School of Medicine
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Elias Aboujaoude, MD, MA
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Aboujaoude is a Clinical Professor, researcher and writer at Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry, where he is Chief of the Anxiety Disorders Section and Director of the OCD Clinic and the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic. Besides the compulsivity-impulsivity spectrum, his work has focused on the intersection of technology and psychology, with an emphasis on the problematic use of Internet-related technologies, mental health in a post-privacy world, and the potential for telemedicine interventions such as virtual reality and video-based therapy to increase access to care and advance global health. His books include "Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the e-Personality" and "Mental Heath in the Digital Age: Grave Dangers, Great Promise". Dr. Aboujaoude also teaches psychology on the main Stanford campus and at UC Berkeley. Scholarly and media platforms that have featured his work include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, The Harvard Business Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, BBC, PBS, and CNN.
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Daniel A. Abrams
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders and are characterized by significant deficits in social communication. A common observation in children with ASD is that affected individuals often “tune out” from social interactions, which likely impacts the development of social, communication, and language skills. My primary research goals are to understand why children with ASD often tune out from the social world and how this impacts social skill and brain development, and to identify remediation strategies that motivate children with ASD to engage in social interactions. The theoretical framework that guides my work is that social impairments in ASD stem from a primary deficit in identifying social stimuli, such as human voices and faces, as rewarding and salient stimuli, thereby precluding children with ASD from engaging with these stimuli.
My program of research has provided important information regarding the brain circuits underlying social deficits in ASD. Importantly, these findings have consistently implicated key structures of the brain’s reward and salience processing systems, and support the hypothesis that impaired reward attribution to social stimuli is a critical aspect of social difficulties in ASD.
My lab is currently conducting three research studies:
Speaker-Listener Coupling and Brain Dynamics During Naturalistic Verbal Communication in Children with Autism
We have a new study investigating how the brain processes and understands speech in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as typically developing children. We are interested in understanding speech comprehension in children through anticipating incoming speech and accumulating speech information over a period of time.
Speaker-Listener Coupling and Brain Dynamics During Naturalistic Verbal Communication in Alzheimer’s Disease
In collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, our new study is exploring how the brain enables us to understand speech, with a focus on both healthy older adults and adults with Alzheimer’s Disease. We also aim to understand how the brain measures seen while we listen and understand a story are linked to language skills in these individuals.
Pivotal Response Treatment for Adolescents with High Functioning Autism Intervention Study
This is a 9-week intervention focusing on key social skills for autistic adolescents, while exploring brain plasticity using fMRI imaging. Your child will receive 1:1 sessions with our clinician, with parent training in clinic. Topics include: Greetings, Departures, Question Asking, Talking the Right Amount, Empathy, Sarcasm, and Eating and Drinking. We also coordinate with the school for additional support and opportunities to practice the targeted social skills in a club of interest. -
Connor Adams
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Connor Adams (she/they) is a Clinical Assistant Professor who received her doctorate in psychology from the George Washington University and completed her internship training at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance. Her clinical and research interests center on therapeutic interventions that support recovery for individuals living with serious mental illness. Dr. Adams grounds her work in a psychodynamic perspective, assisting individuals in understanding why they think, feel, and behave the way they do, in order to increase agency and choice. Dr. Adams has specialized training in comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy and provides treatment for individuals with emotion regulation difficulties. She also has specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp). Additionally, Dr. Adams provides individual and group psychotherapy within the psychiatric inpatient treatment setting. She is broadly interested in increasing access to person-centered and recovery-oriented care.
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Ehsan Adeli
Assistant Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Populations Sciences)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research lies in the intersection of Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Healthcare, Ambient Intelligence, and Computational Neuroscience.
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Steven Adelsheim
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioSteven Adelsheim, MD is a child/adolescent and adult psychiatrist who works to support community behavioral health partnerships locally, regionally, at the state level and nationally. He is the Director of the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Adelsheim has partnered in developing statewide mental health policy and systems, including those focused on school mental health, telebehavioral health, tribal behavioral health programs, and suicide prevention. For many years Dr. Adelsheim has been developing and implementing early detection/intervention programs for young people in school-based and primary care settings, including programs for depression, anxiety, prodromal symptoms of psychosis, and first episodes of psychosis. Dr. Adelsheim is also involved in the implementation of integrated behavioral health care models in primary care settings as well as the use of media to decrease stigma surrounding mental health issues. He is currently leading the US effort to implement the headspace model of mental health early intervention for young people ages 12-25 based in Australia. Dr. Adelsheim also leads the national clinical network for early psychosis programs called PEPPNET.
