Site 06 Portland Staff Bio
Kathleen F. Carlson, PhD
Site Principal Investigator
Dr. Carlson’s research examines the spectrum of injury prevention and control, from the epidemiology of intentional and unintentional injuries to the rehabilitation of military Veterans with combat injuries. Her current research grants examine firearm-related injuries, opioid and other medication-related injuries, and short- and long-term functional outcomes of Veterans’ traumatic brain injury. Dr. Carlson leads the OHSU-PSU Gun Violence as a Public Health Issue workgroup, an effort initiated in 2016 in response to the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Florida that summer. Her leadership roles with national injury prevention organizations include serving on the Board of Directors for the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research and with the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services section of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Carlson directs the VA health services research post-doctoral fellowship program at the Portland VA and teaches/advises MPH and PhD students in epidemiology at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health.
Stephanie Edmunds
Clinical Research Program Manager
Stephanie is a Research Biologist and has been at the Portland VA since 2006. After graduate school, she started her career at the Portland VA and Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) in Behavioral Neurogenetics focusing on mapping the genes of drug and alcohol addiction where she perfected her skills in immunohistochemistry and intracranial surgical techniques in rodent models. In 2014 she was recruited to work with the Portland VA’s Chief of Neurosurgery focusing on subarachnoid hemorrhage and vasospasm research. Stephanie transferred her skill set from wet lab research to clinical research in 2017 when she took the position of Research Coordinator for the Portland LIMIBIC-CENC team. Prior to working at the VA, she was a Herpetologist, specializing in wetland/riparian zone reptiles, working with local government and non-government agencies. In addition to working as a Herpetologist, she managed the Northwest Ecological Research Institute’s turtle rehabilitation center for displaced and injured native and non-native turtles and tortoises.
Cody Goheen
Clinical Research Program Manager
Cody is in his 18th year of federal service: 14 years as a Portland VA researcher, and 10 years supporting Dr. Kathleen Carlson’s injury research projects. Prior jobs include, Financial Advisor, Mortgage Broker, Dot-com startup Customer Support Rep, and U.S, Navy sailor. Naval service includes assignment to aircraft carrier USS Independence, the first carrier to enter the Persian Gulf since 1974, and the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed carrier. The Indy was the most battle experienced ship in the active Navy fleet–the first carrier in history to hold that distinction. After two Gulf deployments on the Indy, Cody participated in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. Cody is a graduate of Marylhurst University. He met his wife of 20 years, Jessica, on a blind date two weeks after 9/11. They live with their dog, Cooper, in Prescott, Arizona. Fun longevity fact: the average age of Cody’s grandmothers is 100 years.
Daniel Mcdermott
Clinical Research Program Manager
Dan has been a research Audiologist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 27 years. Over that span of years, Dan’s contributions regarding the role diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapeutics, concussion, and blast exposure have on auditory function, aging, and hearing loss have been many. Dan is the longest tenured Audiologist at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), a “Center of Excellence” with a broad range of professionals who work together with a focus on delivering rehabilitative therapeutics to improve the quality of life of our veterans.