WASHINGTON (Nov. 07, 2011)--Third year psychiatric resident, Brandon Kohrt, M.D., Ph.D., has been selected as one of ten Laughlin Fellows by the American College of Psychiatrists. The Laughlin Fellows are chosen from an elite pool of applicants deemed likely to make a significant contribution to the field of psychiatry. They participate in all educational and social functions held during the Annual Meeting, which will be held in February 2012 in Naples, Florida, making valuable contacts with their peers and College Members.
“Dr. Kohrt was an absolutely unanimous choice to be one of 10 residents nationwide to win this prestigious award,” said Sidney Zisook, M.D., professor of Psychiatry at UCSD and Chair of the ACP Laughlin Committee. “The Laughlin Fellowship is awarded based on the following criteria: research, teaching, clinical skills, community involvement and leadership accomplishments/potential. Dr. Kohrt received perfect scores in all five categories.”
Dr. Kohrt’s area of focus is mental health in post-conflict countries where he has spent much of his career working. He spent 16 years in Nepal, most recently designing psychosocial support programs for former child soldiers, and currently works with The Carter Center in Liberia developing anti-stigma programs to reduce the barriers to care among persons with mental illness. He has also been involved in mental health projects in Mongolia, Haiti, and Japan and has worked with refugees in the United States. He recently returned from South Africa where he was taking part in the Movement for Global Mental Health meetings as an National Institute of Mental Health Young Investigator. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Kohrt is a film maker and co-wrote the documentary, “Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal’s Maoist Army,” which won numerous film festival awards.
“Dr. Kohrt is using his medical training to help survivors of torture, war, and violence in some of the most conflict-ridden areas of the world. I am extremely pleased that the American College of Psychiatrists is recognizing Dr. Kohrt’s outstanding commitment to creating a better world for people afflicted with mental illness across the globe,” said Jeffrey S. Akman, M.D., interim vice provost for Health Affairs and dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Dr. Kohrt attended medical school at Emory University in Atlanta, GA where he also received a Ph.D. in medical anthropology.
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About the American College of Psychiatrists:
Founded on May 8, 1963, in St. Louis, Mo., The American College of Psychiatrists (The College) is a not-for-profit honorary association dedicated to providing continuing education to its Members, promoting the latest advances in the specialty, and supporting the highest standards in psychiatry.
About the GW School of Medicine and Health Services:
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation’s capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation’s capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities.
