Investigator, Other (M) Psychiatry, Mass General Research Institute

adult survivors of child abuse; child abuse; childhood sexual abuse; life change events; post traumatic stress disorder; rape; social environment; stress disorders post-traumatic

Karestan C. Koenen, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, epidemiologist, and author is Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where she aims to reduce the population burden of mental disorders through research, training, and advocacy. She is passionate about using science to overcome violence and trauma, which are major preventable causes of health problems globally.

At Harvard, Koenen Dr. Koenen leads the NIMH-funded Harvard Training Program in Psychiatric Genetics and Translational Research and the Interdisciplinary Concentration in Population Mental Health. Koenen is past president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and an elected fellow in the American Psychopathological Association. Koenen has received several awards recognizing her research achievements including the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science of Trauma Psychology, from the American Psychological Association, Division 56 and the Robert S. Laufer Memorial Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and her work is has been featured in a range of public media including in Cogniscenti, The Hill, and Thrive Global. Her most recent book is Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Interpersonal Trauma authored with Drs. Marylene Cloitre, Lisa R Cohen, Kile M. Ortigo and Christie Jackson.