Karestan Chase Koenen, Ph.D.

Author Bio

Karestan Chase Koenen, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Institute Member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where she leads the Broad Trauma Initiative. Her groundbreaking research investigates why some individuals exhibit resilience while others develop PTSD, focusing on the long-term impacts of violence and expanding global access to evidence-based recovery.

​

A steadfast advocate for survivors, Dr. Koenen has testified before Congress and provided expert commentary for The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. She is the co-author of Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Interpersonal Trauma and has been honored for her scientific contributions and mentorship by the American Psychological Association and Harvard University.

​

Beyond the lab, she is a certified yoga, meditation, and breathwork instructor. Dr. Koenen finds deep purpose in exploring the intersection of ancient practices and modern science to better understand how breathwork serves as a physiological bridge to trauma recovery.