PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Kelsey Serier, PhD

Clinical Research Psychologist

Women's Health Sciences Division

Email: Kelsey.Serier@va.gov

Academic Appointment

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

Education

• Women's Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, Postdoctoral Fellowship
• University of New Mexico, Psychology, MS, PhD
• Pacific Lutheran University, Biology and Psychology, BS

Expertise and Interests

My program of research focuses on understanding the impact of PTSD and other trauma-related mental health sequalae on metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. I am interested in identifying mechanisms linking trauma with metabolic conditions and the potential of PTSD treatment to offset metabolic risk. More broadly, my work centers on using advanced statistical methods to study the effect of PTSD on women's physical health outcomes across the lifespan.

Featured Publications

Serier, K. N., Burns, H. M., Magruder, K. M., Spiro, A., Pless Kaiser, A., Kimerling, R., Frayne, S. M., Kilbourne, A. M., Stock, E. M., Forsberg, C. W., Smith, N. L., & Smith, B. N. (2025). Functioning and disability consequences of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and diabetes in Vietnam era men and women veterans. Health Psychology, 44(12), 1160-1170. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001516 PTSDpubs id1649868 (PDF)

Serier, K. N., Burns, H. M., Magruder, K. M., Spiro, A., Kaiser, A. P., Kimerling, R., Frayne, S. M., Kilbourne, A. M., Stock, E. M., Forsberg, C. W., Smith, N. L., & Smith, B. N. (2025). Posttraumatic stress disorder and hypertension in older adult Vietnam era male and female veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 38(4), 659-670. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23162 PTSDpubs id1648703 (PDF)

Serier, K. N., Magruder, K. M., Spiro, A., Kimerling, R., Frayne, S. M., Kilbourne, A. M., Pless Kaiser, A., & Smith, B. N. (2024). Associations between posttraumatic stress disorder and diabetes in Vietnam-era women veterans in the HealthViEWS study. Journal of Women's Health, 33(7), 926-937. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2023.0838 PTSDpubs id1634379 (PDF)

Serier, K. N., Zelkowitz, R. L., Smith, B. N., Vogt, D., & Mitchell, K. S. (2023). The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI): Psychometric evaluation in veteran men and women with trauma exposure. Psychological Assessment, 35(2), 140-151. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001190 PTSDpubs id1609104 (PDF)

Serier, K. N., Vogt, D., Pandey, S., & Smith, B. N. (2022). Analysis of the bidirectional relationships between posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms with physical health functioning in post-9/11 veteran men and women deployed to a war zone. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 162, 111034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.111034 PTSDpubs id1602245 (PDF)

Key Projects

I am currently funded through a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). This project leverages a large electronic health record cohort of VA patients to examine associations between PTSD with incident type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control.

Membership in Professional Societies

• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Co-Chair for 2026 Annual Meeting and Associate Editor for StressPoints

Awards and Honors

• Haught Distinguished Graduate Lecture Award, University of New Mexico, 2021
• Benjamin Franklin Haught Memorial Scholarship Award, University of New Mexico, 2019

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