MJ Hegar, a female service member of the U.S. Air Force who piloted rescue missions in Afghanistan, will give her "Profiles in Resilience" address on the first day of a conference on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder expected to draw hundreds to the Briscoe Western Art Museum this week.
The Ninth Annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference, presented by the STRONG STAR Consortium and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the downtown museum.
Topics on the agenda include: Biomarkers of sleep disturbance, military sexual trauma-related PTSD, trauma and suicide, culturally responsive PTSD treatment for people of color, and the use of artificial intelligence to improve PTSD treatment.
National suicide expert Craig Bryan, PsyD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at Ohio State University, will give the keynote address on the conference's second day. He'll address adopting a paradigm shift to help better understand and prevent suicide.
"This conference is a tremendous opportunity to hear the latest progress in addressing the complex issues facing military men and women impacted by trauma," said Alan Peterson, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio and director of the STRONG STAR Consortium.
"Attendees also appreciate this chance to dialogue with their peers not only about where we've come but also about where we're going," he said. "Where does the science need to move from here, and how can we best accomplish that for the benefit of service members and veterans?"
Calling it "the only major scientific gathering of its type," organizers expect roughly 400 attendants, including people from the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, researchers, policymakers and more from around the world.