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Sarah Adler
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am interested in the design and delivery of clinical care using, data and technology. I have focused on disordered eating behaviors and obesity.
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W. Stewart Agras
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research is focused on disorders of human feeding including the eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Ongoing or recently completed studies include: A controlled trial of the implementation of interpersonal psychotherapy for eating disorders and depression on college campuses across the U.S. A multisite controlled study of two types of family therapy for the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa. Early prevemtion of overweight and obesity.
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Raag Airan
Assistant Professor of Radiology (Neuroimaging and Neurointervention) and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and of Materials Science and Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur goal is to develop and clinically implement new technologies for high-precision and noninvasive intervention upon the nervous system. Every few millimeters of the brain is functionally distinct, and different parts of the brain may have counteracting responses to therapy. To better match our therapies to neuroscience, we develop techniques that allow intervention upon only the right part of the nervous system at the right time, using technologies like focused ultrasound and nanotechnology.
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Teddy J. Akiki, MD
Clinical Scholar, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Postdoctoral Medical Fellow, PsychiatryCurrent Research and Scholarly InterestsDepression, PTSD, Glutamatergic Antidepressants (e.g., ketamine), Psychedelics, Multimodal Neuroimaging, Network Neuroscience, Machine Learning/Predictive Modeling, Morphometry
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Amy Alexander
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCollege Mental Health, Emotional Support Animals & Service Animals, Women's Health, Mental Health & Well-being in Veterinarians
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Olivia Altamirano, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCulturally Sensitive Therapy is a group psychotherapy for people with early psychosis and their families. Study aims are to understand if this treatment is compatible with this population, to assess improvements in family functioning and mental health symptoms, to assess mediating factors (e.g., increased usage of adaptive religious and other cultural beliefs/values), and to assess longevity of improvements. Last, we aim to qualitatively understand participants’ experiences with this treatment.
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Neal Amin
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Amin is a physician-scientist researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University. Dr. Amin received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College, Columbia University, and earned MD and PhD degrees in the MSTP at the University of California, San Diego. With his graduate mentor Samuel L. Pfaff, PhD, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA, he uncovered post-transcriptional, RNA regulatory pathways that are remarkably cell type-specific in motor neurons and are essential for mammalian life (Amin et al, Science 2015; Amin et al, Neuron 2021). He completed psychiatry residency training in the Research Track at Stanford University and postdoctoral studies with Sergiu P. Pasca at Stanford University where he developed human stem cell-derived brain organoid technology, enabling the ability to model the immense neurocellular diversity of the human brain and factors affecting stem cell-derived neuronal maturation (Amin and Pasca, Neuron, 2018; Amin*, Kelley* et al, bioRxiv, 2024; Onesto*, Amin* et al, bioRxiv, 2024). The Amin Lab at Stanford University investigates RNA regulatory mechanisms affecting human brain development and the emergence of neuropathology towards the development of novel therapeutics. His work is funded by the NINDS/NIH, Deeda Blair Research Initiative, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Dr. Amin's research leverages his unique background as a board-certified, practicing Stanford physician and researcher with 20 years of bench research experience spanning mouse genetics, human neuropathology, advanced stem cell models of the brain, and cell type-specific RNA processing pathways.
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James Armontrout
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Armontrout is the Program Director of the Stanford Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. He completed residency training at the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, followed by forensic psychiatry fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. He is board certified in Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine.
Before coming to Stanford Dr. Armontrout worked as a staff psychiatrist for the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System at the Trauma Recovery Program, a residential treatment program focusing on PTSD, other trauma-related disorders, and substance use disorders. For a portion of Dr. Armontrout's time with the VA he served as the Medical Director for the Trauma Recovery Program.
In addition to his forensic fellowship activities, Dr. Armontrout currently serves as an attending in the Stanford PTSD clinic and the dual diagnosis clinic. -
Bruce Arnow, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry and Psychology - Adult)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCurrent research interests include treatment outcome for major depression, particularly treatment refractory and chronic forms of major depression, as well as mediators and moderators of outcome; the epidemiology of chronic pain and depression; relationships between child maltreatment and adult sequelae, including psychiatric, medical and health care utilization.
