PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Brian Smith, PhD

Research/Investigator

Women's Health Sciences Division

See staff directory for contact information.

Academic Appointment

• Boston University School of Medicine, Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Education

• Virginia Commonwealth University, Social and Behavioral Health/Health Psychology, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2002-2004
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Experimental Psychology (Social Psychology), PhD, 2001
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Experimental Psychology (Social Psychology), MS, 2000
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Psychology, BS, 1996

Expertise and Interests

• Effects of traumatic stress and mental health sequelae on health, functioning, and well-being across life domains (e.g., physical health, work, family, social)
• Stress-related mechanisms of health risk in the context of gender differences and aging
• The roles of biopsychosocial risk and resilience factors across the life course
• Public health and health services implications of trauma exposure, PTSD, and health correlates
• Advanced statistical methods in health sciences research

Membership in Professional Societies

• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
• American Psychosomatic Society
• Trauma Psychology (American Psychological Association, div 56)
• Association for Psychological Science
• Health Psychology (American Psychological Association, div 38)
• American Public Health Association

Awards and Honors

• Honorable Mention, Military Family Research Institute Award for Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families, 2018
• Outstanding Social Psychology Doctoral Student of the Year, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001
• Psychology Honors, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1996

Selected Publications

Serier, K. N., Vogt, D., Pandey, S., & Smith, B. N. (2022). Analysis of the bidirectional relationships between posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms with physical health functioning in post-9/11 Veteran men and women deployed to a war-zone. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 162, 111034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.111034

Lawrence, K. A., Vogt, D., Nigam, S., Dugan, A. J. Slade, E., & Smith, B. N. (2021). Temporal sequencing of mental health symptom severity and suicidal ideation in post-9/11 men and women Veterans who recently separated from the military. Chronic Stress, 5, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470211061347

Smith, B. N., Spiro, A., Frayne, S. M., Kimerling, R., Cypel, Y., Reinhard, M. J., Kilbourne, A. M., & Magruder, K. M. (2020). Impact of wartime stress exposures and mental health on later-life functioning and disability in Vietnam-Era women Veterans: Findings from The Health of Vietnam-Era Women's Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(2), 147-157. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000762

Smith, B. N., Taverna, E. A., Fox, A. B., Schnurr, P. P., Matteo, R. A., & Vogt, D. (2017). The role of PTSD, depression, and alcohol misuse symptom severity in linking deployment stressor exposure and post-military work and family outcomes in male and female Veterans. Clinical Psychological Science, 5(4), 664-682. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702617705672

Smith, B. N., Wang, J. M., Vaughn-Coaxum, R. A., Di Leone, B. A. L., & Vogt, D. (2017). The role of postdeployment social factors in linking deployment experiences and current PTSD symptomatology among male and female Veterans. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 30(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2016.1188201

Smith, B. N., Tyzik, A. L., Neylan, T. C., & Cohen, B. E. (2015). PTSD and obesity in younger and older Veterans: Results from the Mind Your Heart Study. Psychiatry Research, 229(3), 895-900. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.044

Members of the press interested in scheduling an interview please see the contact for the media page.