Arash Javanbakht, M.D., is a psychiatrist and serves as the director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC). His work is focused on anxiety, trauma, and PTSD. He often helps civilians, refugees, and first responders with PTSD. 

Several research studies at the STARC examine the impact of exposure to war trauma in adults and children Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and biological and psychological factors of risk and resilience. This research examines genetic and inflammation correlates of trauma as well. This work is funded by an NICHD R01 award. Also, use of art, dance and movement, and yoga and mindfulness in helping refugee families overcome stress.

STARC also works neurobiology of psychotherapy, and on utilization of augmented reality and telemedicine to develop a method of providing in vivo treatment for anxiety disorders and PTSD.

Dr Javanbakht's work has been featured on the CNN, National Geographic, Aljazeera, NPR, Washington Post, Smithsonian, PBS, American Psychiatric Association Press Briefing, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and tens of other media outlets.

He is the author of “AFRAID: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety”. AFRAID is on many aspects of fear and anxiety, covering evolution, brain and body, why we love to be scared, fear and bravery, meaning, creativity, diseases of fear and trauma and their cutting-edge treatments, and politics of fear and media.