E., Lathan, E.C., La Barrie, D.L., Lipschutz, R., Stenson, A.F., Jovanovic, T., Bradley, B., Powers, A. (2024, April). The Role of Sex in the Association between Worry Dysregulation and Anxiety in Black Children. Poster presented at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2024 Conference, Boston, MA.
• McAfee, E.E., Lathan, E.C., Spivey, B.N., Garcia, V., Kaslow, N., Powers, A. (2023, November). The Role of Mindfulness and Self Compassion in Mitigating Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity following Physical Violence Exposure among Black Americans. Poster presented at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 2023 Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
• McAfee, E.E., O’Banion, D., Lathan, E.C., Abrams, C., Wallace, S., Merrill, N. A., Hane, A., Welch, M., Michopoulos, V., Stevens, J., & Powers, A. (2023, May). Postpartum Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Predict Maternal-Infant Emotional Connection among Minoritized Women. Poster presented at the Georgia State University Brain and Behavior Retreat 2023 Conference, Atlanta, GA.
• McAfee, E.E., O’Banion, D., Lathan, E.C., Abrams, C., Wallace, S., Merrill, N. A., Hane, A., Welch, M., Michopoulos, V., Stevens, J., & Powers, A. (2023, April). Postpartum Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Predict Maternal-Infant Emotional Connection among Minoritized Women. Poster presented at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2023 Conference, Washington, DC.
• Narayanan, A., McAfee, E.E., Lathan, E.C, Abrams, C., Hane, A., Wallace, S., Welch, M., O’Banion, D., & Powers, A. (November 2023). Examining maternal childhood maltreatment correlates of maternal-infant emotional connection in a community sample of Black mothers and infants. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists, Phoenix, AZ.
• Garcia, V.V., Lathan, E.C., McAfee, E.E., Ali, S., & Powers, A. (2023, April). High levels of trait mindfulness may protect against PTSD intrusion and arousal symptoms associated with interpersonal trauma exposure. Poster presented at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2023 Conference, Washington, DC.

Symposiums

• Lipschutz, R., McAfee, E.E., Murphy, A., Abrams, C., Salazar, J., Powers, A. (2025, April). Feasibility and acceptability of Mothers and Babies intervention in trauma-exposed postpartum women. Abstract accepted for presentation as a symposium at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2025 Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
• Ahl, R., Arnott, E., Easton, C., McAfee, E.E., Amir, D., McAuliffe, K. (2023, March). Recalling past experiences of resource scarcity reduces children’s generosity. Paper presented as a symposium at the Society for Research in Child Development 2023 Biennial Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.

Professional Development and Supervised Clinical Experience

Service & Teaching Experience

Professional Affiliations

Computer Skills

Proficiency using SPSS, R, Biolab, Mindware Heart Rate Variability Analysis, Eprime, Redcap, Qualtrics, and Excel, EPIC

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