Doctor's Bio
Dr. Lauren Hudak, MD, is an emergency medicine physician at Grady who specializes in caring for patients affected by violence and traumatic injury. Her areas of expertise include sexual assault, intimate partner violence, firearm injuries, forensic medical care, and violence prevention.
Dr. Hudak serves as Medical Director of Grady’s Survivors’ Advocacy and Forensic Evaluation (SAFE) Center. The SAFE Center provides compassionate, trauma-informed medical care, forensic exams, and support for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of violence. Dr. Hudak works closely with patients and Grady’s care teams to make sure survivors receive the medical care, resources, and support they need.
She also leads Grady’s clinical forensic medicine program and works to improve care for patients involved with the correctional system.
Dr. Hudak is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and holds a Master of Public Health. Her research focuses on firearm injury prevention, violence intervention, and improving care for survivors of violence. She also trains physicians and other healthcare professionals in sexual assault forensic exams and trauma-informed care.
Board Certifications
American Board of Emergency Medicine
Affiliations
Emory
Education & Training
- Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
- Residency: Emory University School of Medicine
Locations and Directions
Grady Memorial Hospital
OPEN 24 HOURS
Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily
Publications
- Ancestry-Calibrated Polygenic Risk Scores Predict PTSD Trajectories in Recent Trauma Survivors and Interact with Neighborhood Resources.
Webb EK, Jajoo A, Balakundi V, Sendi MSE, Koenen KC, Linnstaedt SD, House SL, An X, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Jovanovic T, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Datner EM, Pearson C, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, McLean SA, Ressler KJ, Daskalakis NP, Harnett NG
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. 2026;
PMID: 42538928 - Prior Sexual Violence, PTSD Symptoms, and Recovery Trajectories After New Trauma.
Mellen EJ, Poplin T, Jovanovic T, Rowland GE, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Pearson C, Peak DA, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Harnett NG, Ressler KJ
JAMA psychiatry. 2026;
PMID: 42525395 - Peritraumatic C-reactive protein levels predict pain outcomes following traumatic stress exposure in a sex-dependent manner.
McKibben LA, Layne MN, Albertorio-Sáez LM, Zhao Y, Branham EM, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Datner EM, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Sheridan JF, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, McLean SA, Linnstaedt SD
The journal of pain. 2026;
PMID: 42214575 - Social support and post-traumatic stress symptoms: Longitudinal bidirectional relationships in the AURORA study.
Santos JL, van Rooij SJ, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Jovanovic T, Linnstaedt SD, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, McLean SA, Stevens JS
Journal of mood and anxiety disorders. 2026;
PMID: 42200045 - Brain dynamics reflecting an intra-network brain state is associated with increased posttraumatic stress symptoms in the early aftermath of trauma.
Sendi MS, Fu Z, Harnett NG, van Rooij SJH, Vergara V, Pizzagalli DA, Daskalakis NP, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Jovanovic T, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Gentile NT, Murty VP, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Chang AM, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Sheridan JF, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Stevens JS, Calhoun VD, Ressler KJ
Nature. Mental health. 2025;3(2):185-198.
PMID: 41181354 - Childhood Adversity Is Associated With Longitudinal White Matter Changes After Adulthood Trauma.
Tianyi Li , Huibregtse ME, Ely TD, van Rooij SJH, Lebois LAM, Webb EK, Jovanovic T, House SL, Bruce SE, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Datner EM, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Sheridan JF, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, McLean SA, Stevens JS, Harnett NG
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging. 2025;
PMID: 40972945 - Early life adversity increases risk for chronic post-traumatic pain, data from humans and rodents.
McKibben LA, Woolard A, McLean SA, Zhao Y, Verma T, Mickelson J, Lu H, Lobo J, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Jovanovic T, Germine LT, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Sheridan JF, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, Linnstaedt SD
Pain. 2025;166(9):2103-2115.
PMID: 40839592 - Emotion identification and emotion sensitivity following interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic experiences: Results from the AURORA study.
Hudson CC, Rutter L, Joormann J, Passell E, McKemey RM, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Jovanovic T, Linnstaedt SD, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Datner EM, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Germine LT
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. 2025;
PMID: 40843243 - Pre-trauma insomnia and posttraumatic alcohol and cannabis use in the AURORA observational cohort study of trauma survivors.
Short NA, Ellis RA, Pezza M, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Clifford GD, Jovanovic T, Linnstaedt SD, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, O'Neil BJ, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, McLean SA, Neylan TC
Journal of psychiatric research. 2025;
PMID: 40582081 - Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories.
Vizer L, Pierce J, Ji Y, Bucher MA, Liu M, Ungar L, Giorgi S, Xing Z, House SL, Beaudoin FL, Stevens JS, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Jovanovic T, Linnstaedt SD, Zeng D, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Hudak LA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Harris E, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, O'Neil BJ, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Bruce SE, Harte SE, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, McLean SA, An X
NPP - digital psychiatry and neuroscience. 2025;3(1):8.
PMID: 40406207
PLANNING
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