NCID-0908
Krista Highland
Research Associate Professor
Uniformed Services University
Education/Degree:
1 Clinical Psychology Clinical Psychology (University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
About
Dr. Highland is the Deputy Director of Science at the Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM). They are a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in statistical methodology and clinical research and Research Associate Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology (primary), Military and Emergency Medicine (secondary), and Medicine (tertiary). They are a principal investigator on multiple, large grants and provide subject matter expertise for empirically-supported policies and programs. Their research examines pain management optimization through a health equity measurement framework and biopsychosocial lens, as well as the gender-affirming care pathways of trans service members and trans family members of service members. Dr. Highland dedicates significant time to improving queer-affirming medical school and post-medical school curriculum; as well as the health, well-being, and educational equity of queer students through activism and accompliceship.
Current Work
Dr. Highland has two grants that seek to improve pain management health equity in (1) active duty service members and their family members receiving healthcare in the Military Health System and (2) women service members with chronic low back pain who separate from military service and then receive care in the Veterans Administration. Their other grants and projects evaluate healthcare optimization, guideline-congruent healthcare practices, biomarkers of pain and sleep dysregulation after surgery, and biomarkers of chronic pain resolution. Dr. Highland is collaborating with several trans health experts to evaluate pain management equity and enhanced well-being after gender-affirming chest surgery, as well as the multilevel inequities in gender affirming care pathways in trans active duty service members and trans family members of active duty service members. Overall, Dr. Highland conducts all research within a Health Equity Measurement Framework using advanced statistical approaches.