Niloofar Afari, Ph.D.
Email: nafari@ucsd.edu
Phone #: (858) 534-2670
Fax #: (858) 822-3777Biography
Dr. Afari received her B.A. from UCSD and her Ph.D. in clinical
psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1996. She
completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral training at
the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle,
Washington. Dr. Afari was a faculty member in the University of
Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
before joining the UCSD faculty in 2006. She is an Assistant
Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD, Associate Chief of the Clinical
Health and Neurosciences Unit of the VA Center of Excellence for
Stress and Mental Health, and a staff Psychologist in the VA San
Diego Healthcare System.
Research Focus
Dr. Afari’s interdisciplinary research, funded by the National
Institutes of Health, involves twin studies to examine genetic
and environmental influences on unexplained clinical conditions
such as fibromyalgia and chronic pelvic pain as well as the
relationship between psychological trauma and health-related
outcomes. Other research areas of interest include the use of
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in medical populations.
Clinical Focus
Dr. Afari is responsible for the Behavioral Medicine Service at
the Mission Valley outpatient clinic of the VA San Diego
Healthcare System. This Service provides intervention for
behaviors and psychological symptoms that have a negative impact
on the health of primary care patients.
Selected Publications
1. Afari, N., Wen, G., Buchwald, D., Goldberg, J., & Plesh, O.
(2008). The association between post-traumatic stress symptoms
and temporomandibular pain: Findings from a community-based twin
registry. Journal of Orofacial Pain, 22, 41-49.
2. Schur, E. A., Afari, N., Furberg, H., Olarte, M., Goldberg,
J., Sullivan, P. F., & Buchwald, D. (2007). Feeling bad in more
ways than one: Comorbidity patterns of medically unexplained and
psychiatric conditions. Journal of General Internal Medicine,
22, 818-821.
3. Afari, N., Noonan, C., Goldberg, J., Edwards, K., Gadepalli,
K., Osterman, B., Evanoff, C., & Buchwald, D. (2006). University
of Washington Twin Registry: Construction and characteristics of
a community-based twin registry. Twin Research and Human
Genetics, 9, 1023-1029.
4. Arguelles, L. M., Afari, N., Buchwald, D., Clauw, D., Furner,
S., & Goldberg, J. (2006). A twin study of posttraumatic stress
disorder symptoms and chronic widespread pain. Pain, 124,
150-157.
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