Dr. Drexler is the National Mental Health Program Director for Addictive Disorders in Mental Health Services for the Veterans Health Administration Central Office. Before assuming this position, she was the Director, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, and Staff Psychiatrist, Mental Health Service Line, for 19 years at Atlanta VAMC. Dr. Drexler is a board certified psychiatrist with added certification in Addiction Psychiatry and has been the Acting Chief, Mental Health Service Line at Atlanta VAMC since May 2013.

Dr. Karen Drexler received her Doctor of Medicine from Duke University School of Medicine. She completed her General Psychiatry Residency Training at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, TX where she served as Chief Resident in Psychiatry. She served as Medical Director of the Alcoholism Rehabilitation Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Wright State University School of Medicine. She completed her Board Certification in Addiction Psychiatry and came to Emory University in 1994. She serves as Director of the Substance Abuse Treatment Program at the Atlanta VA Medical Center and Director of the Emory Addiction Psychiatry Residency Training Program. She is the recipient of a Drug Abuse Scholars Program in Psychiatry career development award for her work in neuroimaging and emotion regulation in cocaine dependence. She has received numerous awards for excellence in medical student and graduate medical education.