Prof. Dr. Carol North | Disaster mental health | Best Researcher Award
Adjunct Professor in Psychiatry (volunteer), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States
Dr. Carol S. North, MD, MPE, DLFAPA, is a distinguished psychiatrist specializing in trauma and disaster psychiatry. She holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she previously served as Professor and Director of the Division of Trauma and Disaster. With over four decades of clinical, academic, and research experience, Dr. North has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding the psychological aftermath of disasters, terrorism, and trauma. She earned her MD and MPE from Washington University in St. Louis, where she also completed her residency and postdoctoral research fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology. Dr. North has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Bruno Lima Award for excellence in disaster psychiatry and recognition as a “World Expert” in disaster research. Her pioneering work continues to influence global psychiatric practices and improve mental health outcomes for trauma-exposed populations.
Profile
Education
Dr. Carol North completed her undergraduate studies in General Science at the University of Iowa in 1976. She pursued her medical degree (MD) at Washington University School of Medicine, graduating in 1983. Following her MD, she underwent an intensive internship and residency in psychiatry at Barnes Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis from 1983 to 1987. During her training, she cultivated a passion for research, leading her to earn a Master of Psychiatric Epidemiology (MPE) from Washington University in 1993. Dr. North also completed a National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Psychiatric Epidemiology from 1987 to 1990, solidifying her expertise in psychiatric research. This strong educational foundation has underpinned her influential career in academic psychiatry, with a focus on trauma, disaster response, and epidemiological studies.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Carol North’s illustrious career is marked by numerous awards recognizing her contributions to psychiatry. Highlights include the Bruno Lima Award (1996) from the American Psychiatric Association for excellence in disaster psychiatry and the Francis J. Braceland Public Service Award for impactful public service. Her clinical and research excellence earned her repeated inclusion in Best Doctors in America (1993–2018) and recognition as a World Expert in disaster research by Expertscape. She received the prestigious Hamilton Award from the American Psychopathological Association (2015) and was honored with multiple Winokur Awards for best-published articles in The Annals of Clinical Psychiatry. Dr. North has also been celebrated for teaching excellence, winning the Teacher of the Year Award at Washington University. Her honors reflect a lifelong dedication to advancing psychiatric care, education, and research.
Research Focus
Dr. Carol North’s research centers on trauma and disaster psychiatry, focusing on the psychological impacts of terrorism, natural disasters, and mass casualty events. Her groundbreaking studies have shed light on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, and mental health outcomes among trauma survivors. Dr. North’s work integrates clinical insights with psychiatric epidemiology, emphasizing longitudinal studies of disaster survivors, including those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 attacks. She has explored the functional impairments associated with PTSD, fear-based memory extinction, and the effectiveness of family psychoeducation for patients with comorbid conditions like hepatitis C. Additionally, her research extends to homelessness, emergency department practices, and mHealth interventions for vulnerable populations. Dr. North’s interdisciplinary approach has informed disaster preparedness and response strategies, enhancing the global understanding of mental health resilience in the face of adversity.
Publications
- Suicide Risk Assessment and Management: Real-World Experience and Perceptions of Emergency Medicine Physicians 🏥
- Family Psychoeducation for Hepatitis C Patients and Their Families: Recommendations for Clinicians 📚
- Facilitating Fear-Based Memory Extinction With Dexamethasone: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Male Veterans With Combat-Related PTSD 🎖️
- Prospective Longitudinal Substance Use Patterns in Patients Preparing for Hepatitis C Treatment 📊
- Using mHealth to Increase Treatment Utilization Among Recently Incarcerated Homeless Adults (Link2Care): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial 📱
- Association of PTSD Symptom Groups With Functional Impairment and Distress in Trauma-Exposed Disaster Survivors 🌍
- Adult Antisocial Behavior and Its Relationship to Antisocial Personality Disorder in a Longitudinal Study of Homelessness 🏘️
- Psychosocial Effects on US Government Personnel of Exposure to the 1998 Terrorist Attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi 🇰🇪
- Personality and Psychiatric Disorders Among Employees of NYC Workplaces Affected by 9/11 🏙️
- Perceived Need for Mental Health Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US 🦠
- Perspectives of Oklahoma City Bombing Survivors With and Without PTSD 🕊️
- A Crosswalk Study of DSM-IV and DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD 📖
- Comparison of Violence Risk Screening Experiences of Emergency Department Clinicians ⚖️
- A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Qualitative Disaster Narratives of Oklahoma City Bombing Survivors 🗨️