National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)
Kathleen F. Carlson, MS, Ph.D.
Telephone: 503.220.8262, ext. 52094
Email: kathleen.carlson@va.gov
Current Appointments
- Core Investigator, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR); VA Portland Health Care System
- Core Investigator, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation; VA Portland Health Care System
- Associate Professor, Epidemiology, School of Public Health; Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University
Research Interests
Epidemiology of and provision of healthcare services for audiologic disorders (e.g., tinnitus); Injury prevention and control; Traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation and outcomes; Veterans’ post-deployment reintegration.
Current and Recently Completed Research Projects
Effects of Military Noise Exposure on Auditory Function in Service Members and Recently Discharged Veterans
Department of Defense, Joint Warfighters Medical Research Program, 3/17 - 3/21
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Henry)
Observational Study on Late Neurologic Effects of OEF/OIF/OND Combat – CENC Study 1
Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program and VA Clinical Science Research & Development, 10/16 - 9/18
Role: Site Principal Investigator
Interagency Data Base Linkage: Precursors of Firearm Injuries and Suicide
National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Mental Health, 8/16 – 9/2018
Role: Principal Investigator
Chronic Tinnitus among Veterans with and without TBI: Service Needs and Interests
VA Rehabilitation Research and Development, 7/16 - 6/18
Role: Principal Investigator
Use of a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to Evaluate Concurrent VA and non-VA Opioid Prescriptions
VA Health Services Research and Development, 4/16 - 3/19
Role: Principal Investigator
Development and Evaluation of Veteran Supportive Supervisor Training (VSST): Reintegration of the Oregon National Guard and Reserves into the Workplace
Department of Defense, 2/13 - 1/18
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Hammer)
Selected Recent Publications
Pugh MJ, Swan AA, Carlson KF, Jaramillo CA, Eapen BC, Dillahunt-Aspillaga C, Amuan ME, Delgado R, McConnell K, Finley EP, Grafman J, and the Trajectories of Resilience and Complex Comorbidity Study Team. Traumatic Brain Injury Severity, Comorbidity, Social Support, Family Functioning, and Community Reintegration among Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Accepted.
Gordon JS, Griest SE, Thielman EJ, Carlson KF, Helt WJ, Lewis MS, Blankenship C, Austin D, Theodoroff SM, Henry JA. Audiologic Characteristics in a Sample of Recently-Separated Military Veterans: The Noise Outcomes in Servicemembers Epidemiology Study (NOISE Study). Hearing Research; 349: 21-30, 2017.
Henry JA, Thielman EJ, Zaugg TL, Kaelin C, Schmidt CJ, Griest S, McMillan GP, Myers P, Rivera I, Baldwin R, Carlson KF. Randomized Controlled Trial in Clinical Settings to Evaluate Effectiveness of Coping Skills Education Used with Progressive Tinnitus Management. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research; 60(5):1378-1397, 2017.
Orazem RJ, Oleson HE, Schnurr PP, Frazier PA, Carlson KF, Litz BT, Sayer NA. Identity Adjustment among Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans with Reintegration Difficulty. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy; 2016 Nov 28 [Epub ahead of print].
O’Neil ME, Callahan M, Carlson KF, Roost M, Laman-Maharg B, Twamley EW, Iverson GL, Storzbach D. Post-concussion Symptoms Reported by Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with and without Blast Exposure, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology; 39(5):449-458, 2017.
Griffin JM, Lee M, Bangerter L, van Houtven C, Friedemann-Sanchez G, Phelan S, Carlson KF, Meis L. Burden and Mental Health among Caregivers of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury/Polytrauma. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry; 37(2):139-148, 2017.
Henry JA, Stewart BJ, Griest S, Kaelin C, Zaugg TL, Carlson KF. Multi-site Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare Two Methods of Tinnitus Intervention to Two Control Conditions. Ear and Hearing; 37(6):e346-e359, 2016.
Henry JA, Griest S, Austin D, Helt D, Gordon J, Thielman E, Theodoroff SM, Lewis MS, Blankenship C, Zaugg TL, Carlson KF. Tinnitus Screener: Results from First 100 Participants in Epidemiology Study. American Journal of Audiology; 25(2):153-160, 2016.
Carlson KF, O'Neil ME, Forsberg CW, McAndrew L, Storzbach D, Cifu DX, Sayer NA. Risk of Hospitalization due to Motor Vehicle Crashes among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury. NeuroRehabilitation; 39(3): 351-361, 2016.
