Matthew Broussard

Paid Research Assistant for Dr. Suzanne Sisley, M.D., in Phase 2 trials of a Placebo-Controlled, Triple-Blind, Randomized Crossover Pilot Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Four Different Potencies of Smoked Marijuana in 76 Veterans with Chronic, Treatment-Resistant Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Responsibilities: CITI Training certified for Human Research. Certified to administer the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) for research as well as in clinical contexts. Specific responsibilities include: Recruited and screened research participants, as well as collected participant demographic information. I assisted Research Lab Associate, Kady Bentz, M.S., in collecting, analyzing, packaging, and shipping specimen samples: urine and blood/plasma. Currently pursing on the job training for a state certification in Phlebotomy and have completed 52/100 successful blood draws. I have taken participant vitals: blood pressure, pulse, temperature, arterial oxygen.

I collected participant medical history: previous diagnoses, medication information, allergies, incarceration history, hospitalization history, history of adverse effects to medication, and previous treatment information. I administered a Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) to detect possible substance use disorder. I assisted Study Coordinator, Ben Schechet, B.S., in overseeing in-lab questionnaires such as: the research version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5-RV), the SCID-5 for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD), The SCID-5 Screening Personality Questionnaire (SCID-5-SPQ), the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), the Marijuana Withdrawal Checklist (MWC), the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised (CUDIT-R), and the STOP-BANG Sleep Apnea Questionnaire. I instructed participants on various anti-panic/anti-anxiety techniques such as: grounding, deep breathing, and mindfulness meditation. Upon enrollment, I helped in distributing and collecting data from an Actigraph to monitor sleep behavior. During the participant’s first visit, I oversaw the participant’s self-administration of marijuana, while taking vitals and checking for adverse effects. I am trained to assist the medical team if a participant has a difficult experience with marijuana. During a 4 hour period, after the self-administration of marijuana, my primary goal was to ensure participant safety and comfort.

During post-drug administration, I administered the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ) and analyzed the participant’s subjective experience and general wellbeing. After it has been established that the participant has no adverse reactions to study drug, I assisted in packaging 12.6 grams of marijuana for the participant to self-administer at his/her home each week, for a total of 6 weeks. Once the participant returns with unused marijuana, I assisted in repackaging unused marijuana to be returned to the DEA for analysis. I am trained in scoring the DEQ self-report. I am also trained to enter data obtained from participant visits into Medrio, an online clinical database, as well as check for queries and possible logical errors. I have received Study Coordinator training which consists of: paying participants for their time in the lab, assessing suicidality and general well-being, scheduling participants for future visits, scheduling participants with an independent rater to assess levels of PTSD, and reporting to study monitors to ensure data entry is done properly. I have lead a team of volunteers to ensure all data from the study is entered and quality controlled. These volunteers included: Chrysta Andrade, B.S., John Curtis, and Rachel Schaeffer.

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Paid Supervisor (250+ recorded hours) for Dr. Julie Patock-Peckham, Ph.D. with an addictions research project to understand the etiology of alcohol use disorders in emerging adulthood.

Responsibilities: First and foremost, my duty as a Supervisor was to insure safety for participants and Research Assistants for a 9-12 hour protocol. Other specific responsibilities as a Supervisor included: administering alcohol to participants, administering a TLFB, running the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), administering a brief relaxation period, as well as recording heartrate, cortisol samples, and blood alcohol content (BAC), administering State Trait Anxiety Inventory, as well as standard opening and closing procedures. These procedures include: making sure all research assistants are attending their designated shift, insuring the lab’s technology is set up for the study, debriefing the participant at the end of the protocol, handling the lab’s money, paying the participant, and assigning a UBER or Lyft driver to the participant in order for them to get home safely. My specific responsibilities as a research assistant included: administering cognitive tests such as: Go-No Go, Emotional Go-No Go, Stroop, Emotional Stroop, Trails A, Trails B, and multiple online surveys through Qualtrics. Other responsibilities include: making sure lab equipment is used properly, cleaned, and stored, and being observant of participants’ behavior and cognitive functioning. I also lead a SPSS coding team for the lab. Our responsibilities included: cleaning and entering all data obtained in session 1 and session 2 lab visits. I was also part of an iMotions review team, in which we would quality control videos taken in session 2 lab visits to assess levels of mood and affect. Trained in Linguistics Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) transcription program. Some experience with Mplus. Slight experience with Structural Equation Models (SEM).

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                          Head Parkour Coach & Gym Manager for Scottsdale Gymanstics and Trampoline

Responsibilities: I instructed children (3 years +) and adults to exercise safely, overcome fears, and build positive thinking habits to promote better self-concept. I assisted with promotion of business through social media, photography, and videography. I managed a team of coaches to ensure gym safety, and a fun environment for children. I helped design pilot program to implement parkour into the Physical Education curriculum within the Deer Valley School District. I used networking skills and Spanish speaking skills to organize and judge first Parkour competition in Merida, Mexico during ASU Study Abroad of Summer 2017.