Beyond the Frontlines: Opportunities, Challenges, and Breakthrough Technologies for First Responder Mental Health

Arash Javanbakht, MD, is the director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC) at Wayne State University. Dr Javanbakht and his work have been featured on the National Geographic, The Atlantic, CNN, Aljazeera, NPR, Washington Post, Smithsonian, PBS, American Psychiatric Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and tens of other media. His clinical and research work is mainly focused on anxiety trauma related disorders. In his clinic, he helps civilians and first responders with PTSD, utilizing pharmacotherapy (medication), psychotherapy, exercise, and lifestyle modification. Several research studies at the STARC examine the impact of exposure to war trauma in refugees, biological and psychological factors of risk and resilience, and art, dance and movement therapies. STARC is also birthplace to cutting edge augmented reality and telemedicine technologies for treatment for anxiety disorders and PTSD. Dr Javanbakht is the author of the book “AFRAID: Understanding the Purpose of Fear, and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety” that covers many aspects of fear and anxiety, including evolution, brain and body, why we love to be scared, how to unlearn fear, fear and bravery, meaning, creativity, diseases of fear and trauma and their cutting-edge treatments, and politics of fear and media.