CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF TRAUMATIC STRESSUNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITYPROGRAM
15th Annual

Amygdala, Stress, and
PTSD Conference:
STRESS AND THE MIND
April 20, 2021
Virtual Conference

The Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference at the Uniformed Services
University brings together scientists and clinicians working towards solving
the biologicalbasisAMYGDALA,
of stress,STRESS,
fear, ANDandPTSDpost-traumaticstressAND
disorder.
15TH ANNUAL
CONFERENCE: STRESSTHE MIND

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF TRAUMATIC STRESSUNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITYPROGRAM
15th Annual

Amygdala, Stress, and
PTSD Conference:
STRESS AND THE MIND
April 20, 2021
Virtual Conference
SPONSORED BY: The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (USU), Department of
Psychiatry (USU), Neuroscience Program (USU), and Department of Family Medicine(USU)

www.AmygdalaPTSDconference.org

15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Background
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) of the Uniformed Services University(USU), in collaboration with the USU Department of Psychiatry, USU Neuroscience
Program, and USU Department of Family Medicine, is pleased to present the 15th Annual
Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference: Stress and the Mind.
The Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference at the Uniformed Services University brings
together scientists and clinicians working towards solving the biological basis of stress, fear,and posttraumatic stress disorder.

15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Table of Contents
Agenda............................................................................................................................. 2
Speakers........................................................................................................................... 3
Moderators...................................................................................................................... 7
Conference Leadership.................................................................................................. 9Continuing Education................................................................................................. 11
Conference Committee............................................................................................... 12
Posters............................................................................................................................ 141

15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Agenda0900–0905

Conference Announcements — Derrick A. Hamaoka, MD

0905–0915

Welcome and Introduction — Robert J. Ursano, MD

0915–1000

Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Emotional and Social Processing 						— Kay M. Tye, PhD
1000–1045

Transcriptional and Epigenetic Basis of Stress Effects on the Brain 			

		— Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD
1045–1115

Break and Virtual Poster Session

1115–1145

Discussion Panel 1 — MODERATOR: David Johnson, COL, USA, MC				

Kay M. Tye, PhD, Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD

1145–1245

Lunch

1245–1330

Evidence Based Treatment For PTSD: Where Are We and Where Do 					We Need to Go into the Future — David Forbes, PhD

1330–1415

COVID-19: Behavioral Health Assessment Team 							— LTC Vincent F. Capaldi, II, MC, USA
1415–1445

Break and Virtual Poster Session

1445–1530
				

Individualized Resting-State fMRI-Guided Transcranial Magnetic 			Stimulation Treatment for Depressive Symptoms in Military Traumatic 			Brain Injury Patients — David Brody, MD, PhD

1530–1545

Break

1545–1615

Discussion Panel 2 — MODERATOR: John M. Burger, LCDR, MC, USN				David Brody, MD, PhD, David Forbes, PhD, 								LTC Vincent F. Capaldi, II, MC, USA
1615–1630

