Karmel Choi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, HMS/MGH

Topic:  “Risk, Resilience, and Prevention in Mental Health: A Data-Driven Perspective”

“In an increasingly stressful world, how do we promote resilience and prevent psychopathology?” Depression and common stress-related disorders such as PTSD, as well as their consequences, represent a leading cause of disability and suffering across the lifespan. Dr. Choi will summarize insights from an integrative research program using clinically informed, data-driven, and life course approaches to (1) understand the nature, predictors, and consequences of psychological resilience; (2) prioritize modifiable protective factors for the prevention of depression and other stress-related disorders; and (3) identify individuals at risk who might benefit from prevention and resilience promotion efforts.

Karmel Choi is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Director of the Precision Prevention Program in the MGH Center for Precision Psychiatry. Her lab leverages tools from statistical genetics, data science, and epidemiology to understand how people show resilience in the face of risk and adversity and identify strategies for preventing stress-related disorders such as depression and PTSD. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Duke University and clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital.