James Douglas Bremner (born June 5, 1961) is an American physician, researcher, and writer based in
Atlanta, Georgia.
[Emory University School of Medicine: Meet Our Faculty]
accessed 10/11/11. He has conducted research on
posttraumatic stress disorder[Raines, Laura:]
A new approach to treating PTSD: Doctor wants to help vets live in the moment
" Atlanta Journal Constitution, 2/24/08, accessed 10/11/11 and the relationship between
depression and
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
and the
acne drug Accutane (Roaccutane, or
isotretinoin).
[Duenwald, Mary:]
Debate on Acne Drug's Safety Persists Over Two Decades
" The New York Times, January 22, 2002. Accessed 10/11/11.
Early life and education
Bremner was born in
Topeka, Kansas and was raised in
Olympia, Washington. He received a B.A. in English literature from the
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound (UPS or Puget Sound) is a private university in Tacoma, Washington. The university draws approximately 2,600 students from 44 states and 16 countries. It offers 1,200 courses each year in more than 50 traditional an ...
, and a medical degree from
Duke University School of Medicine
The Duke University School of Medicine, commonly known as Duke Med, is the medical school of Duke University. It is located in the Collegiate Gothic-style West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The School of Medicine, along wit ...
. He did residencies in
psychiatry and
nuclear medicine at the
Yale University School of Medicine.
Career
Bremner was an assistant and associate professor of psychiatry and radiology at the
Yale University School of Medicine and National Center for PTSD from 1991 to 2000
and Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, Director of the Emory Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, at the
Emory University School of Medicine in
Atlanta, Georgia. He has also served as Director of Mental Health Research at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center in
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in ...
since 2000.
Bremner's
brain imaging studies showed smaller volume of the
hippocampus in people with
post traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
related to childhood abuse or
Vietnam combat; he was the first to publish on the topic of that relationship.
[Goleman, Daniel:]
Severe Trauma May Damage the Brain as Well as the Psyche
" The New York Times, January 8, 1995, accessed 10/11/11. These studies and others resulted in him being one of the most highly cited researchers in the field of post traumatic stress disorder.
, ISI Essential Science Indicators Special Topics (May 2004), accessed 10/11/11.
Bremner's research used
PET brain imaging to show a decrease in frontal lobe brain function in acne patients treated with Accutane (
isotretinoin). He was an expert witness in litigation related to the relationship between Accutane and suicide and depression, including the case of
Charles J. Bishop,
which he describes in the narrative non-fiction book ''The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg''.
Bremner's activities as a healthcare consumer advocate and activist include authorship of ''Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won't Find on the Label of Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins, and Supplements''. He is frequently quoted by the media in stories related to risks of prescription medications.
[Rice, Sabriya:]
Are you taking too many meds
" CNNHealth, May 31, 2011. Accessed 10/11/11. He has also appeared multiple times on CNN's
HLN (TV network) and
truTV, discussing medical and mental health aspects of crime stories in the news.
[Transcript: Nancy Grace: Attorney Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Wife]
accessed 10/11/11. He was an active participant in protests related to the
Grady Memorial Hospital dialysis crisis of 2009, which contributed to a successful outcome for the affected patients.
Bremner has authored or co-authored over 200
peer reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, and books in the field of PTSD, depression, and drug safety.
He is on the
editorial boards of several journals and the Scientific Advisory and Executive Boards of several foundations dedicated to promoting mental health of military personnel deployed to the conflicts in
Iraq and
Afghanistan. He has received several awards for his work, including the Chaim and Bela Danieli Award for Research and Service in Traumatic Stress from the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Awards and Honors
. Accessed 10/11/11.
Bremner is also a screenwriter with awards including Quarterfinalist at the 2011 PAGE International Screenwriters Awards.[The 2011 Page International Screenwriters Awards Quarterfinalists](_blank)
accessed 10/11/11.
Publications
* ''Trauma, Memory, and Dissociation'' (Co-edited with Charles Marmar) (American Psychiatric Press, 1998)
* ''Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Comprehensive Text'' (Co-edited with Philip A. Saigh) (Wiley & Sons, 1999)
* ''Does Stress Damage the Brain?'' (WW Norton, 2002)
* ''Brain Imaging Handbook'' (WW Norton, 2005)
* ''Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad For Your Health''. (Avery/Penguin, 2008).
* ''The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg: Accutane, the truth that had to be told.'' (Nothing But Publishing, Ltd., 2011).
References
External links
*
Scientific publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bremner, Doug
American psychiatrists
Living people
1961 births
American male writers
University of Puget Sound alumni
Duke University School of Medicine alumni
Emory University School of Medicine faculty