2

Closing Remarks and Presentation of Awards — Robert J. Ursano, MD

15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Speakers
David Brody, MD, PhD
David L. Brody, MD, PhD, is the Director of the Center for
Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) anda Professor of Neurology within the Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, Maryland.
He is a board-certified neurologist with both a research anda clinical specialization in traumatic brain injury (TBI) andneurodegenerative diseases. His research focuses on accelerating
better outcomes for U.S. military TBI patients.
Prior to his current position, Dr. Brody was the Norman J. Stupp
Professor of Neurology at the Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Brody was also the Washington University site director
for the National Football League’s Neurological Care Foundation.
He has developed and authenticated advanced imaging technologies to detect injury inthe brain’s white matter and showed, for the first time, how to predict neurological function
by measuring amyloid, an abnormal protein in the brain. He also helped discover that
diffusion tensor imaging, an advanced magnetic resonance imaging technique, can reveal
blast- related damage.
Dr. Brody previously led a team that worked in partnership with U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD) researchers at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and at
two sites in Afghanistan, treating U.S. military personnel with TBIs. In 2011, he served as aconsultant to the medical advisor of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He traveled
to Afghanistan at the request of then-JCS Admiral Michael Mullen with the “Gray Team”,
a group of civilian and military experts evaluating the status of TBIs in troops within the
combat zone.
His achievements have been recognized with several awards, including a Career
Development Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, anda Burroughs Wellcome Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Brody is a memberof the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurotrauma and Acta Neuropathologica and apermanent member of the National Institute of Health Acute Neural Injury and Epilepsy
Study Section. His clinical monograph entitled “Concussion Care Manual: A Practical
Guide” was published by Oxford University Press in 2014.
Dr. Brody earned a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and his
MD and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his
neurology residency at the Washington University in St. Louis.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Speakers, Continued
LTC Vincent F. Capaldi, II, MC, USA
LTC Vincent F. Capaldi, II, MC, USA, is the Chief of the
Department of Behavioral Biology, Center for Military Psychiatry
and Neuroscience Research, at the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research in Silver Spring, MD. He currently serves as an associate
professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatryat the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in
Bethesda, MD. He is also the program director of the National
Capital Consortium combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
residency training program and chair of the Biomedical Ethics
Committee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
LTC Capaldi completed dual residency training in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
and fellowship in Sleep Medicine at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. LTC
Capaldi holds board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
and the American Board of Internal Medicine to practice General Psychiatry, Internal
Medicine, and Sleep Medicine.
In 2013, LTC Capaldi was elected as a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Associationand the American College of Physicians and currently served as president of the Society of
Uniformed Services Psychiatrists (2017–2018).
In January 2013, LTC Capaldi was appointed as officer in charge (OIC) of the
Restoration Program at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. As OIC, LTC Capaldi was
responsible for the comprehensive behavioral health restoration program, all clinicaloperations, and prevention activities for over 45,000 NATO troops stationed acrossAfghanistan. In January 2019, LTC Capaldi deployed to Iraq in support of Operation
Inherent Resolve, serving as the Theater Behavioral Health Consultant, the senior behavioral
health provider supporting service members in Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. LTC Capaldi
is credited with establishing the behavioral health hotline in the CENTCOM region.
LTC Capaldi has published over 40 peer reviewed scientific articles and book chapterson various topics such as sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, and post stroke depressionthat have appeared in several medical journals. He serves as the Psychiatry & ClinicalPsychology Disorders Capabilities Manager and Steering Committee Chair for Physiological
Health and Performance in the Military Operational Research Program, Medical Researchand Development Command. He also serves as the Sleep Medicine Consultant to the US
Army Surgeon General.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Speakers, Continued
David Forbes, PhD
David Forbes is the Director of Phoenix Australia – Centre for
Posttraumatic Mental Health and Professor in the Department of
Psychiatry, University of Melbourne.
He has over twenty-five years’ experience in the assessment
and treatment of mental health problems in trauma survivors,
with a speciality in military, veteran, and emergency services
mental health.
He led the development of the Australian Guidelines for
the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) approvedby the National Health and Medical Research Council and is Vice
Chair of the International (ISTSS) PTSD Guidelines.
He has a strong track record in the conduct of research across the lifespan the provisionof policy and service development advice to government and agencies responsible for thecare of those occupationally exposed to trauma and the provision of training in evidence
based treatments for PTSD and related disorders.
He has published over 160 scientific papers in the international literature and sits on
many Commonwealth government policy and scientific advisory panels and academic
journal editorial boards.

