Debra Kaysen

Debra Kaysen joined the Stanford faculty in 2019. She became Chief of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences at Stanford in 2022. Dr. Kaysen has conducted critical studies on treatment of PTSD and/or substance use across a variety of populations (sexual and gender minorities, Native Americans, sexual assault survivors, torture survivors, active duty military), settings (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, primary care, rural settings), and modalities (telephone based, digital mental health). Other research conducted by Dr. Kaysen has focused on increasing our understanding of how PTSD and substance use may influence each other. Dr. Kaysen is a Past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Department of Defense, PCORI, and USAID.