Dr. Matthew K. Nock is a distinguished scholar and the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University where he also directs the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research. He earned his PhD in psychology from Yale University in 2003 followed by a clinical internship at Bellevue Hospital and the New York University Child Study Center. Recognized early in his career for groundbreaking work, Dr. Nock was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2011 for his innovative research on self-destructive behaviors. His academic journey has been marked by a steadfast commitment to advancing clinical psychological science through rigorous methodological approaches and translational research.
Dr. Nock's pioneering research focuses on understanding the development, prediction, and prevention of self-harm behaviors with particular emphasis on suicide. His multi-disciplinary approach integrates epidemiologic surveys, laboratory-based experiments, clinic-based studies, and real-time digital monitoring to create comprehensive frameworks for assessing and intervening with at-risk populations. With over 300 scientific publications, his work has established new paradigms for understanding the mechanisms underlying self-destructive behaviors and has directly informed clinical practice guidelines. Notably, his leadership in developing consensus statements on best practices for digital monitoring studies of suicide risk has set new standards for ethically sound and methodologically rigorous research in this critical area.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Nock has significantly shaped the field through his mentorship and service as a scientific advisor to major institutions including the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey Initiative, and the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 work group. His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards including the Roslyn Abramson Teaching Award and the Lawrence H. Cohen Outstanding Mentor Award. Dr. Nock will be honored with the Sarah Gund Prize for Research and Mentorship in Child Mental Health in 2025, reflecting his enduring impact on the field. His ongoing work continues to transform how clinicians identify at-risk individuals and implement effective prevention strategies in real-world settings.
