Page 16 - Layout 1

NEUROLOGY &
SLEEP DISORDERS

with Alan L. Peterson, PhD, ABPP

Interviewed by Melissa Vasquez

What is your title?
Professor and Chief, Division of Behavioral Medicine chologist in terms of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exer-
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine cise, healthy eating, and sleep management. As a military veteran,
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio my work is a way for me to “pay it forward” to other service mem-
bers and veterans.
What is your area of expertise? What drove you
into this specific area? What makes UT Health a special place to be?
Clinical health psychology and behavioral medicine. I was inspired After serving for over 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force
to specialize in this area because psychological and lifestyle factors working primarily as a clinician, UT Health San Antonio has allowed
are the most significant modifiable factors related to disease and ill- me to continue my career with a focus primarily on military-relevant
ness. Early in my career, I developed clinical and research expertise research. UT Health has a long history of military collaboration re-
in a number of areas of behavioral medicine including sleep disor- lated to clinical teaching and research activities in San Antonio, and
ders, tobacco cessation, weight management, chronic pain manage- it has allowed me to take some of this to a completely new level.
ment, and chronic tic disorders. After September 11, 2001, I quickly
developed additional expertise related to combat-related trauma in- What is unique or surprising about doing research
cluding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain in- and clinical work in Bexar County?
jury, and suicide. My previous expertise in insomnia and other sleep Bexar County is incredibly supportive of its military and veteran
disorders was very beneficial in helping me adapt to the unique fac- community. This makes my collaborative clinical, research, and
tors of combat-related sleep disorders. teaching even more rewarding.

What professional accomplishment are you most What do you do to relax outside of the office, lab,
proud of? What did it mean to you? or clinic?
I am most proud of my establishment of the STRONG STAR I enjoy trail running amongst the many dry creek beds throughout
Consortium, the nation's largest research consortium focused on Bexar County and surrounding locations. After completing three
combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions deployments and retiring from active duty, I started running ultra
in active duty military personnel and veterans. I consider this to be trail marathons (defined as any distance exceeding 50K) as a way to
the most important clinical and research work of my career. My pre- help me relax and to work through life stressors.
vious military and deployment experience provides me with unique
insights into the scientific and military-relevant gaps in these areas. What unique challenges or opportunities do you
To address these gaps, I have successfully recruited many of the na- have as a psychologist in San Antonio?
tion’s top scientists to partner with us in San Antonio on collabora- Working in Military City USA provides me with unique oppor-
tive research projects. I am certain we have successfully changed the tunities to have an impact on military medical research and policy
life trajectories of hundreds of service members and veterans. In at a national level. With Fort Hood located about 150 miles north
some cases, I am certain we have saved lives. of San Antonio, we have been able to embed about 40 UT Health
faculty and staff at that location to successfully conduct several
What do you want patients to know about you? of the nation’s largest randomized clinical trials related to PTSD
I do my best to practice what I preach as a clinical health psy- and insomnia.

16 San Antonio Medicine • August 2018