Dean G Kilpatrick

Dr. Dean G. Kilpatrick is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He holds leadership roles as Director of the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center and Director of the Charleston Consortium Clinical Psychology Internship Program. His career spans over 50 years with continuous NIH funding since 1985 and extensive extramural grants from agencies like CDC, NIMH, and NIJ. His research focuses on traumatic stress, particularly PTSD prevalence, sexual violence epidemiology, and mental health impacts of mass violence. He pioneered rape crisis advocacy in South Carolina and has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 109), with eight papers cited over 1,000 times. His work influences policy through roles in IOM committees and testimony to U.S. Congress.

Key areas of expertise include posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma exposure measurement, and disaster mental health interventions. His recent studies address mass violence community responses, lead exposure screening, and mobile health apps for PTSD mitigation. He has directed major initiatives like the Bounce Back Now intervention trial and the National Survey of Adolescents. Awards include the Presidential Award for Victims of Crime (1990) and the South Carolina Order of the Palmetto (2020).

Professional service includes Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Traumatic Stress (1997-2005) and ISTSS presidency (2005-2006). His grants total millions, funding projects on sexual assault policy, disaster preparedness, and trauma genetics. He advises federal agencies on victim services and has trained generations of psychologists through MUSC's clinical programs.