Voluntary Faculty
Voluntary faculty are typically clinicians or others who are employed outside of the School but make significant contributions to department programs at the medical center or at affiliate institutions.
Voluntary rank detailsDavid Saunders, MD, PhD
Assistant Clinical ProfessorDownloadHi-Res Photo
About
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Titles
Solnit Integrated Training Program, Yale Child Study Center
Biography
Dr. Saunders obtained his MD from Cornell and PhD in Buddhist Studies at Emory. His dissertation, entitled "Self and Non-Self in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction", was completed under the mentorship of Dr. John Dunne. In the Solnit Integrated Training program, he is developing a clinical trial investigating a novel mindfulness-based intervention for elementary-school children with ADHD with Dr. Hedy Kober.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Assistant Clinical ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Emory University (2015)
- MD
- Weill Cornell Medical College (2014)
- BA
- Boston College (2007)
Research
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Overview
David Saunders, MD, PhD attended Boston College as an undergraduate, majoring in theology. He spent four months living in a Tibetan refugee community in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he studied the history and philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism. After graduating from Boston College in 2007, David returned to the same Tibetan community in Nepal as a Fulbright Scholar, studying Tibetan religio-cultural perceptions of tuberculosis, which confirmed his desire to pursue a PhD in Buddhist studies alongside medical training. From 2008 to 2015, he matriculated at Weill Cornell Medical School (WCMC) and obtained a PhD in Religion at Emory University under John Dunne, with a specific focus on Buddhist meditation theory and the philosophy of mind and self. For the last several years, he has taught mindfulness and compassion-based meditation in various settings—especially enjoying his time with children and teenagers. He is presently a clinical and research fellow in the Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program at the Yale Child Study Center at Yale University. He is currently running a small clinical trial of a novel mindfulness-based intervention for elementary school children with ADHD under the mentorship of Hedy Kober.
Medical Research Interests
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Buddhism; Child Behavior Disorders; Human Development; Neurosciences; Philosophy; Psychopharmacology; Psychotherapy
ORCID
0000-0003-0946-1164
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of David Saunders's research output by year.
25Publications
77Citations
Publications
2025
Evaluating malaria elimination strategies among military forces in Cambodia: a multi-arm clinical trial comparing monthly prophylaxis and focused screening and treatment
Wojnarski M, Chaudhury S, Boonchan T, Bun R, Chann S, Gosi P, Soveasna K, Song S, Buathong N, Ittiverakul M, Sriwichai S, Arsanok M, Kuntawunginn W, Saingam P, Chaisatit C, Ponlawat A, Fansiri T, Vanachayangkul P, Jaichapor B, Sinoun M, Chuor C, Kheangheng T, So M, Wanja E, Davidson S, Spring M, Rekol H, Dysoley L, Saly K, Livezey J, Lin J, Smith P, Satharath P, Manning J, Sok S, Saunders D. Evaluating malaria elimination strategies among military forces in Cambodia: a multi-arm clinical trial comparing monthly prophylaxis and focused screening and treatment. BMC Infectious Diseases 2025 PMID: 41382293, DOI: 10.1186/s12879-025-12207-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMalaria elimination strategiesClinical trialsG6PD deficiencyFirst-line antimalarialsElimination strategiesMonthly prophylaxisResultsPlasmodium falciparumWeekly primaquineArtesunate-mefloquineP. vivaxMalaria eliminationMalaria prophylaxisMalaria testingTrial registrationThe studyWeekly regimenRescue treatmentFocus screeningG6PD statusLow dosesMalariaRegional elimination effortsElimination effortsCohortPV-positiveRegistrationThe studyEvaluating the risk and risk factors of dysautonomia as a post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: a secondary analysis of a matched case–control dataset