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD
Dr. Nestler is the Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience at the
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where heserves as Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs and Director of
the Friedman Brain Institute. He received his B.A., Ph.D., and M.D.
degrees, and psychiatry residency training, from Yale University.
He served on the Yale faculty from 1987–2000, where he was
the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry,
Pharmacology, and Neurobiology, and Director of the Division of
Molecular Psychiatry. He moved to Dallas in 2000, where he was the
Lou and Ellen McGinley Distinguished Professor and Chair of the
Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, until
moving to New York in 2008.
Dr. Nestler is a member of National Academy of Medicine (1998) and a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences (2005). He is a past President of the American
College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2011) and the Society for Neuroscience (2017). He isa founder and scientific advisory board chair for PsychoGenics, and a member of the Boardof Directors of Berg Pharma. The author of more than 600 publications and five books, thegoal of Dr. Nestler’s research is to better understand the molecular basis of drug addiction
and depression. His research uses animal models of these disorders to identify the ways
in which drugs of abuse or stress change the brain to lead to addiction- or depression-like
syndromes, and to use this information to develop improved treatments of these disorders.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Speakers, Continued
Kay M. Tye, PhD
Kay M. Tye is a Professor and Wylie Vale Chair of the Systems
Neuroscience Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological
Sciences, and an adjunct faculty member at the University ofCalifornia, San Diego (UCSD). Her research program is focusedon understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying
social and emotional processes at the circuit, cellular and synaptic
levels, particularly those relevant to psychiatric disease.
Professor Tye was born in Ithaca, New York on July 27, 1981 andgraduated from Ithaca High School in 1999. Her professional
training began at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)where she graduated with a major in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 2003. After taking ayear off to travel, she earned her PhD at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
in 2008, and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University from 2009–2011.
She then became an Assistant Professor at MIT in 2012, and was promoted to Associate
Professor with Tenure in 2018. She then moved her laboratory to the Salk Institute in 2019.  
Professor Tye has been recognized with a number of prestigious research awards
including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the Presidential Early Career Award
for Scientists and Engineers, the Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award,
Technology Review’s Top 35 Innovators under thirty-five, and the NIH Director’s Pioneer
Award. She has also been recognized with a number of awards for mentoring at theundergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level. She is committed to outreach, promoting
diversity and inclusion in science, and parenting her two children along with her spouse,
Jim Wagner.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Moderators
John M. Burger, LCDR, MC, USN
A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Lieutenant Commander
Burger graduated in 2005 from the United States Naval Academy
in Annapolis, Maryland. After receiving his M.D. degree fromthe Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Lieutenant Commander Burger completed his internship andresidency in psychiatry, both at the Naval Medical Center in San
Diego, California. Upon completion of his residency, LieutenantCommander Burger was assigned to the 1st Marine Regiment,Camp Pendleton, California where he served as the Officer-inCharge for the Operational Stress Control and Readiness Team.
In 2016, Lieutenant Commander Burger received orders to Naval Hospital Camp
Pendleton where he served as Senior Medical Officer and Mental Health Department Headfor the Directorate of Mental Health. In 2018, Lieutenant Commander Burger deployed insupport of JTF GTMO as the Behavioral Health Unit Officer-in-Charge, as well as being
selected to provide regular ethics briefs to all staff and as the medical spokesman for media
and dignitary visits, including a CODEL, NBC, Reuters, Military Times, and over 30
admirals and generals. In the summer of 2019, he arrived at Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center where he is the Associate Program Director for the military’s National
Capital Consortium’s Psychiatry Residency responsible for educating and training 53
psychiatry residents, both from the Army and Navy.
Lieutenant Commander Burger’s awards include the Navy/Marine Corps
Commendation Medal (four awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense
Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Rifle Markmanship Medal(sharpshooter), and Pistol Markmanship Medal (expert). Lieutenant Commander Burger,
his wife, and four children live in Bethesda, MD.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Moderators, Continued
David Johnson, COL, USA, MC
COL David Johnson serves as forensic psychiatry consultant
to the Army Office of the Surgeon General and as Chiefof the Center for Forensic Behavioral Sciences (CFBS) at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC).
The CFBS serves as the only dedicated facility for forensic
psychiatry and forensic psychology within the Departmentof Defense, offering forensic consultation to courts-martialworldwide for DoD and the Coast Guard as well as to federal
and military law enforcement and intelligence operations.
His work at the CFBS began in June 2012, when he served as
the Program Director for the National Capital Consortium Forensic Psychiatry Fellowshiptraining program until June 2018. During that period, he was responsible for the militarytraining of all Army and Navy forensic psychiatrists.
COL Johnson earned two degrees at the University of California at Berkeley in
Molecular Cell Biology and Physical Anthropology in 1996. COL Johnson completed
medical school at the Uniformed Services University (USU) in 2000, completed General
Psychiatry residency at the old Walter Reed in 2004, and completed forensic psychiatry
fellowship training there in 2005. His first duty assignment was as Division Psychiatrist forthe 1st Infantry Division in Wuerzburg, Germany. He led all Behavioral Health operations in
support of Schweinfurt, Germany from 2006 to 2010, supporting the 172nd Infantry Brigade
and elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He led Behavioral Health operations for Weed
Army Community Hospital at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California
from 2010–2012. He deployed in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom in support of warfighting efforts, and has travelled on separate shortterm missions to both theaters as well.
COL Johnson has performed services for over 200 courts-martial, from R.C.M.
706 evaluations to expert testimony. He served as medical/psychiatric SME for the 15-6
investigation into the Fort Hood mass shooting of 2014 by SPC Ivan Lopez. COL Johnson
has supported military commissions by conducting court-ordered evaluations on detainees
involved with the U.S.S. Cole bombing and the 9/11 attacks. He has given numerous
presentations at national and Judge Advocate General (JAG) conferences on militarysexual assault, the military disability process, and other forensic topics. He has co-authoredchapters for multiple textbooks and is a co-author of a significant paper regarding the use of
military unit watches for potentially suicidal or homicidal service members.
COL Johnson’s military awards include the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service
Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), the Joint Service Commendation Medal,
the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Army
Achievement Medal (2 OLC). He is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit, holds
the Army’s Proficiency “A” Designator, and holds Master Clinician status at WRNMMC.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Conference Leadership
Derrick A. Hamaoka, MD
Col (Dr.) Derrick Hamaoka serves as the Assistant Chair, Medical
Education, for the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences Department of Psychiatry. Col Hamaoka is a graduate of
the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of
Medicine (1999) and the University of Texas Health Science Center
Psychiatry Residency Program (2003). Prior to serving in his
current position, he was the Associate Program Director, Universityof Texas Health San Antonio Psychiatry Residency Program,leading one of the largest programs in the nation and responsible
for the majority of the active duty Air Force psychiatry pipeline.
He holds the Air Force Medical Corps Academic Grand Master (ME) Special Experience
Identifier (SEI). He also served as the Defense Institute for Medical Operations director
and subject matter expert for the Mental Health Services After Disasters & Combat course,
providing support/education for recent missions to Iraq, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Colombia,
Mexico, and Slovakia.