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Ryan T. Ash MD, PhD
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioMy lab is interested in developing novel neuromodulation technologies to augment neuroplasticity and enhance the "unlearning" of maladaptive habitual ways of relating to the to the world. I have a K08 Career Development Award to measure how attention modulates neuroplasticity induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, using EEG steady-state visual evoked potentials and visual attention psychophysics. I have a Brain Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award to develop in-human applications of transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the subcortical visual system and fear regulation circuit. I have a Simons Foundation Bridge to independence Award to develop closed-loop ultrasound neuromodulation technologies to enhance behavioral flexibility in autism spectrum disorders. I work closely with mentors Anthony Norcia, Kim Butts Pauly, and Nolan Williams on these projects. I am interested in the neural basis of mindfulness, concentration, and compassion practices from Buddhist meditation, and I have more than a year of silent retreat experience in the Theravada Buddhist meditation tradition. I see patients in the Stanford Neuropsychiatry clinic with a specialization in Functional Neurological disorders and related psychosomatic and dissociative conditions. My therapeutic orientations include integrated psychodynamic- and mindfulness-based approaches and neuromodulation-assisted psychotherapy.
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Rania Awaad, MD
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAs the Director of the Muslims and Mental Health Lab, Dr. Awaad is dedicated to creating an academic home for the study of mental health as it relates to the Islamic faith and Muslim populations. The lab aims to provide the intellectual resources to clinicians, researchers, trainees, educators, community and religious leaders working with or studying Muslims.
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Sepideh Bajestan, MD, PhD
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNeuropsychiatry
Functional Neurological Symptom Disorders, Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
Group and Individual Psychotherapy
Impulse Control Disorders -
Jacob S. Ballon
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry and Psychology)
BioJacob S. Ballon, M.D., M.P.H. specializes in the treatment of people with psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. He is the Co-Director of the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford which provides interdisciplinary care for people experiencing psychosis. He is also the co-Division Chief for General Adult Psychiatry and Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ballon completed his residency at Stanford in 2009 and a Schizophrenia Research Fellowship at Columbia University in 2011.
Dr. Ballon maintains an interest in understanding the connections between the brain and the rest of the body as relates to the manifestation and treatment of people who experience psychosis. He works closely with a diverse group of researchers throughout the university and technology community to investigate these connections. He has active projects investigating the metabolic implications of schizophrenia and of psychiatric medication including the association of antipsychotic medication with weight gain and insulin resistance. He also is an active investigator in clinical trials of new medications for the treatment of schizophrenia and the associated side effects of antipsychotic mediations.
In understanding the whole-body impact of psychiatric illness, Dr. Ballon also has an active interest in the role that exercise can play in psychiatric treatment. He is the site-principal investigator of an NIMH-funded clinical trial looking at the use of aerobic exercise to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia.
INSPIRE is an innovative interdisciplinary client-centered resource providing respectful evidence-based care to support people to achieve meaningful recovery from psychosis through collaborative partnership with individuals and their families while advancing knowledge and training for a new generation of providers. With a recovery-oriented philosophy, the clinic provides an array of services including psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychosocial evaluations. As a research clinic, they are focused on collaborating with multiple disciplines throughout the university to conduct clinical and basic science research including functional imaging, clinical trials, basic pathophysiology, and genetics. -
Stephanie Balters
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
BioDr. Stephanie Balters is an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the director of the Empowerment Neuroscience Laboratory and studies how social factors such as interpersonal trauma and cultural biases impact brain function and mental health outcomes. Dr. Balters develops evidence-based interventions to improve well-being, work productivity, and team performance. She is passionate about embracing authenticity, vulnerability, and individual differences, and leveraging adverse experiences towards self-growth and achieving one’s full potential. Dr. Balters holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and has earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Design. Her diverse career journey includes experiences at the Center for Design Research and Computer Science at Stanford University before transitioning to the School of Medicine. Dr. Balters is a Human Factors Specialist at NATO and facilitates Empowerment Workshops at Stanford University.
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Fiona Barwick, PhD, DBSM
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch interests focus on expanding sleep education, improving sleep health, optimizing treatment for circadian rhythm disorders, and adapting treatment for insomnia in populations where developmental, medical, psychiatric and cultural factors intersect.