Pierson B, Craig-Kuhn M, Stewart L, Sercy E, Stern C, Graham B, Michel A, Parmelee E, Koehlmoos T, Saunders D, Mancuso J, Pollett S, Burgess T, Tribble D. Evaluating the risk and risk factors of dysautonomia as a post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: a secondary analysis of a matched case–control dataset. Frontiers In Neurology 2025, 16: 1653175. PMID: 41164396, PMCID: PMC12558787, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1653175.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPost-acute sequelae of COVID-19Case-control datasetLogistic regression modelsRisk factorsSequelae of COVID-19Post-acute sequelaeFemale sexConditional logistic regression modelsSevere COVID-19 infectionProportion of patientsCOVID-19-specific risk factorsUS service membersNon-Hispanic race/ethnicityRegression modelsEvidence of COVID-19Autonomic nervous systemSpecific risk factorsPropensity score weightingClinical factorsCOVID-19 infectionDiagnostic pathwaySecondary analysisClinician awarenessService membersSubstantial gapsLong COVID and the Military: A Current Research Landscape, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions
Pollett S, Agan B, Letizia A, Richard S, Porter C, Epsi N, Haigney M, Saunders D, Colombo R, Burgess T, Morris M, Tribble D, La Croix C, Jones M, O’Connell R. Long COVID and the Military: A Current Research Landscape, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions. Military Medicine 2025, usaf343. PMID: 40748784, DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usaf343.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMilitary service membersService membersRisk factors associated with Long CovidFactors associated with Long COVIDMilitary Health SystemLong COVIDActive duty personnelPost-acute sequelaeHealth systemMental healthPost-COVID conditionsMilitary healthMilitary readinessOverall healthDuty personnelMilitary populationActive dutyConference abstractsImpact of long COVIDResearch prioritiesNarrative reviewHealthCardiorespiratoryFunctional impactPublished articlesComparative cohort study of post-acute COVID-19 infection with a nested, randomized controlled trial of ivabradine for those with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (the COVIVA study)
Saunders D, Arnold T, Lavender J, Bi D, Alcover K, Hellwig L, Leazer S, Mohammed R, Markos B, Perera K, Shaw D, Kobi P, Evans M, Mains A, Tanofsky-Kraff M, Goguet E, Mitre E, Pratt K, Dalgard C, Haigney M. Comparative cohort study of post-acute COVID-19 infection with a nested, randomized controlled trial of ivabradine for those with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (the COVIVA study). Frontiers In Neurology 2025, 16: 1550636. PMID: 40692561, PMCID: PMC12278775, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1550636.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPostural orthostatic tachycardia syndromeInappropriate sinus tachycardiaOrthostatic tachycardia syndromeRisk factorsAutonomic dysfunctionMulti-omics analysisIndicators of metabolic dysfunctionPersistent immune activationEffects of ivabradinePlacebo-controlled trialComparative cohort studyManagement of tachycardiaImpact of ivabradineAssessed non-invasivelyRandomized Controlled TrialsDocumented COVID-19Chest painBlurred visionOptimal therapyBeta blockersSinus tachycardiaImmune activationCOVID-19 infectionHeart failureInflammatory biomarkersSafety and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted chikungunya virus virus-like particle (CHIKV VLP) vaccine in previous recipients of other alphavirus vaccines versus alphavirus vaccine-naive controls: an open-label, parallel-group, age-matched, sex-matched, phase 2 randomised controlled study
Hamer M, McCarty J, Pierson B, Regules J, Mendy J, Sanborn A, Gardner C, Haller J, Gregory M, Liggett D, Glass P, Ghosh N, Royalty Tredo S, Warfield K, Burke C, Lee C, Saunders D, Bedell L, Richardson J. Safety and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted chikungunya virus virus-like particle (CHIKV VLP) vaccine in previous recipients of other alphavirus vaccines versus alphavirus vaccine-naive controls: an open-label, parallel-group, age-matched, sex-matched, phase 2 randomised controlled study. The Lancet Microbe 2025, 6: 101000. PMID: 39954701, DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.101000.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGeometric mean titresCHIKV VLPsVaccine recipientsVLP vaccineAdverse eventsSex-matchedAlphavirus vaccinesOpen-labelParallel-groupAge-matchedVirus-like particlesPrimary immunogenicity endpointNeutralising antibodiesVEEV vaccinesAntibody seroconversion ratesPhase 2 randomised controlled trialFisher's exact testClinical study sitesStatistically significant differenceImmunogenicity endpointsSeroconversion ratesCompare immunogenicitySingle doseAntibody increaseExact testP-1980. Decoding the Complexity of Post COVID Conditions: Transcriptomic Analyses of Machine-Learning-Based Chronic Symptom Phenotypes