Robert J. Ursano, MD
Dr. Ursano is Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the
Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland and founding
Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. He
served as Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry for 25 years.
In addition, Dr. Ursano is Editor of Psychiatry, the distinguishedjournal of interpersonal and biological processes, founded byHarry Stack Sullivan. Dr Ursano completed twenty years of service
in USAF medical corps and retired as Colonel in 1991. He was
educated at the University of Notre Dame and Yale University
School of Medicine and did his psychiatric training at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Centerand Yale University.
Dr. Ursano served as the Department of Defense representative to the National
Advisory Mental Health Council of the National Institute of Mental Health and is a pastmember of the Veterans Affairs Mental Health Study Section and the National Institute of
Mental Health Rapid Trauma and Disaster Grant Review Section. He is a Distinguished Life
Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association. He is a Fellow of the American College of
Psychiatrists. Dr. Ursano was the first Chairman of the American Psychiatric Association’s
Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster. This work greatly aided the integrationof psychiatry and public health in times of disaster and terrorism. Dr. Ursano was an invited
participant to the White House Mental Health Conference in 1999. He has received theContinued
915TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Department of Defense Humanitarian Service Award, the Lifetime Achievement Awardof the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and APA’s Bruno Lima Award in
Disaster Psychiatry. He is the recipient of the William C. Porter Award from the Associationof Military Surgeons of the United States, and a frequent advisor on issues surrounding
psychological response to trauma to the highest levels of the US Government andspecifically to the Department of Defense leadership.
Dr. Ursano has served as a member of the National Academies of Science, Institute ofMedicine, Committee on Psychological Responses to Terrorism, Committee on PTSD andCompensation and the Committee on Nuclear Preparedness; and the National Instituteof Mental Health Task Force on Mental Health Surveillance After Terrorist Attack. In
addition he is a member of scientific advisory boards to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and the Centers for Disease Control. In 2012, Dr. Ursano was awarded the William
C. Menninger Memorial Award for distinguished contributions to the Science of Mental
Health by the American College of Physicians. In 2014, Dr. Ursano and Dr. Matthew
Friedman of the VA National Center for PTSD co-founded the Friedman-Leahy Brain Bank
supported through Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). It is the first human brain bank dedicatedto PTSD. This joint effort of many people was a 12 year project developing concepts, pilot
data and support. Dr. Ursano has more than 400 publications. He is co-author or editor ofeight books.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Continuing Education
ACCREDITATIONThis activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation
requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
through the joint providership of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Societyof Uniformed Services Physicians. The APA is accredited by the ACCME to provide
continuing medical education for physicians.

