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Galina A. Portnoy, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Information

Galina A. Portnoy, PhD

Patient Care Location

Biography

Dr. Portnoy specializes in the study of intimate partner violence (IPV) detection, prevention, and treatment, with a focus on IPV use (i.e., perpetration). Other primary research interests include the intersecting areas of relationship health, trauma, resilience, and women’s health. Dr. Portnoy's current research focuses on the development and evaluation of IPV screening and treatment in healthcare settings, particularly as related to IPV use, bidirectional IPV, and strategies for disseminating and implementing empirically supported IPV practices.


Dr. Portnoy serves as Director for the Intimate Partner Violence Center for Innovation and Research (IPV-CIR) at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The goal of the IPV-CIR is to develop, disseminate, implement, and evaluate innovative, high-quality, Veteran-centered, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented practices for intimate partner violence (IPV) detection, prevention, and treatment. The IPV-CIR is comprised of three cores:

  1. Innovation and Implementation Core: To develop innovative IPV practices for Veterans and strengthen current programming through program development and implementation; evaluation; and provision of training, consultation, and external facilitation to support large-scale implementation of best practices for IPV.
  2. Research Core: To inform IPV practice and policy by conducting translational research and determining factors for successful implementation of IPV innovations.
  3. Evaluation Core: To develop and execute a highly partnered, systematic, multi-phase program evaluation of the VA National IPV Assistance Program.

Education & Training

  • Advanced Fellow in Women’s Health
    VA CT Healthcare System / Yale School of Medicine (2017)
  • PhD
    University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Clinical Psychology & Community/Applied Social Psychology (2016)
  • Clinical Intern
    VA Boston Healthcare System (2016)
  • Clinical Fellow
    Harvard Medical School (2016)
  • MA
    University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Clinical Psychology & Community/Applied Social Psychology (2012)
  • BA
    University of Connecticut, Psychology & Women’s Health (2006)

Honors & Recognition

AwardAwarding OrganizationDate
Career Development Award-2Veterans Affairs; Health Services Research & Development2020
VISN 1 Career Development AwardVA New England Healthcare System2017

Departments & Organizations