Catherine L. Dempsey, PhD, MPH

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

Catherine L. Dempsey PhD, MPH is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University (USU), and a Research Psychologist at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. Her research training is multidisciplinary in public health, epidemiology and clinical psychology. She received a BS and MPH from Emory University, followed by a PhD from the University of Colorado, and Respecialization Certification in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona. She then completed her internship and postdoctoral training at the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. VA Medical Centers.

Dr. Dempsey’s program of research has focused on risk and protective factors for adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes related to trauma exposure, including suicidal behaviors and firearm-injury in service members. She is trained in mixed methods and uses a range of quantitative and qualitative methods to answer critical health questions and is a content expert in treatment for trauma, and diagnostic assessment in military populations. Dr. Dempsey has published articles in high impact journals related to risk and protective factors of suicide, in particular firearm suicide risk and prevention in service members. She joined CSTS in September, 2011.

Visit ResearchGate for a list of Dr. Dempsey’s publications.