David Topor, PhD, MS-HPEd

Adjunct Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. David Topor is the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) at VA Boston Healthcare System and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Topor is a Clinical Psychologist at VA Boston Healthcare System, specializing in providing psychotherapy for people with serious mental illness.

Dr. Topor received his BA in psychology from The George Washington University and his MA and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Brown Medical School. He received his MS in Health Professions Education from The MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Topor has expertise in faculty development, interprofessional education evaluation and research, educational leadership, and teaching and mentoring. He currently serves in a number of hospital-wide educational leadership roles, including Chairperson of the VA Boston Education Leadership Committee and Director of the VA Boston First Friday Faculty Development Presentation series.

Publications

  • Published 6/1/2026

    Topor DR, Chang G. Beyond yes or no: elevating mentor-mentee dialogues with open-ended questions. Acad Med. 2026 Jun 01; 101(6):597-598. PMID: 41818699.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/18/2025

    Murray A, Sudak D, Topor DR, Ruble AE, Frank A. Where Have All the Supervisors Gone? Practical Tips for Recruiting Psychotherapy Supervisors. Am J Psychother. 2026 Mar 01; 79(1):32-36. PMID: 40820506.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/20/2025

    Newman LR, Fromme HB, Harendt SM, Rudd M, Topor DR. From sage on the stage to voice in the void: Exploring the phenomenon of invisibility in virtual learning environments. Med Educ. 2026 Jan; 60(1):58-60. PMID: 40390601.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/4/2025

    Boswell N, Barghini R, Bhatt-Mackin S, Murray A, Topor D, Nakamura A, Pellegrino L, Ruble AE. Repairing Cultural Ruptures in Psychotherapy: Strategies to Enhance the Therapeutic Alliance. Am J Psychother. 2025 Jun 15; 78(2):119-123. PMID: 39901761.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/18/2024

    Topor DR, Pollack S, Loftis C, Fennell T. Psychology Recognition Week: A Blueprint for Recognizing and Promoting the Contributions of Psychology at Academic Health Centers. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2024 Dec; 31(4):706-711. PMID: 39023804.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 38 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Websites

Education

  • University of North Carolina, PhD
  • Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, MS
  • University of North Carolina, MA
  • The George Washington University Law School, BA

View all profiles