Robert J. Gatchel, PhD, received his BA in psychology, summa cum laude, in 1969, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and received his PhD in clinical psychology in 1973 from the University of Wisconsin. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology.
For the past 20 years, Dr. Gatchel has been the Elizabeth H. Penn Professor of Clinical Psychology and Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Anesthesiology and Pain Management, and Rehabilitation Counseling, as well as the Program Director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Pain Management, all at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He is now the chairman of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington.
He has conducted extensive evidence-based clinical research, much of it supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is also the recipient of consecutive Research Scientist Development Awards from NIH. One of his major areas of clinical and research expertise involves the biopsychosocial approach to the etiology, assessment, treatment, and prevention of chronic stress and pain behavior.
He has published more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters and has authored or edited 21 books, including Psychological Approaches to Pain Management: A Practitioner's Handbook, 2nd Edition (with D. Turk); Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders: Function, Outcomes and Evidence (with T. Mayer & P. Polatin); The Psychology of Spine Surgery (with A. Block, W. Deardorff, & R. Guyer); and Clinical Health Psychology and Primary Care: Practical Advice and Clinical Guidance for Successful Collaboration (with M. Oordt). Dr. Gatchel is also featured in the Assessment of Pain, which is part of the American Psychological Association (APA) Psychotherapy Videotape Series III, "Behavioral Health and Health Counseling" (2002).
Finally, Dr. Gatchel has received numerous awards and honors associated with his work in pain assessment and management, including the following: the Volvo Award for Low-Back Pain Research in 1986 from the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (which is the preeminent international research society for the study of painful spinal disorders); a 1994 Research Award from the North American Spine Society (NASS); the Award for Significant Contributions to Health Psychology, APA Division 38, 1997; NASS's 2001 Henry Farfan Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Spine Care (the first psychologist to receive such an honor); the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, 2002; and the Award for Significant Contributions to the Field of Temporomandibular Joint and Occlusion Research, 2003. He is also a Visiting Scholar Program awardee, Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, Summer 2003, and has received the 2003 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Science from the Texas Psychological Association and the 2004 Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research from APA.
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