[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 23, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                   TRIBUTE TO DR. STEVEN M. SOUTHWICK

 Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, today I wish to recognize Dr. 
Steven M. Southwick on the occasion of his retirement.
  For over 30 years, Dr. Southwick has dedicated himself to researching 
combat-related PTSD. His impressive work has helped make great strides 
in the efforts to alleviate suffering and promote resilience for 
veterans. Much of the necessary progress in this field is thanks to Dr. 
Southwick's diligent studies.
  A graduate of Yale College, the George Washington School of Medicine, 
and the Yale Psychiatry Residency, Dr. Southwick served in the U.S. 
Army before attending medical school. During his service, he was 
stationed in Germany. His time in the military would shape the path of 
his future research.
  In 1985, Dr. Southwick joined the faculty of the VA Connecticut 
Healthcare System and the Yale Department of Psychiatry. Throughout his 
career, he has worked not only with combat veterans, but also with a 
range of trauma survivors, including athletes, astronauts, civilians 
with PTSD, and former prisoners of war.
  Some of his many notable accomplishments include leading the first 
mechanistic neurobiology study of PTSD and, along with his colleagues 
at the National Center for PTSD, being among the first to study the 
biological and cognitive underpinnings of resilience among U.S. Special 
Forces trainees. Through such research, Dr. Southwick pioneered the 
study of human resilience and introduced a new perspective on trauma. I 
have been fortunate to learn firsthand during visits to the center 
about the progress he and his colleagues are making on this complex but 
extremely critical condition that affects many veterans and first 
responders, and I commend them on their vital work.
  He now serves as the medical director of the clinical neuroscience 
division of the VA National Center for PTSD and the Glenn H. Greenberg 
Professor of Psychiatry, PTSD, and Resilience at the Yale University 
School of Medicine. In these positions, Dr. Southwick has mentored 
countless future leaders in the field of PTSD research.
  Dr. Southwick is the recipient of numerous honors and takes part in a 
number of journals, committees, and seminars in his area of expertise. 
Though he is recognized for his immense contributions to the realm of 
PTSD research, he is also highly regarded and beloved by his 
colleagues, students, and patients.
  I applaud his lifetime of service and hope my colleagues will join me 
in congratulating Dr. Southwick on his well-earned retirement.

                          ____________________