DESIGNATIONThe APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(TM). Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their
participation in the activity.

CE FOR NON-PHYSICIANS

Non-physicians will receive documentation of participation stating that the activity wascertified for 4.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits (TM). Documentation will also include thetitle of each presentation, the conference date, and number of hours of participation. We
suggest that you retain each presentation’s description in your records in case your licensing
agency requires it.
You should be able to present this information to your licensing agency for continuing
education credit, however, there is considerable variation between states and licensing
agencies so we cannot guarantee that non-physicians will receive credit.
Please contact contact@amygdalaptsdconference.org if you have any questions.

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Conference Committee
Derrick A. Hamaoka, MD, Chair
Col, USAF, MC, FS
Assistant Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
David Mears, PhD, Co-Chair
Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Alvi A. Azad, DO, MBA, Co-Chair
Lt Col, USAF, MC, FS
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics
Associate Program Director, NCC Psychiatry Residency
Uniformed Services University
Gary H. Wynn, MD, Scientific Chair
COL, MC, USA
Assistant Chair and Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Kwang Choi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Kelly L. Cozza, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Continued
1215TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Eric Meyer, MD, CME Chair
Maj, MC, USAF
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
James A. Naifeh, PhD
Research Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Holly H. Mash, PhD
Research Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Scientist
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Amy E. Steward, MSgt, USAF
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Julia Petrini, ScB
Research AssistantCenter for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Brett Thomas, MD, Resident Advisor
PGY-2 Psychiatry
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
We extend special thanks to:
Ebony Harris, Senior Instructional Designer, Online Learning,
Division of Education, American Psychiatric Association
Sydny Grossman, Digital Producer, American Psychiatric Association

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Posters
1. Sleep Disturbances Impact PTSD and Health in Gulf War Veterans Illness
Authors: Nathaniel Allen, BS1; Matthew Reinhard, PsyD1
Affiliations:
1. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC
2. Nightmare Deconstruction and Reprocessing for Trauma-Related Nightmares in
Military Service Members and Veterans: Preliminary Pilot Results
Authors: Alvi Azad, DO1; David Benedek, MD1; Marita Bolis, BS1,2; Catherine Dempsey,
PhD1,2; Jessica Gill, PhD3; Katherine Hillman, BS1,2; Ashley Phares, BA1,2; James West,
MD1; Lei Zhang, MD1; Xianzhang Hu, MD, PhD1; Patricia Spangler, PhD1,2
Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
3. Mindfulness is Associated with Reduction in Self-Reported Symptoms andImprovements in Neuropsychological and EEG Measures
Authors: Babu Henry Samuel, I., PhD1,2; Allen, N., MS1; Chun, T.J., BS1; Crock, L., BS1;
Dutton, M.A., PhD3; Reinhard, M.J., PsyD1,3; Costanzo, M.E., PhD1
Affiliations:
1. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Washington, DC
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
4. Virtual Reality-Based Treatment of PTSD After Mild TBI: Preliminary Results of 3MDR
With and Without Eye Movement
Authors: Paula Bellini, MA1,2,3; Sarah Kruger, MS4; Hannah S. O’Malley1,2,3; Kerri Dunbar,
MA1,2,3; Michael J. Roy, MD, MPH1,2,5
Affiliations:
1. Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2. Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
3. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
4. National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bethesda, MD
5. Department of Medicine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

