PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Yael Nillni, PhD

Clinical Research Psychologist

Women's Health Sciences Division

Email: Yael.Nillni2@va.gov

Academic Appointment

• Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Education

• VA Boston Healthcare System, National Center for PTSD, Women's Health Sciences Division, Advanced Fellowship in Women's Health
• University of Vermont, Clinical Psychology, PhD
• University of Massachusetts Amherst, Psychology, BA

Expertise and Interests

• Treatment of PTSD and comorbid disorders during the perinatal period
• Understanding how trauma, PTSD, and comorbid conditions influence women's reproductive health and reproductive transitions (menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause)
• Advancing understanding and treatment of perinatal mental health
• Effectiveness-implementation trials

Featured Publications

Nillni, Y. I., Barbano, A. C., Coleman, J. N., Fernando, M., Gerber, M. R., Goodsmith, N., Haeger, K. O., Hoffmire, C. A., Horenstein, A., Inslicht, S. S., Johnson, A. M., Katon, J. G., Moses-Kolko, E. L., Kosman, K. A., Pineles, S. L., Pleasure, Z. H., Singh, N., & Miller, L. J. (2025). The intersection of trauma, mental health, and reproductive health among women veterans: A scoping review. Clinical Psychology Review, 122, 102659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2025.102659 PTSDpubs id1656694 (PDF)

Nillni, Y. I., Schildroth, S., Yland, J. J., Brown, H. L., Wesselink, A. K., & Wise, L. A. (2025). Association between adverse perinatal events and postpartum depressive symptoms in a North American prospective preconception cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 375, 525-532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.088 PTSDpubs id1643821 (PDF)

Nillni, Y. I., Baul, T. D., Paul, E., Godfrey, L. B., Sloan, D. M., & Valentine, S. E. (2023). Written exposure therapy for treatment of perinatal PTSD among women with comorbid PTSD and SUD: A pilot study examining feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness. General Hospital Psychiatry, 83, 66-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.04.013 PTSDpubs id1620189 (PDF)

Nillni, Y. I., Fox, A. B., Cox, K., Paul, E., Vogt, D., & Galovski, T. E. (2022). The impact of military sexual trauma and warfare exposure on women veterans' perinatal outcomes. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 14(5), 730-737. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001095 PTSDpubs id1576649 (PDF)

Nillni, Y. I., Shayani, D. R., Finley, E., Copeland, L. A., Perkins, D. F., & Vogt, D. S. (2020). The Impact of posttraumatic stress disorder and moral injury on women veterans' perinatal outcomes following separation from military service. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33(3), 248-256. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22509 PTSDpubs id1552412 (PDF)

Find a full list of my publications on PubMed.

Key Projects

• PI of NICHD R01 grant, A Non-Inferiority Trial Testing Delivery of Written Exposure Therapy by Community Health Workers for Treatment of PTSD During Pregnancy
• Co-PI of NCPTSD-funded project, Longitudinal Investigation of Gender, Health, and Trauma (LIGHT) Study
• PI of NICHD K23 grant, PTSD-Related Neurobiological Mediators of Negative Pregnancy Outcomes

Membership in Professional Societies

• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
• Marce of North America/International Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health
• North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology

Awards and Honors

• Pilot Award, Grayken Center for Addiction, 2019
• Gennaro Acampora Junior Investigator Pilot Award, Boston University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, 2019
• Dissertation Award, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 2009

Members of the press interested in scheduling an interview please see the contact for the media page.