Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress

The Center’s work addresses a wide scope of trauma exposure from the consequences of combat, operations other than war, terrorism, natural and humanmade disasters, and public health threats. CSTS is a part of our nation’s federal medical school, Uniformed Services University (USU), and its Department of Psychiatry, as well as a partnering center of the newly established Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) was established in 1987 to address United States Department of Defense concerns around the psychological impact and health consequences resulting from the impact of traumatic events, to include weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and natural disasters.

Scientists, educators, project managers, consultants, and research assistants all contribute to the development, initiation, and deployment of the Center’s growing number of projects. Center personnel meet regularly keep the entire group up-to-date and seek continued collaboration between projects.

The Center’s advances in neuroscience are aimed at improving the psychological health, resilience and post deployment function of service members through identification of biomarkers and other genetic components involved in PTSD and suicide, as well as discovery of novel pharmacologic interventions to prevent and eradicate PTSD symptoms. The Center works on social and epidemiologic studies to identify modifiable risk and resilience factors of service members and their families. Our work is also focused on improving the psychological health and resilience of military families and children.

Collaborations and partnerships are the key to the continued initiation and development of projects.