Dr. Rachel Yehuda

Rachel Yehuda, PhD, is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience and serves as director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Yehuda also leads the Traumatic Stress Studies Division, which includes the PTSD clinical research program and the neurochemistry and neuroendocrinology laboratory at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Yehuda is known for research in traumatic stress studies, particularly in the neurobiology of PTSD, and has authored more than 450 scientific publications. Her research addresses risk and resilience factors, predictors of treatment response in PTSD, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. She directs a federally funded research program that attracts students and clinicians from around the world.

Yehuda’s work on cortisol and brain function has influenced the understanding and treatment of PTSD. She received the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry Guest Professorship, recognizing contributions to neuroscience and psychiatric research, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for work on the psychological and biological impact of traumatic stress. Yehuda is a prominent figure in the field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for trauma, advancing clinical research and public discourse on innovative treatments for PTSD. She is a frequent keynote speaker at scientific conferences and public forums, recognized for expertise in trauma research and commitment to translating scientific advances into clinical practice.

Yehuda earned a PhD in psychology and neurochemistry and an MS in biological psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and completed postdoctoral training in biological psychiatry at Yale Medical School.