Epsi N, Chenoweth J, Richard S, Lindholm D, Mende K, Ganesan A, Lalani T, Colombo R, Larson D, Berjohn C, Saunders D, Simons M, O’Connell R, Tribble D, Agan B, Burgess T, Dalgard C, Pollett S. P-1980. Decoding the Complexity of Post COVID Conditions: Transcriptomic Analyses of Machine-Learning-Based Chronic Symptom Phenotypes. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2025, 12: ofae631.2138. PMCID: PMC11779332, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae631.2138.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMilitary Health SystemMilitary Health System beneficiariesPost-COVID conditionsSymptom clustersNormalized enrichment scorePathway enrichment analysisTranscriptome analysisMilitary health concernSARS-CoV-2 positive testSurvey 3 monthsTranscriptome profilingEnrichment analysisHealth systemSymptom prevalenceSymptom-clustersPre-existing illnessGene expression pathwaysCohort studyGroups of participantsDemographic characteristicsNervous system developmentSystem beneficiariesSymptom dataMYC targets v1Health concernOral medications for the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome; a systematic review of studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Pierson B, Apilado K, Franzos M, Allard R, Mancuso J, Tribble D, Saunders D, Koehlmoos T. Oral medications for the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome; a systematic review of studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers In Neurology 2025, 15: 1515486. PMID: 39882369, PMCID: PMC11775448, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1515486.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPostural orthostatic tachycardia syndromeRisk of biasManagement of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndromeSystematic reviewOrthostatic tachycardia syndromeInclusion criteriaTreatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndromeLow risk of biasSystematic review of studiesPost-acute sequelaeHigh-quality evidenceLow riskMedical managementOutcomes of medicationsRandomized Controlled TrialsCOVID-19 pandemicPharmacological managementPost-acute sequelae of COVID-19Quality appraisalOral medicationsHigher RatesReview of studiesCOVID-19 survivorsPotential interventionsLimited evidence
2024
Comparing the clinical utility of pharmacogenomic genotyping and next generation sequencing in a military health system adult medicine clinic
Saunders D, Hellwig L, Pagani A, De Castro M, Haigney M, Poon L, Ehat N, Heroy A, Libbus J, Fox K, Kalra S, Arnold T, Turner C, Black J, Scherer S, Moyer A. Comparing the clinical utility of pharmacogenomic genotyping and next generation sequencing in a military health system adult medicine clinic. Pharmacogenomics 2024, 25: 637-645. PMID: 39981562, PMCID: PMC11901368, DOI: 10.1080/14622416.2025.2466413.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNext-generation sequencing panelDrug-drug interactionsNext generation sequencingPGx variantsPharmacogenomic genotypingCPIC guidelinesMilitary Health SystemGeneration sequencingReduce adverse drug reactionsPotential drug-drug interactionsNG-TestSequencing panelGenotyping assayAdult medicine clinicAdverse drug reactionsPGxCross-sectional studyGenotypesNGS resultsScreening optionsDrug efficacyDrug reactionsClinical utilityMedicine clinicPrevent adverse effectsN‐acetylcysteine as a treatment for substance use cravings: A meta‐analysis
Winterlind E, Malone S, Setzer M, Murphy M, Saunders D, Gray J. N‐acetylcysteine as a treatment for substance use cravings: A meta‐analysis. Addiction Biology 2024, 29: e70001. PMID: 39556483, PMCID: PMC11572739, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSubstance use disordersNAC efficacySubstance cravingRisk of biasPublication biasRandomized Controlled TrialsSubstance use cravingSymptoms of cravingMeta-analysisMeta-analytic outcomesMeta-analysesN-acetylcysteineEfficacy of N-acetylcysteineCraving symptomsRisk of bias assessmentPresence of publication biasUse disorderDatabase search of PubMedImpact of N-acetylcysteineAdverse eventsCravingLeave-one-out analysisFunnel plot testSubstance useDatabase searchClinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cardiac Findings in Young Persons Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Jones M, Richard S, Malloy A, Colombo R, May J, Saunders D, Lindholm D, Ganesan A, Sablak C, Hickey P, Dobson C, Pollett S, Flanagan R, Group O. Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cardiac Findings in Young Persons Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2024, 44: 342-345. PMID: 40063968, DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000004617.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRoutine cardiac screeningMild COVID-19 casesSARS-CoV-2 infectionCardiac complicationsCardiac findingsCardiac symptomsCardiac screeningClinical characteristicsCardiac abnormalitiesProspective cohortSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Syndrome coronavirus 2SARS-CoV-2Coronavirus 2Young person