Henry JA, Griest S, Thielman E, McMillan G, Kaelin C, Carlson KF. Tinnitus Functional Index: Development, Validation, Outcomes Research, and Clinical Application. Hearing Research; 334:58-64, 2016.
Sayer NA, Noorbaloochi S, Frazier P, Pennebaker J, Orazem R, Schnurr PP, Murdoch M, Carlson KF, Gravely AA, Litz B. Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Expressive Writing to Address Readjustment Difficulties among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress; 28(5) 381-390, 2015.
Henry JA, Griest S, Zaugg TL, Thielman E, Kaelin C, Galvez G, Carlson KF. Tinnitus and Hearing Survey: A Screening Tool to Differentiate Bothersome Tinnitus from Hearing Difficulties. The American Journal of Audiology; 24(1): 66-77, 2015.
Theodoroff SM, Lewis MS, Folmer RL, Henry JA, Carlson KF. Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes in US Service Members and Veterans Deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Epidemiologic Reviews; 37: 71-85, 2015.
Sayer NA, Orazem R, Noorbaloochi S, Gravely AA, Frazier P, Carlson KF, Schnurr PP, Oleson H. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans with Reintegration Problems: Differences by Veterans Affairs Healthcare User Status. Administration and Policy in Mental Health; 42(4): 493-503, 2015.
Kane WG, Wright DA, Fu R, Carlson KF. Racial/Ethnic and Insurance Status Disparities in Post-Hospitalization Care for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation; 29(6): E10-E17, 2014.
O'Neil ME, Carlson KF, Storzbach D, Brenner L, Freeman M, Quiñones AR, Motu'apuaka M, Kansagara D. Factors Associated with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans and Military Personnel: A Systematic Review. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society; 20: 1-13, 2014.
Selected Recent Presentations
Carlson KF, Pogoda TK, Gilbert T, Mastarone G, Oneil ME, Sayer NA. Prevalence and Correlates of Unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans with Deployment-related TBI History Enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration. International Brain Injury Association 12th World Congress on Brain Injury, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 31, 2017.
Carlson KF, Hammer L, Brockwood K, Bodner T, Mohr C, Wan W. Post-deployment Health and Functioning in a Sample of Employed Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: Results from the Study of Employment Retention for Veterans (SERVe). American Public Health Association Meeting, Denver, Colorado, November 2, 2016.
Carlson KF, Pogoda TK, Resnick SG. The Provision of Supported Employment to Veterans with TBI in VHA. 2016 Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Summit, September 13, 2016.
Carlson KF, Reavis KM, Griest S, Blankenship C, Theodoroff SM, Lewis MS, Helt W, Gordon J, Austin D, Thielman E, Henry JA. Differential Characteristics of Tinnitus among Recent Veterans by Traumatic Brain Injury and Blast Exposure History. Military Health System Research Symposium, Orlando, Florida, August 15, 2016.
Carlson KF, Thielman E, Zaugg T, Elnitsky C, Tuepker A, Kaelin C, Henry JA. Factors Affecting the Provision of Evidence-Based Progressive Tinnitus Management in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, June 27, 2016.
Lewis MS, Griest S, Austin D, Carlson KF, Helt W, Gordon J, Blankenship C, Thielman E, Theodoroff S, Henry JA. Functional Health Outcomes of Recently-Separated Veterans from the NOISE Study. American Academy of Audiology (AAA) AudiologyNOW Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, April 13-16, 2016.
Boudin A, Carlson KF, Elnitsky C, Esquivel C, Camou E, Henry JA. Online Surveys of Tinnitus Management Practices in VA and DoD: Results and Clinical Implications. Joint Defense Veterans Audiology Conference (JDVAC), St. Louis, Missouri, February 22-24, 2016.
Griest SE, Carlson KF, Henry JA. A New Instrument to Assess Noise and Solvent Exposures among Service Members and Veterans: The Lifetime Exposure to Noise and Solvents Questionnaire (LENS-Q). Joint Defense Veterans Audiology Conference (JDVAC), St. Louis, Missouri, February 22-24, 2016.
Carlson KF, Thielman E, Zaugg TL, Elnitsky C, Tuepker A, Kaelin C, Henry JA. VA Clinician Surveys and Interviews Reveal Need for Increased Mental Health Involvement in Tinnitus Management. Joint Defense Veterans Audiology Conference (JDVAC), St. Louis, Missouri, February 22-24, 2016.