Science Committee


African PTSD Relief Now works broadly with a wide variety of professional and independent researchers in organizing and executing its research functions.The Science Committee, whose members are Ph.D.s, M.D.s, and experts in PTSD, guides ongoing research. The team also evaluates the prevalence of PTSD in each country and standardizes PTSD evaluation tests (such as the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, PCL) so that they are properly understood and scaled for each country in order to provide maximum ease of large-scale evaluation of PTSD. Members include:


Brian Rees, MD., MA Public Health,: Colonel, ret. US Army with five tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, primary author of two articles in Journal of Traumatic Stress on reductions in PTSD due to practice of the TM technique.

Dr. James O’Halloran, Ph.D., Psychology, Univ. of California, Irvine.: 25 years work with U.S. National Institutes of Health on committees and on implementation of grants.


Dr. Carole Bandy, Ph.D.: Professor of Psychology, Norwich University, Vermont, USA.

Dr. Vincent Sezibera, Ph. D., Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium., Head of Psychology Department, University of Rwanda, with a specialty in PTSD.
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​William Stixrud, Ph.D. educational psychology, neuropsychologist since 1985, Director of Stixrud Group, Adjunct Faculty, Children’s National Medical Center since 1986, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences


Dr. David O'Connell, Ph.D. Temple University in Psychological Studies. M.S. (postdoctoral) clinical psychopharmacology. Clinical and forensic psychologist. Editor of Prescribing Health: Transcendental Meditation in Contemporary Medical Care. 


Dr. Michael Dillbeck, Ph.D., Purdue: Research professor, Maharishi University of Management, USA.


Dr. Pat Barrett, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Health services Provider, The Union Institute.

TM Brought Many Changes

Before Chizungu learned TM, Mr. Grace was unable to be Chizungu's friend. They fought over a phone and Mr. Grace said nobody could understand Chizungu, he was a very difficult person and he was "always bored with people and always shoving."

However, after Chizungu learned TM, Mr. Grace noticed that he had undergone some emotional, physical and spiritual changes. Chizungu even began going to church, which was not something he did before.

As a result of the changes he observed, Mr. Grace renewed his friendship with Chizungu and he asked him, "Which kind of wisdom did you get?"

Chizungu told him, "I just went somewhere and learnt to refresh my mind."

Mr. Grace responded, "I will be coming also with you!"

Chizungu's sister also noticed amazing changes in her brother. Before he learned TM, she worried about his alcoholism and said that, "Once we knew he was on his way home, we knew trouble was coming home because he would stir trouble and beat us."

But these days she says, things have changed remarkably.  He comes home early, is respectful, quiet and generous.

She says, "Now he is really responsible. Now he is a leader. We wonder,  How he really changed!"

Dr. John Fagan, Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cornell. $2.5 million in grants received from NIH and National Cancer Institute. Research Career Development Award from the National Cancer Institute. Founder of Global ID Group. Research interest in genetics of PTSD.
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