Three Things We Learned Along the Way: lessons for training in psychiatric epidemiology.
Lincoln AK, Jones N, Koenen KC.
Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Jun 17. PMID: 38885958
Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Director, Population Mental Health Lab and Concentration
Epidemiology
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Karestan C. Koenen, PhD 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.
Research
Dr. Koenen directs the Biology of Trauma Initiative at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where she is an Institute Member. Her research focus is three-fold. First, she studies why some people develop PTSD and related mental and physical health problems and why some people are resilient when exposed to similar traumatic events. Second, she investigates how violence, trauma, and PTSD alter long-term physical health and accelerate aging. Third, she aims to expand access to evidence-based mental health treatment for survivors of violence and trauma. To this end, she co-wrote the book, Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Interpersonal Trauma: STAIR Narrative Therapy with Drs. Marylene Cloitre, Lisa Cohen. Kile M Ortigo, and Christie Jackson.
Relevant links:
Biology of Trauma: https://www.broadinstitute.org/biology-trauma-initiative-broad-institute
Book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Treating-Survivors-Childhood-Interpersonal-Trauma-ebook/dp/B0859BZZDM
Training
Dr. Koenen leads the NIMH-funded Training Program in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics (T32) and the Interdisciplinary Concentration in Population Mental Health. She also advises masters and doctoral degree students in the Departments of Epidemiology and Social Behavioral Sciences. In addition, Dr. Koenen leads the Trauma Epidemiology and Population Mental Health Research Group for her students and post-doctoral fellows. The group is primarily a forum for trainees and junior investigators to present and receive feedback on work-in-progress, but also includes presentations on advanced research methodology and career development.
For students who are interested in working within the Koenen lab, please use the following link to express interest. https://forms.gle/MQpU3nuS75k98kfP7
Advocacy
Dr. Koenen advocates for survivors of violence and trauma. In May 2011, Dr. Koenen testified before the House Foreign Affairs Full Committee about the epidemic of sexual violence and victim blaming culture of the Peace Corps. She has written for the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and the Women's Media Center's Women Under Siege Project, which investigates how rape and other forms of sexualized violence are used as tools in conflict. Dr. Koenen also consulted on the documentary, It Happened Here, which examined the epidemic of sexual assault on university campuses. In addition, Dr. Koenen speaks to lay audiences about the latest scientific findings around violence and trauma.
BA, 1990, Economics
Wellesley College
MA, 1996, Developmental Psychology
Columbia University
PhD, 1999, Clinical Psychology
Boston University
Post-doctoral Fellowship, 2002, Psychiatric Epidemiology
Columbia University
Lincoln AK, Jones N, Koenen KC.
Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Jun 17. PMID: 38885958
Sharma M, Alemayehu M, Girma E, Milkias B, Stevenson A, Gelaye B, Koenen KC, Teferra S.
Compr Psychiatry. 2024 Jun 12. 134:152508. PMID: 38917710
Seligowski AV, Harnett NG, Ellis RA, Grasser LR, Hanif M, Wiltshire C, Ely TD, Lebois LAM, van Rooij SJH, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Koenen KC, Kessler RC, McLean SA, Ressler KJ, Stevens JS, Jovanovic T.
J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Jun 07. 176:173-181. PMID: 38875773
Stevenson A, Misra S, Girma E, Isvoranu AM, Akena D, Alemayehu M, Atwoli L, Gelaye B, Gichuru S, Kariuki SM, Kwobah EK, Kyebuzibwa J, Mwema RM, Newman CP, Newton CRJC, Ongeri L, Stroud RE, Teferra S, Koenen KC, Seedat S.
Compr Psychiatry. 2024 Aug. 133:152504. PMID: 38876004
Liu J, Roberts AL, Lawn RB, Jha SC, Sampson L, Sumner JA, Kang JH, Rimm EB, Grodstein F, Liang L, Haneuse S, Kubzansky LD, Koenen KC, Chibnik LB.
Psychol Med. 2024 May 27. 1. PMID: 38801090
Haering S, Seligowski AV, Linnstaedt SD, Michopoulos V, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Gentile NT, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, McLean SA, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Stevens JS, Powers A.
Psychol Med. 2024 May 22. 1-11. PMID: 38775091
Scoglio AAJ, Choi KW, Nishimi K, Sampson L, Koenen K, Roberts AL, Jha S, Kubzansky LD.
Psychosom Med. 2024 May 17. PMID: 38573019
Scoglio AAJ, Nishimi K, Choi KW, Koenen KC, Sampson LA, Jha SC, Kubzansky LD.
PLoS One. 2024. 19(5):e0297169. PMID: 38713693
Horwitz A, McCarthy K, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Joormann J, Harte SE, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Sen S, Horwitz A, McCarthy K, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Joormann J, Harte SE, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Sen S, Horwitz A, McCarthy K, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Joormann J, Harte SE, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Sen S.
J Anxiety Disord. 2024 Jun. 104:102876. PMID: 38723405
Chen Y, Künzel RG, Sanchez SE, Rondon MB, Pinto NI, Sanchez E, Kirschbaum C, Valeri L, Koenen KC, Gelaye B.
Res Sq. 2024 Apr 25. PMID: 38746291
Effective treatments are available to help people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Harvard Chan School's Karestan Koenen.
A new genetic study of more than 1.2 million people has pinpointed 95 loci, or locations in the genome, linked with risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which exposure to trauma can harm a person’s quality…
A new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Chan School investigated the relationship between PTSD, diet, and the gut microbiome, and found that participants who adhered to a Mediterranean diet experienced decreased PTSD symptoms.
A new paper lays out an action plan for reducing the growing mortality rates among people with mental illness and mental distress.
Women who experienced intimate partner violence during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to suffer worse mental health and other adverse health effects, according to a new study led by Harvard Chan School.