Current research projects include developing and piloting integrated protocols for treating sleep problems that co-occur with medical conditions such as chronic pain or POTS. Ongoing collaborations include delivery of a CBTI protocol in Mandarin via telehealth to patients at Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in China. Past projects include investigation of the link between RLS and the gut microbiome and a survey of student sleep health. -
Nataly Beck, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioAs co-founder and co-director of La Clínica Latina, Dr. Nataly Beck is a psychiatrist who is passionate about providing culturally sensitive and compassionate care to patients, especially to those from the Latino community. Originally from Lima, Peru, she immigrated to the US with her family at a young age. She graduated from Yale School of Medicine and completed her psychiatry residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After her first year as an attending at Yale, she began her work at Stanford where she worked in the INSPIRE Clinic for individuals experiencing psychosis and then co-founded La Clínica Latina. She loves the Bay Area and her interests include salsa dancing, playing piano, and spending time with her family.
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Benjamin Zewdu Belai
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioBenjamin Belai is a psychiatrist at Stanford Health Care and works specifically in the Centerspace and Evaluation clinics. His focus within these clinics include cultural psychiatry, Black and immigrant mental health, student mental health, and integrated behavioral health. He also works at Roots Community Health Center 2 days a week providing psychiatric consulting services.
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Catherine Benedict, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Medical Psychiatry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on improving cancer survivorship through better understanding of long-term health outcomes and through the development of theoretically driven, evidence-based behavioral interventions to improve adjustment, risk management, and quality of life. To this end, I lead studies aimed to guide and support patient decision-making and self-management after cancer. Much of my work focuses on the experiences of young adults affected by cancer.
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Anne L Benham
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
BioI specialize in the assessment and treatment of young children and their families from ages 1-7 years. I focus on understanding of their problems and symptoms from a developmentally informed, family centered , biological and experiential lens that takes into account the child's emotional, behavioral , sociocultural, biological and relationship history. I use attachment theory to understand the psychosocial aspects of the child and his/her history. I provide therapy to children individually and in family dyads or groups as appropriate and always include work with the parents as my collaborators and clients. I have had this focus to my clinical work and teaching of clinicians in training for my career over the past 40 years. I am interested in integrating multiple perspectives to understand and treat families.I use my medical training to work with children who are experiencing medical disorders , trauma, and conditions in the child or in other family members as it impacts the child's sense of self, safety, anxiety and body. I use play to connect with children and to help them communicate their fears, wishes and experiences to augment verbal communication and to process frightening experiences.
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Michele Berk
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe focus of my research is on adolescent suicidal and self-harm behavior. I am currently one of four Principal Investigators of a multisite NIMH-sponsored RCT of DBT for adolescents at high risk for suicide (NCT01528020: Collaborative Adolescent Research on Emotions and Suicide [CARES], PI: Linehan, McCauley, Berk, & Asarnow) aimed at evaluating the efficacy of DBT with adolescents compared to a combined individual and group supportive therapy control condition (IGST).
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Rebecca A. Bernert, PhD, ABPP, FT
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioI am an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a licensed clinical psychologist in the Stanford University School of Medicine. I am a suicidologist, with subspecialty expertise in clinical trials, epidemiology, and suicide prevention best practices. I have joint specialty in behavioral sleep medicine, treatment development, and thanatology. I am Founding Director of The Stanford Suicide Prevention Research Laboratory, and Co-Chair a number of initiatives to support multidisciplinary efforts in suicide prevention. Our program utilizes cognitive, biological (e.g., fMRI), and behavioral testing paradigms, with an emphasis on translational therapeutics across the lifespan. Our mission is to identify novel therapeutics, including seminal work to establish the subfield of sleep and suicide prevention. A special focus is the development of rapid-action, low-risk interventions for the prevention of suicide. Our mission is to evaluate transdiagnostic risk factors and biomarkers underlying treatment response that may inform etiology, reduce stigma, and advance innovation. Advocating for its utility as a visible, yet non-stigmatizing warning sign of suicide—our earliest work delineated sleep as a risk factor for suicidal behaviors. Funded by NIH and DOD, we subsequently conducted the first suicide prevention clinical trials, testing efficacy of a rapid-action (6 h) insomnia treatment for suicidal behaviors. These use a mechanisms focus to identify central disease processes (eg, underlying neural circuitry, behavioral factors) for anti-suicidal response. An overarching aim is to harness new technologies to aid risk prediction, precision medicine, and intervention opportunity. We are committed to improving national training practices (e.g., national needs-assessment of medical training parameters; AI for suicide prevention), and lead hospital best practices for safety in screening, triage, and postvention.
