Dr. Andy Morgan on the Resilient Performance Podcast

Dr. Andy Morgan received his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1986; He completed his residency training in psychiatry at Yale University in 1990. He then joined the faculty of medicine at Yale University & the National Center for PTSD where he worked for 25 years. Dr. Morgan has received grants and has published over 100 peer reviewed scientific papers on learning, stress, PTSD and performance in Special Operations forces. Dr. Morgan served on the National Academy of Science Eyewitness Identification Committee (2013-2014). For his work Dr. Morgan was awarded the US Army Award for Patriotic Service in 2008 and awarded the 2010 Sir Henry Welcome Medal and Prize for his development of interventions to buffer the negative impact of stress on human cognition, memory, learning and operational performance. Dr. Morgan served as an intelligence officer (2003-2010) for the US Government and was a government advisor to the US Intelligence Science Board; The products developed from his research have been vetted and validated domestically as well as in a theatre of operations. In addition to his work at Yale and the National Center for PTSD, Dr. Morgan has performed Selection and Assessment and Operational psychology work for the United States Army and Navy for over 7 years. Dr. Morgan's work in National Security with UNH is focused on intelligence analysis, national security, national security psychology and psyops.

Topics Covered Include:

1. What desirable special operations psychological traits can be operationally defined and objectively measured
2. Research summary: Neuropeptide Y, DHEA, heart rate variability, dissociation
3. The problem of transfer: can these traits be identified without actually shooting at people
4. Physical stress as a proxy for psychological qualities
5. Performance correlates and observing performance directly
6. The need for multiple data points, including subjective impressions
7. Emotional control/stress inoculation.  Is there a cost?  What needs to be done that isn't occurring now to maximize psychological health long term in operators or are we simply asking too much of certain units?
8. What can sports teams and other organizations take away from Andy's research and SOF selection methods

Links of Interest:

• Andy's faculty page at the University of New Haven

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