Robert J Ursano

Dr. Robert J Ursano is Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Bethesda, MD) and founding Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. He served as Chairman of Psychiatry for 25 years (1992-2017) and edits the journal Psychiatry. A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, he integrates military psychiatry with disaster response research.

Education:

• B.S., Magna Cum Laude, University of Notre Dame (1969)
• M.D., Yale University (1973)
• Psychiatry Residency, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center (1973-75)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University
• USAF Aerospace Medicine Training, Brooks Air Force Base (1977)
• Washington Psychoanalytic Institute (1980-1986)

His research focuses on PTSD mechanisms, military mental health, disaster psychiatry, and suicide prevention. He leads translational studies examining genetic biomarkers of trauma response and population-level risk modeling through initiatives like the Army STARRS project. His work bridges neurobiological mechanisms with real-world clinical applications.

Dr. Ursano's 400+ publications predominantly examine trauma trajectories, military suicide epidemiology, and disaster mental health interventions. Recent work emphasizes predictive modeling of suicidal behaviors, genetic associations in PTSD, and biomarker discovery. His studies frequently leverage large military cohorts to identify risk factors across deployment cycles and unit environments.

Awards:

• Lifetime Achievement Award (International Traumatic Stress Society)
• William C. Menninger Memorial Award for Mental Health Contributions
• Department of Defense Humanitarian Service Award
• James J. Leonard Excellence in Research Award (2014)
• William C. Porter Award (Association of Military Surgeons)
• AAP Presidential Citation for Psychiatric Education (2009)

He co-founded the National PTSD Brain Bank and oversees multidisciplinary teams at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, which provides research, training, and consultation for disaster response. His grants include leadership roles in the landmark Army STARRS project examining mental health resilience across 1.6 million soldiers.