Audrey R. Tyrka

Biography

Audrey Tyrka, MD, PhD is Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience at Butler Hospital. Her program of research is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms of risk underlying disorders linked to adversity and trauma.  She studies maltreated children and adults with early adversity to understand alterations in neuroendocrine, neuroimmune, epigenetic, and cellular aging pathways implicated in mood and anxiety disorders and related health conditions. The goal of this work is to understand the biology of risk and protection in order to inform prevention and treatment efforts. Tyrka has authored more than 100 empirical papers and her work has been continuously funded by NIH for 15 years. In addition to her research focus, Dr. Tyrka holds important leadership roles, including Director of Research Training in the Psychiatry Residency program, and Director of Research at Butler Hospital. She has received several awards for her scholarship, teaching, and research mentorship.