معرفی
Kyle Bourassa is a Staff Psychologist at the Durham VA Medical Center and an Affiliate Investigator in the Department of Psychology at Georgetown University. He holds dual appointments as an Affiliate Investigator with the VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Durham VA, and serves as a Senior Fellow at Duke University Medical Center's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. His work bridges clinical practice and research on stress-related health outcomes.
His educational trajectory includes:
- B.A. in Psychology and History from the University of Virginia
- M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Health Psychology focus) from the University of Arizona
- Doctoral internship at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- NIA-funded T32 postdoctoral training at Duke University's Center for the Study of Aging
- Advanced fellowship in aging at Durham VA GRECC
Dr. Bourassa investigates how stress, adversity, and trauma trigger physiological dysregulation—particularly through inflammatory processes and accelerated biological aging—that drive chronic disease, disability, and premature mortality across the lifespan. His integrative methodology combines longitudinal cohort studies with laboratory-based experimental paradigms, examining both top-down psychosocial pathways and bottom-up biological mechanisms. Current work emphasizes behavioral interventions to mitigate health impacts in trauma-exposed populations.
His major scientific recognitions include:
- VA Career Development Award (CDA-2; IK2CX002694-01)
- NIA T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship (T32-AG000029)
As principal investigator of his VA-funded CDA-2 project, Dr. Bourassa directs research on stress-aging-health pathways while maintaining active collaborations with Duke University's Moffitt-Caspi Lab. His work receives continuous support through the VA Office of Research and Development's Clinical Science Research & Development service. He contributes to multidisciplinary teams at the Durham VA MIRECC and GRECC, focusing on translating mechanistic findings into clinical applications for aging veterans.
