Harvey B. Pollard

Harvey B. Pollard, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine and a core member of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS). His leadership roles include:

• Former Chair of the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics
• Founding Director of the Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (CHIRP)
• Founding Director of The American Genome Center (TAGC)

His educational background features:

• Undergraduate degree from Rice University
• MD and PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Chicago
• Postdoctoral training at NIH and Oxford University

Dr. Pollard's research centers on proinflammatory mechanisms with critical focus areas:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) pathophysiology
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) biomarkers
• Whole genome sequencing applications
• Military population mental health
• Inflammatory pathways in trauma
• Genetic risk assessment for resilience

He has received the NIH Inventor’s Award and authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications. His work bridges molecular inflammation research with clinical psychiatry through large-scale genomic initiatives.

Dr. Pollard directs major DoD/NHLBI-funded programs including Army STARRS genetic analysis, leveraging CHIRP and TAGC to advance trauma-related mental health diagnostics. His laboratory infrastructure at USUHS supports high-throughput genomic sequencing for military cohort studies.