Joshua C. Morganstein, MD

CAPT(Ret), USPHS
Deputy Director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Military & Emergency Medicine
Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University

Dr. Joshua C. Morganstein is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Deputy Director at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) in the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and completed 16 years in the U.S. Air Force and 10 years in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, retiring as a Captain in 2023. He is a Chair of the Committee on the Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster and Distinguished Fellow at the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Morganstein received his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He completed a combined residency in Psychiatry and Family Medicine in the National Capital Consortium in Washington, DC. Dr. Morganstein leads the Disaster Mental Health and Public Health education and consultation services at CSTS. In this capacity he has overseen and provided support to dozens of national and global disasters, working with local, state, national and international partners to support the well-being of individuals and communities adversely impacted by these events. He has been an invited speaker and consultant for national organizations and federal interagency partners. Dr. Morganstein provided mental health subject-matter expertise to the United Nations’ 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. He co-authored the only Curriculum Recommendations for Disaster Behavioral Health Professionals and was a co-author for a landmark Presidential report on the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States. Dr. Morganstein authored numerous articles, chapters, and technical reports on the mental health impact of various disaster events, including climate-related disasters, mass violence, terrorism, nuclear exposure, and pandemics and is Assistant Editor for the second edition of the Textbook of Disaster Psychiatry. He has studied the effects of stress and trauma in organizational settings, including the military drone intelligence community as well as personnel impacted by the 2013 mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard. Dr. Morganstein is currently working with the United States National Guard to better understand risk and protective factors associated with COVID-19 deployments on the psychological health and operational readiness of servicemembers.

Dr. Morganstein previously served in the United States Air Force from 1997-2013. His operational experiences include remote overseas community mental health care for the Pacific Air Force in Japan and deployment to Afghanistan during the second surge as the lead Psychiatrist in support of the Global War on Terrorism.  He served as Chief of Addictions Services for the Air Force's only dual-diagnosis treatment program and was selected to serve as the Behavioral Health Advisor to the Commander, Joint Task Force National Capital Region-Medical, where he oversaw the realignment of behavioral health, substance use, and traumatic brain injury services for 500K military beneficiaries during the largest Base Realignment and Closure in the history of the Department of Defense. Following his Air Force officer, Dr. Morganstein completed an inter-service transfer to the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service in 2013 to pursue his professional interests in public health and disaster mental health.

Visit ResearchGate for a list of Dr. Morganstein's publications.