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Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D.

Vice Chair for Research and Professor - Department of Family and Community Medicine
Professor - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience

Co-Executive Director of Research - AHEAD Institute
Saint Louis University Center for Health Outcomes Research

Courses Taught

Family Medicine Research Elective, summer School of Medicine Research Fellowship

Education

  • B.A. Psychology, University of Missouri  
  • M.A. Experimental Psychology, University of Missouri  
  • Ph.D. Health Services Research, Saint Louis University

Research Interests

  • Biopsychosocial consequences of long-term prescription opioid use
  • Risk factors for high dose, long-term frequent prescription opioid use
  • Depression, PTSD, treatment of these conditions and risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  • Novel risk and protective factors for incident dementia

Publications and Media Placements

Find Dr. Scherrer on: 

Honors and Awards

  • 2021 North American Primary Care Research Group –NAPCRG Pearl. - Oral Presentation. The Pearls are chosen each year by the Community Clinician Advisory Group (CCAG) as the top research studies presented at the Annual Meeting that will impact clinical practice. Awarded for mentee presentation by Ivana Massabki (co-authors, Salas J, Scherrer J.F.): The Association Between Trauma Exposure and Prescription Opioid Use Duration in Non-Cancer Pain
  • 2021 North American Primary Care Research Group –NAPCRG Pearl. - Oral Presentation. The Pearls are chosen each year by the Community Clinician Advisory Group (CCAG) as the top research studies presented at the Annual Meeting that will impact clinical practice. Awarded for my presentation: Lower Dementia Risk in Patients Vaccinated Against Herpes Zoster
  • 2019 Saint Louis University Scholarly Works Award honorable mention for senior faculty research publication
  • 2018 North American Primary Care Research Group Distinguished Paper Candidate – one of 18 abstracts selected from over 400 submissions to complete for Best Paper Award for abstract: Obesity Accounts for the Association Between PTSD and Incident Diabetes
  • 10/2017 Senior Faculty Grant Winner Award for advancing research at Saint Louis University
  • 2015 North American Primary Care Research Group –NAPCRG Pearl. - Oral Presentation. The Pearls are chosen each year by the Community Clinician Advisory Group (CCAG) as the top research studies presented at the Annual Meeting that will impact clinical practice. Awarded for my presentation: Prescription Opioid Dose and Duration and Risk for Depression in Three Large Healthcare Center Patient Populations
  • 2015 Distinguished Paper Award. 43rd North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting. October 2015.  Selected by program committee to highlight excellence in research among conference paper submissions.  Awarded for my presentation: Prescription Opioids and Risk of Depression in Three Large Health Care Patient Cohorts: Role of Duration of Use and Daily Dose.
  • 2015 STFM Best Research Paper Award. 48th Annual Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Meeting, April 2015. Recognizes the best research paper by an STFM member published in a peer-reviewed journal between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Selection is based on the quality of the research and its potential impact. Presented for Scherrer et al. Prescription Opioid Analgesics Increase the Risk of Depression. J. Gen Intern Med 2014.
  • 2014 North American Primary Care Research Group –NAPCRG Pearls - Poster Presentation Selected for “best-of NAPCRG”… ‘to highlight quality research engaging research relevant and practically meaningful for practicing clinicians’ Scherrer JF, Salas J, Lustman, PJ, Burge S, Schneider FD, for the Residency Research Network of Texas Investigators Opioid Prescriptions With High Morphine Equivalent Doses Increase Probability of Depression Independent of Pain
  • 2013 North American Primary Care Research Group –NAPCRG Pearls - Oral Presentation Selected for “best-of NAPCRG”… ‘to highlight quality research engaging research relevant and practically meaningful for practicing clinicians’ Scherrer JF, Schneider FD, Hauptman PJ, Freedland KE, Lustman PJ. Depression and opioid use increase risk of incident myocardial infarction.
  • 2013 Citation Award American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting.  Scherrer JF, Freedland K, Bucholz KK et al. Prescription opioid use and depression increase risk of incident myocardial infarction
  • 2010 Citation Award American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting. Scherrer JF, Lustman PJ Garfield LD et al. Depression is a risk factor for incident myocardial infarction in diabetic patients
  • 2009 Citation Award American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting. Scherrer JF, Xian H, Franz et al.  Depression is a risk factor for incident heart disease in a genetically informative twin design.

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Health Care Systems Research Network
  • North American Primary Care Research Group
  • American Psychosomatic Society