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Nathan Andrew Kimbrel

Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences
2400 Pratt Street, 7th Floor, Durham, NC 27705
2400 Pratt Street, 7th Floor, Durham, NC 27705

Overview


My primary areas of interest include the etiology, assessment, and treatment of PTSD, depression, suicide, and non-suicidal self-injury. I primarily work with veterans, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel due to their high levels of occupational exposure to traumatic stress. I also have long-standing interests in genetics, epigenetics, GxE research, personality, smoking, comorbidity, and statistical modeling procedures, such as CFA, SEM, and mixture modeling.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2018 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

In the News


Published December 17, 2022
Four Genes Identified as Heightening Risk of Suicidal Thoughts/Actions
Published September 14, 2021
New Screening Tool Improves Ability to Identify Patients at Risk of Suicide

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Recent Publications


A Descriptive Study of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Characteristics Among Veterans Meeting Diagnostic Criteria for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder.

Journal Article Suicide Life Threat Behav · April 2025 INTRODUCTION: Although nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is more common among military veterans than adult civilians, little is known about NSSI disorder among veterans. METHOD: The present study explored NSSI characteristics among veterans meeting criteria f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Combat exposure, social support, and posttraumatic stress: a longitudinal test of the stress-buffering hypothesis among veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Journal Article Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · March 17, 2025 PURPOSE: While social support is widely viewed as a protective factor against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few studies have directly tested whether social support buffers the long-term effects of pre-existing PTSD symptoms or baseline combat expos ... Full text Link to item Cite

The association between Gulf War Illness and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Gulf War Era Veterans.

Journal Article J Psychiatr Res · March 2025 The rate of death by suicide is elevated among Veterans of all eras. Chronic symptoms of pain, depression, and sleep disturbances are also common among Veterans, and these symptoms are associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. About 25% of the 697,0 ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Duke University Psychiatry Physician-Scientist Residency Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2024 - 2029

Predicting firearm suicide in military veterans outside the VA health system using linked civilian electronic health record data

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2027

Impact of Reduced Cannabis Use on Functional Outcomes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2024

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of North Carolina, Greensboro · 2009 Ph.D.