Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D. is an Endowed Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Trauma and Vice Chair of Psychiatry for Veterans Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is also the Mental Health Director at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs hospital in the Bronx. Dr. Yehuda is a recognized leader in the field of traumatic stress studies, has authored more than 500 papers, and received numerous grants and awards in the field of traumatic stress and the neuroscience of PTSD. Throughout her career her research has focused on the study of the enduring effects of trauma exposure in multiple populations such as combat veterans, Holocaust survivors, and victims of 9/11 and interpersonal violence. These studies have examined the relationship between the biological and psychological changes associated with trauma. Dr. Yehuda’s pioneering work has resulted in an understanding of the epigenetic changes associated with trauma and PTSD, and also molecular alterations in association with intergenerational trauma. Dr. Yehuda’s lab has investigated novel treatment approaches for PTSD and the biological factors that may contribute to differing treatment outcomes for the purpose of developing personalized medicine strategies for treatment matching in PTSD. This work has resulted in an approved US patent for a PTSD blood test. Dr Yehuda’s laboratory is also using advances in stem cell technology to examine PTSD gene expression networks in induced neurons. Most recently, Dr. Yehuda established a Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mount Sinai, which integrates sophisticated brain imaging and molecular neuroscience in PTSD with clinical trials using psilocybin and MDMA assisted psychotherapy and other related medicines.