5. Psychological Resilience Support Material for Service Members Working with Human
Remains: The MA-STAR Pocket Card
Authors: Quinn M. Biggs, PhD, MPH1,2; Joshua Morganstein, MD1; Britany MullinsHussain, BA1,2; Julia Petrini, ScB1,2; James E. McCarroll, PhD, MPH1,2; Carol S. Fullerton,
PhD1; Robert J. Ursano, MD1
Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
6. Compounding Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Status, and Other Factors on
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Charity B. Breneman, PhD, MSPH1,2,3; Immanuel Babu Henry Samuel, PhD1,2,3;
Timothy Chun, BS2,3; Arghavan Hamedi, MA2,3; Rayelynn Murphy, MS3; John P. Barrett,MD, MPH2,3,4
Affiliations:
1. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
2. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC), Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Washington, DC
3. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC
4. Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
7. Enhancing Executive Function and Self-Regulation Success Through the Promotionof Brain Health Behaviors: Review of Methods and Best Practices from an Ongoing
Telehealth Pilot Study
Authors: Timothy Chun, BS1; Walter Jachimowicz, RN1; Lucas Crock, MS1; Rebecca
McCullers MA, RN1,4; Ryan C. Brewster, PhD1; Adil Alaoui, MS3; Anas Belouali, MS3;
Charity Breneman, PhD1,4; MaryAnn Dutton, PhD3; Michael Roy, PhD2; Matthew J.
Reinhard, PsyD1; Michelle Costanzo, PhD1,2
Affiliations:
1. Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC
2. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
3. Georgetown University, Washington, DC
4. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
8. Social Closeness and Support are Associated with Lower Risk of Suicide Among U.S.
Army Soldiers
Authors: Catherine L. Dempsey, PhD1,2; David M. Benedek, MD1; Kelly L. Zuromski,
PhD3; Matthew K. Nock, PhD3; Pablo A. Aliaga, MA1,2; Jingning Ao, MPH1,2; Matthew W.
George, MPH1,2; Britany Mullins-Hussain, BA1,2; Alysse Weinberg, BA1,2; Robert J. Ursano,MD1
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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
9. RECONsolidation of Traumatic memories to ResOLve Posttraumatic Stress Disorder(RECONTROL): Preliminary Results
Authors: Kerri E. Dunbar, MA1,7; Hannah S. O’Malley1,3,7; Paula G. Bellini, MA1,3,7;
Patricia T. Spangler, PhD2,4,6,7; Deborah Probe Adams, MA2,4,7; Catherine L. Dempsey,
PhD2,4,6,7; Richard M. Gray, PhD8; Michael J. Roy, MD, MPH1,3,5
Affiliations:
1. Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
3. Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
4. Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
5. Department of Medicine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
6. Department of Psychiatry, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
7. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
8. Research and Recognition Project, Corning, NY
10. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Changes in Lateral Habenula Neuronal
Excitability
Authors: William Jesse Flerlage1; Ludovic Langlois, PhD1; Milan Rusnak1; Aviva Symes,
PhD1; Fereshteh Nugent, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
11. Extracellular Vesicle Proteins and MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Persistent PTSD
Symptoms in Veterans with History of Mild TBI
Authors: Vivian A Guedes, PhD1; Chen Lai, PhD1; Christina Devoto, MS1,2; Katie
Edwards, PhD1,2, Bao-Xi Qu, MD, PhD1,3; Sara Mithani, PhD1; Elisabeth A. Wilde, PhD5;
William C. Walker, MD4; Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD6; J Kent Werner, MD7,8; Jessica
M. Gill, PhD1,7; Kimbra Kenney, MD7,8
Affiliations:
1. Tissue Injury Branch, National Institutes of Nursing Research, National Institutes of
Health, Bethesda, MD

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2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, VA
5. CENC Imaging Core, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
6. Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine,Philadelphia, PA
7. CENC Biorepository, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda,
MD
8. Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
12. The Protective Role of Dispositional Mindfulness on the Relationship Between PostDeployment Family Functioning and Chronic Depression Symptoms of Veterans
Authors: Arghavan Hamedi, MA1; Daniel Soranzo, MA2; Nathaniel Allen, BS1; Alexander
Zajdel, BA1; Lucas Crock, MA1; MaryAnn Dutton, PhD3; Matthew J. Reinhard, PsyD1;Michelle Costanzo, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Washington, DC
2. Rally Health, Washington DC
3. Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
13. COVID-19 Fear-Induced Catatonia: A Case Report
Authors: Daniel J. Houser, BS1; Emily Hoffman, BS1; Christopher Hines, MD2; Enoch
Barrios, MD2
Affiliations:
1. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Department of Psychiatry, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
14. Dispositional Mindfulness Alters the Relationship Between Stressful Life Events andPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms in Veterans with Gulf War Illness
Authors: Mary Katherine Howell, PhD1; Lucas Crock, MA1; Nathaniel Allen, BS1; MaryAnn Dutton, PhD2; Matthew Reinhard, PsyD1; Michelle Costanzo, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC
2. Georgetown University, Washington, DC

