He received his PhD in clinical psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and completed a post-doctoral Fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Aikins is a neuroscience and clinical researcher interested in novel treatments of combat stress disorders, investigating both those who are resilient and those diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both in Veterans and military families. He is particularly interested in determining dementia risks in aging Veterans. His research focuses on neuroplasticity as a model for conceptualizing traumatic stress responses, risk and resilience models of PTSD and potential approaches for PTSD treatment.