Brian N. Smith, PhD

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the Deputy Director of the National Center for PTSD Women’s Health Sciences Division at VA Boston Healthcare System, where he is also a Research Health Scientist. His federally funded research program is focused on the effects of traumatic stress and mental health sequelae—PTSD, depression, and salient comorbidities—on outcomes related to physical health, functioning, and well-being. He examines these outcomes and associated risk and resilience factors in populations at heightened risk for trauma exposure, especially military veterans, and often examines psychosocial risk models in epidemiologic samples of women and men from a life course perspective. The examination of trauma-related research questions with public health and clinical services implications is a theme that cuts across his research program. He also has a general interest in the application of advanced statistical methods in health sciences research. More generally, Dr. Smith has a long standing interest in examining the social context of health-related behaviors, mechanisms, and outcomes.

Publications

  • Published 8/18/2025

    Zelkowitz RL, Knutson EK, Kehle-Forbes S, Smith BN, Mitchell KS. Associations of self-directed violence among traumatic stress correlates: Network analysis and comparison in veteran men and women. J Affect Disord. 2025 Dec 15; 391:120017. PMID: 40835186.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/18/2025

    Smith BN, Kaiser AP. Introduction to the special section on the long-term health impact of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, comorbid conditions, and aging. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Aug; 38(4):583-587. PMID: 40534104.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/12/2025

    Serier KN, Burns HM, Magruder KM, Spiro A, Pless Kaiser A, Kimerling R, Frayne SM, Kilbourne AM, Stock EM, Forsberg CW, Smith NL, Smith BN. Functioning and disability consequences of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and diabetes in Vietnam era men and women veterans. Health Psychol. 2025 Jun 12. PMID: 40504650.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/12/2025

    Serier KN, Burns HM, Magruder KM, Spiro A, Kaiser AP, Kimerling R, Frayne SM, Kilbourne AM, Stock EM, Forsberg CW, Smith NL, Smith BN. Posttraumatic stress disorder and hypertension in older adult Vietnam Era male and female veterans. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Aug; 38(4):659-670. PMID: 40353294.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/7/2025

    Lawrence KA, Speaks HR, Abner EL, Schmitt FA, Vasterling JJ, Smith BN, Segerstrom SC. Lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder and longitudinal cognitive decline: A cognitive aging framework in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Aug; 38(4):646-658. PMID: 40339160.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 89 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Deputy Director, National Center for PTSD
    VA Boston Healthcare System

Websites

Education

  • Virginia Commonwealth University, PhD
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, MS
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, BS

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