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Home 9 Meetings & Events 9 ISTSS 40th Annual Meeting

The meeting you won't want to miss!

The ISTSS Annual Meeting is a global forum for professionals and researchers dedicated to understanding and addressing the impact of trauma. We bring together diverse perspectives to advance scientific knowledge, develop effective treatments, and inform public policy. By bridging the gap between research and practice, we aim to improve the lives of those affected by traumatic stress worldwide.

Meet Our Keynote Speakers

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP

Yale University 

Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH

Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH

Boston University School of Public Health

Chris Brewin, PhD

Chris Brewin, PhD

University College London 

More About Our Meeting

The ISTSS Annual Meeting provides a forum for the dissemination of theoretical work, scientific ‎research, and evidence-based clinical approaches in traumatic stress studies. The annual ‎meeting also includes work aimed at informing public policy. At the annual meeting, professionals ‎and stakeholders develop and strengthen collaborative relationships to move the field of ‎traumatic stress forward. It is an international and interdisciplinary assembly, including ‎psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, counselors, researchers, administrators, ‎victim advocates, journalists, clergy, and others with an interest in the study and treatment of ‎traumatic stress.‎

Many individuals around the world experience significant adversity and trauma, including ‎pandemics, war, violence, racism, and historical oppression. Such events impact a wide range of ‎mental, social, and physical health outcomes across the lifespan. While significant advances in ‎the field of traumatic stress studies have been made, the timeline for the dissemination and ‎implementation of research findings into practice is longer than optimal, delaying the positive ‎contributions of science in real-world contexts. There remains a critical gap in translating research ‎findings from laboratory settings to clinical work and ultimately to the broader global community. ‎Hence, there needs to be an ongoing discussion on innovative research, clinical methodologies, ‎and policies that draw from, and combine, traumatic stress theory, basic science, experimental ‎research, clinical insights, and implementation to move the field of trauma research and practice ‎forward.  ‎

The ISTSS 40th Annual Meeting will focus on innovative strategies to apply basic science ‎knowledge to the assessment and treatment of traumatic stress, as well as on the translation of ‎scientific findings into actionable interventions for the global community. In pursuit of this goal, we ‎seek submissions specific to the field of traumatic stress on topics related—but not limited—to:‎

  • Application of biomedical science findings to inform assessments and interventions for ‎traumatic stress symptoms/disorders. ‎
  • Research investigating the psychological, biological, social and behavioral ‎mechanisms that underlie post-trauma mental health.‎
  • Research taking a life course perspective to address to address ‎the spectrum of ‎translational science research.‎
  • Evidence-based practices and innovative research in basic science, intervention ‎development and implementation, and policy. ‎
  • Innovative transdiagnostic treatment approaches addressing the myriad ‎consequences of trauma.‎
  • Cutting-edge research methodologies and statistical frameworks for translational ‎science research.‎
  • Ethical implications and considerations associated with the application of translational ‎science in traumatic stress studies.‎
  • Ways to effectively communicate and disseminate research to different stakeholders.‎
  • Ways to cultivate translational science and interdisciplinary exchange. ‎
  • Challenges and debates in the area of translational science.‎
  • Translational science as applicable to the global community.‎

Broadly, the scientific content of this meeting aims to bridge the gap between bench, bedside, ‎and implementation in the field of traumatic stress science and enhance a seamless translation of ‎scientific knowledge into meaningful and feasible solutions. Ultimately, the goal of this meeting is ‎to reduce the public and economic health burden of traumatic stress symptoms for the global ‎community and foster patient outcomes, understanding and management of traumatic stress ‎symptoms and community resilience in the face of trauma. ‎You will learn to:

  • Discuss foundational concepts and methodologies of translational science in the context of ‎traumatic stress studies globally.‎
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and challenges involved in translating ‎research outcomes from bench to bedside. ‎
  • Formulate and implement evidence-based interventions and best practices to integrate ‎scientific research into clinical practice. ‎
  • Devise innovation solutions to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries, clinical practice, ‎as well as policy development and public health initiatives.‎

Schedule-at-a-Glance

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

8:30 AM - 12 PM

Pre-Meeting Institute - Morning Half-Day Sessions

  • How to Find, Re-use, and Share Data for Broader Impact: Practical Tools and Tips for FAIR Data
  • Adapting Prolonged Exposure for Clinical Complexities: Navigating Comorbidities and Diversity Factors Effectively
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Moral Injury (ACT-MI): A Transdiagnostic Approach to Finding Freedom after Moral Violations

8:30 AM - 5 PM

Pre-Meeting Institute - Full Day Sessions

  • Inside the Black Box: A Dynamic Systems Framework and Methods to Understand Resilience and Impairment Following Trauma
  • Addressing the Silent Epidemic of Childhood Grief Using Evidence-Based Best Practices

Paper in a Day: Projects 1 & 2 (Invitation Only)

1:30 PM - 5 PM

Pre-Meeting Institute - Afternoon Half-Day Sessions

  • Introduction to the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 -- Revised (CAPS-5-R)
  • Navigating Barriers in Evidence-Based Practice
  • Moral Injury Conceptualization, Assessment, and Treatment: A Practical Review of the Evidence and New Directions for Research and Treatment
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

8 AM - 9:20 AM

Awards & Keynote: Confronting Firearm Injury and Its Ripple Effects: Insights and Opportunities from the Field of Public Health,

Megan Ranney, MD, MPH

9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Concurrent 1

9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Poster Session 1 Viewing

11 AM - 12:15 PM

Concurrent 2

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Poster Session 1 Presentations

1:45 PM - 3 PM

Concurrent 3

3:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Concurrent 4

3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Poster Session 2 Viewing

4:45 PM - 6 PM

Concurrent 5

5:45 PM - 7 PM

Poster Session 2 Presentations

7 PM - 8:30 PM

40th Anniversary Welcome Reception

    FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

    8 AM - 9:20 AM

    Invited Panel: Harnessing Psychedelics for Treating PTSD: Does the Science Support All the Hype?

    9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    Concurrent 6

    Keynote: Structures, systems, History and the Consequences of Trauma, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH

    9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

    Poster Session 3 Viewing

    11 AM - 12:15 PM

    Concurrent 7

    1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

    Poster Session 3 Presentations

    1:45 PM - 3 PM

    Concurrent 8

    2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

    Internship & Postdoctoral Program Networking Fair

    3:15 PM - 4:30 PM

    Concurrent 9

    5 PM - 5:45 PM

    Business Meeting

    SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

    8 AM - 9:20 AM

    Lifetime Achievement Keynote - Key Concepts, Methods, Findings, and Questions about Traumatic Memories, Chris Brewin, PhD

    8 AM - 10:45 AM

    Poster Session 4 Viewing

    9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    Concurrent 10

    10:45 AM - 12 PM

    Poster Session 4 Presentations

    11 AM - 12:15 PM

    Concurrent 11

    1:45 PM - 3 PM

    Invited Closing Presidential Panel: Innovative Approaches to Improving the

    Mental Health of Refugees and War Affected Populations