Rate My Professor Paul Perrin

Paul Perrin, Ph.D., is a prominent figure in Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he advanced through the ranks from Assistant Professor (2011–2016) to Associate Professor (tenured, 2016–2021) and Professor (2021–2022). He currently maintains affiliate professor appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at VCU. Earlier, Perrin completed a Behavioral Medicine Postdoctoral Residency at VCU (2012–2013), focusing on clinical supervision, primary care psychology, and underserved populations. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (2011), M.S. in Psychology (2007), B.S. in Psychology (2005, summa cum laude), and B.A. in English (2005, cum laude), all from the University of Florida. Following his tenure at VCU, where he served as Director of Training for the Health Psychology Doctoral Program (2017–2022), Perrin joined the University of Virginia as Professor of Data Science and Psychology (2022–present), with additional roles including Co-Director of the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems and editor-in-chief of Rehabilitation Psychology.

Perrin's research centers on social justice in disability and health, emphasizing cultural, familial, and international perspectives on rehabilitation and adjustment, particularly among underserved and minority populations with neurological conditions like traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. His work addresses social determinants of health, including stigma, access to integrated care and telehealth, and strengths-based interventions to dismantle oppression. He has authored or co-authored over 255 peer-reviewed articles and 19 book chapters. Key publications include 'Relations among suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and functional independence during the ten years after traumatic brain injury: A model systems study' (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, in press, 2022), 'Exploring racial performance disparities with the Modified Mini Mental Status Exam (3MS) in an acute brain injury rehabilitation setting' (Rehabilitation Psychology, in press), 'Clinical utility and psychometric properties of the Ableist Microaggressions Scale' (Rehabilitation Psychology, in press), and 'A network analysis of the PART-O at 1 and 2 years after TBI: A Veterans Affairs Model Systems study' (Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, in press). Perrin has secured major grants, such as $443,000 from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation (PI, 2017–2022). Awards include the APA Society of Clinical Psychology Division 12 Early Career Award (2017), VCU College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Scholar Award (2021), APA Division 22 Fellowship (2021), and Dorothy Booz Black Award for Outstanding Contributions in Counseling Health Psychology (2021). He edited a special issue of Rehabilitation Psychology on disability and social justice (2020) and has contributed to numerous committees at VCU, including promotion and tenure and strategic planning.