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

15. Positive Allosteric Modulation of GABA β2/3 Subunit-Containing Receptors
Decreases Anxiety-Like Effects of Traumatic Stress in Rats
Authors: Kilana Jenkins, BS1; Boris Ngouajio, BS1; Kevin M. Swift, PhD1; Fred Johnson III,
BS1; Rachel Taylor, PhD1; Matthew May, MS1; Isaac Jeong, BS1; Tim Johnstone, PhD2; Derk
Hogenkamp, PhD2; Kelvin Gee, PhD2; Emily Lowery-Gionta, PhD1; Liana Matson, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Behavioral Biology, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience,
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
16. Development of a Military-Relevant Preclinical Model of Stress-Related Disorders
Authors: Fred L. Johnson III, BS1; Rachel M. Taylor, PhD1; Drew B. Henschen, DVM2;
Kevin M. Swift, PhD1; Boris D. Ngouajio, BS1; Kilana D. Jenkins, BS1; Emily M. Scott,MS1; Isaac H. Jeong, BS1; Matthew D. May, MS1; Gabriella M. Silva, BS1; Liana M.
Matson, PhD1; Emily G. Lowery-Gionta, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Behavioral Biology, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience,
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
2. Department of Small Animal Medicine, Veterinary Services Program, Center for
Enabling Capabilities, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
17. Daytime Sleepiness Relates to Tau Levels and PTSD and Depression Symptoms in
Military Personnel with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Jacqueline J. Leete, BA1; Vivian A. Guedes, PhD1; Sara Mithani, PhD1; Ethan
Smith, BS1; Chen Lai, PhD1; Christina Devoto, MS1; Michael J. Roy, MD, MPH, FACP,
COL (Ret)2; Jessica Gill, PhD, RN1
Affiliations:
1. National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2. Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
18. Effect of Individual and Interpersonal Factors on Recovery Time Following Multiple
Florida Hurricanes
Authors: Alexander G. Liu, MPH1,2; Britany Mullins-Hussain, BA1,2; Holly B. HerbermanMash, PhD1,2; Carol S. Fullerton, PhD1; Joshua C. Morganstein, MD1; Leming Wang,
MS1; Robert J. Ursano, MD1
Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD

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19. Identification of DNA Methylation Predicts Onset of PTSD and Depression Following
TraumaAuthors: Carina A. Martin, BS1; Rany Vorn, PhD1; Martin A. Schreiber, MD, FACS,FCCM3; Chen Lai, PhD1; Sijung Yun, PhD2; Hyung-Suk Kim, PhD1; Jessica Gill, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2. Yotta Biomed, Bethesda, MD
3. Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Oregon Health and Sciences
University, Portland, OR
20. A Multi-Modal Observational Remote Study in Veterans that have Experienced
Blast Exposures: A Methodical Review
Authors: Kamila U. Migdal, PhD1; Immanuel Babu Henry Samuel, PhD1,2; Charity
B. Breneman, PhD1,2; Ryan Brewster, PhD1; Matthew Reinhard, PsyD1; Michelle E.
Costanzo, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Washington, DC
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
21. A Comprehensive Prevention Matrix to Address Risk Factors for Child Neglect
Types in U.S. Army Families
Authors: Tashina L. Miller, PhD, LCSW1; Christin M. Ogle, PhD2,3; Rafael F. Zuleta, BS2,3;
Stephen J. Cozza, MD2
Affiliations:
1. National Capitol Consortium, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda,
MD
2. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
3. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
22. Assessment of Visual Scanning Patterns During an Affective Saccade Task to
Evaluate Threat Bias in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Hyuk Oh, PhD1; Nathaniel Allen, BS2; Arghavan Hamedi, MA2; Kyle Jaquess,
PhD3; Immanuel Babu Henry Samuel, PhD2; Matthew Reinhard, PsyD2; Michelle
Costanzo, PhD2
Affiliations:
1. Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
2. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Washington, DC
3. Department of Psychology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA
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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

