Rachel Shor, PhD

Research Psychologist, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University

Rachel Shor, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a Research Psychologist at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. She completed her BS in Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, and MA in Counseling Psychology at Arcadia University with concentrations in Children/Family Therapy and Trauma: Clinical Bases of Treatment and Recovery. Dr. Shor received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University. She completed her clinical internship at VA Boston Healthcare System with a focus on trauma-related disorders and behavioral medicine, and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Women’s Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston. She joined the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress in September 2022.

At CSTS, Dr. Shor’s program of research focuses on suicide-related outcomes in trauma-exposed populations, with an emphasis on identifying modifiable risk and protective factors across social, psychological, and occupational domains. Her work examines interpersonal processes, social connectedness, and occupational context as key mechanisms shaping suicide risk, particularly among US service members. She has contributed to large-scale epidemiologic and longitudinal studies of military mental health and suicidal behavior. This research is designed to inform the development, refinement, and targeting of suicide prevention strategies. Collectively, her work aims to support evidence-based efforts to reduce suicide risk, enhance help-seeking effectiveness and improve mental health outcomes in high-risk populations.