Lynnette A. Averill, PhD
Lynnette A. Averill, PhD
Member Since 2017
Dr. Averill is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston. She received her PhD from the University of Utah and completed a Fulbright fellowship at the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (now Phoenix Australia), internship in clinical psychology at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX, and postdoctoral fellowship at the NCPTSD-CND and Yale’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Averill has expertise in translational clinical neuroscience with emphasis on pharmacoimaging trials of rapid-acting glutamate-based drugs evaluating behavioral and neural alterations in suicidal thoughts and behaviors in trauma- and stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Dr. Averill and ADAA
“I first became involved with ADAA in 2015 when my colleague suggested the meeting to me. I presented some of my research and found all of the conversations to be invigorating – leaving with a host of new perspectives, novel ideas for future work, and connections for potential collaborations. The following year I had the honor of participating in the CDLP Award Program and found this to be an outstanding experience, gaining direct feedback on my research and career trajectory from leaders in the field and also networking with peers. The CDLP experience also facilitated my receipt of some pilot data for a grant submission and my selection for a leadership role in the Genetics and Neuroscience Special Interest Group (GAN SIG), which has been great fun.”
“I really appreciate the broad and diverse membership, the nice blend of presentations at the annual conference, and the community engagement and opportunities for continued learning and development between annual meetings. ADAA does a very nice of blending clinical practice, research, policy/advocacy and doesn’t shy away from ‘hard’ or potentially controversial topics. I’d also give a shout out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) who have a nice footprint at the ADAA annual meetings and always host a lunch for past and present awardees, which has been a great way to connect with people doing highly relevant and diverse work.”
“As a clinician and investigator, I have benefited greatly from the nice blend of learning and educational /CME opportunities, both at the annual meetings and the webinars throughout the year. Being involved with the Genetics and Neuroscience SIG has been helpful in connecting not only with my co-chairs who I consider friends and colleagues, but also with the broader community of ADAA who have overlapping interests. The CDLP was a fantastic experience and really a solid catalyst in my career trajectory (I highly recommend early career researchers and clinicians look into this opportunity). I’ve also benefited from the ‘Find a Therapist Directory’ both in getting some referrals for my own (very small) private practice as well as helping to find potential providers for others through the resource.”
“I recently relocated to Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. I completed my internship here in 2012-13 and it is exciting to be back! This position included a faculty promotion and the opportunity to continue a close collaboration with my friend, colleague, and Co-Director of Emerge Research Program (and co-chair for the 2022 Annual Conference). I am excited about our work exploring novel treatment approaches for stress- and trauma-related conditions including suicidality. Recently, I have been working with Texas Legislators on a bill that would support the study of select psychedelic medicines for the treatment stress- and trauma-related conditions (PTSD and suicidality ), expanding the promising work already established in this area. I’m excited to continue exploring novel approaches with potential to provide rapid, robust, and enduring positive effects in chronic stress pathology through better understanding the mechanisms of how these therapeutics work, what clinically-relevant/useful biomarkers may exist, and ultimately how we (as a field) can not only save lives, but help people to create lives they truly want to live.”