23. Randomized Controlled Trial of Allostatic Neurotechnology to Treat Mild Traumatic
Brain Injury
Authors: Hannah O’Malley1,3; Wesley Cole, PhD4; Y. Sammy Choi, MD4; Nora Rachels4,
Paula Bellini, MA1,3; Makayla Brewer4; Lee Gerdes5; Catherine Tegeler6; Charles Tegeler,
MD6; Michael J. Roy, MD, MPH1,2
Affiliations:
1. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
3. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
4. Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC
5. Brain State Tech, Scottsdale, AZ
6. Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
24. Longitudinal Neurochemical Changes of Riluzole Augmentation in PosttraumaticStress Disorder Treatment in a Veteran Sample
Authors: Ashley M. Phares, BA1,2; James C. West, MD1; Patricia T. Spangler, PhD 1,2;
Catherine L. Dempsey, PhD1,2; Sam H. Jiang, BS3; Alexander P. Lin, PhD3, Katherine I.
Hillman, BS1,2; Marita A. Bolis, BS1,2; David M. Benedek, MD1
Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Boston, MA
25. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder May Be Associated with Allergic Rhinitis andAsthma Among Combat-Deployed US Military Service Members
Authors: Luke M. Pittman, MD1; Shiva Ambardar, BS2; Eduard A. Poltavskiy, PhD3;
Nathan A. Boggs, MD, PhD1,2; Brian D. Robertson, MD1; Ian J. Stewart, MD2
Affiliations:
1. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
2. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
3. David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis AFB, CA
26. 7T Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Metabolite Variations During
Working Memory in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
Authors: Meredith A. Reid, PhD1; Sarah E. Whiteman, MS2; Abigail A. Camden, BA2;
Stephanie M. Jeffirs, BA2; Thomas S. Denney, PhD1; Frank W. Weathers, PhD2
Affiliations:
1. AU MRI Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn
University, Auburn, AL
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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

2. Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
27. A Pilot Study of App-Based Biofeedback in Active-Duty Servicemembers
Authors: Karen Richardson, BS1; Ashley Phares, BA1; Alyssa Peechatka, PhD3; Jason
Kahn, PhD2,3; Pablo Aliaga, MA1; Alvi Azad, DO1; Madeline Teisberg, DO, MS1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
3. Mightier™, Neuromotion Labs, Boston, MA
28. Cluster Analysis Fails to Reveal mTBI Symptom Phenotype
Authors: Zachary Riggenbach, 2LT USA1; Kimbra Kennedy, MD2; Ann Scher, PhD3
Affiliations:
1. School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda,
MD
2. Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
3. Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
29. Input-Specific Regulation of Discrete Populations of Lateral Habenula Neurons by
KOR
Authors: Sarah C. Simmons, PhD1; Shawn Gouty, MS1; William J. Flerlage1; Brian M.
Cox, PhD1; Fereshteh S. Nugent, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Bethesda, MD
30. National Guard and Reserve Soldiers: Social Support Trajectories and Suicide
Ideation
Authors: Jing Wang, PhD1,2; Robert J. Ursano, MD1; Robert K. Gifford, PhD1,2; Hieu
Dinh, BS1,2; Alysse Weinberg, BA1,2; Laura Sampson, BA3; Sandro Galea, MD, MPH,
DrPH3; Carol S. Fullerton, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
2. Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
3. School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND

31. Central Amygdala Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor (AT1R) Expressing Neurons
Influence Fear Extinction
Authors: Zhe Yu, PhD1; Alexandre Kisner, PhD1; Amy Bhatt, BS1; Abigail Polter, PhD1;Paul J. Marvar, PhD1
Affiliations:
1. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University,
Washington, DC

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NotesPlease visit us at www.CSTSonline.org
www.twitter.com/CSTS_USU
www.facebook.com/USU.CSTS

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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org

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15TH ANNUAL AMYGDALA, STRESS, AND PTSD CONFERENCE: STRESS AND THE MIND