Regarding translation to policy, I have served as a content expert for nationally-directed health initiatives with NIH, VA, DOD, DARPA, SAMHSA, CDC, and The White House. I recently led development of the CA 2020-25 Statewide Strategy for Suicide Prevention, following invited testimony (CA State Assembly) and a commissioned Policy Brief on suicide prevention best practices. Advisory and advocacy work centers on how research guides public health policy and implementation. I am especially committed to initiatives promising impact to suicide prevention on a broad scale, including universal strategies for lethal means restriction and real-time surveillance of suicidal behaviors. To this end, I have been honored to serve as a content expert to The White House Office of Science and Technology for initiatives focused on technology innovation and led advisory work promoting suicide deterrent systems for private organizations and public sites, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. I have consulted for technology companies, as well as private industry and healthcare partners.
Inspired by maternity leaves coinciding with the above work, I have a separate research line examining organizational development, inclusive practices, sleep and employee wellness. This addresses disparate impact of institutional and federal medical leave practices on recruitment and retention of women. Our program focuses on cost-effective policy for diversity training and reduced attrition of women in medicine, law, STEM and technology fields. As such, I am dedicated to spearheading development of a Stanford Center for Policy, Inclusive Practices, and Equity Education.
To donate or partner with us, please contact Deborah Stinchfield (Stanford Medical Center Development) medicalgiving@stanford.edu or please contact us directly. -
Wendy J. Bernstein
Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioSenior Community Psychiatrist, Wellness Equity Alliance, Medical Director, Project ECHO and Telemedicine for Severe Mental Illness Track to support the Mental Health of SGBV survivors in Democratic Republic of Congo project. Past Associate Medical Director at Casa del Sol, specialty mental health clinic of La Clinica de la Raza in Oakland California from 2013 to July 2021. Previously at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, from 2000 to 2013, and Contra Costa County Older Adults Clinics from 1995-2000. Graduate of McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Canada, and Boston University Psychiatry Residency. Interests include global health, community mental health, Latinx and underserved populations, women's health, and elder care.
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Mahendra T. Bhati
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Professor, NeurosurgeryBioDr. Bhati is an interventional psychiatrist with expertise in psychiatric diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and neuromodulation. He completed postdoctoral research studying language abnormalities and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evoked potentials in schizophrenia. He was a principal investigator for the DSM-5 academic field trials, and his research experiences included roles as an investigator in the first controlled clinical trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and low-field synchronized TMS for treatment of depression. He was the founding Chief of Interventional Psychiatry at Stanford where he performs consultations and provides pharmacological and neuromodulatory treatments. His current research interests include studying magnetic resonance imaging and augmented reality to target TMS, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant depression, DBS for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression, responsive neurostimulation (RNS) for treatment of impulse and fear-related disorders, and focused ultrasound (FUS) for treatment-resistant OCD and depression. Dr. Bhati seeks to train more providers in mental healthcare and founded a clinical fellowship in Interventional Psychiatry at Stanford.
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Apurva Bhatt
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioApurva Bhatt, M.D., is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her role spans the General Adult Psychiatry Division, Child Psychiatry Division, and Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Division.
Dr. Bhatt specializes in early psychosis evaluation and treatment. She currently provides clinical care in both the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital Child INSPIRE early psychosis clinic and the Stanford Health Care INSPIRE clinic. She contributes to early psychosis program development in California (through EPI-CAL) and nationally (through PEPPNET/Westat). She is also co-chair of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Adolescent Psychiatry Committee and Early Psychosis work group.
Dr. Bhatt provides school clinical consultations for the Redwood City School District through the Stanford Redwood City Sequoia School Mental Health Collaborative. She also provides clinical consultations to schools in the Los Altos School district, and supervises child and adolescent psychiatry fellows providing consultation to Los Altos, Redwood City, and Mountain View schools.
Dr. Bhatt’s research interests include early psychosis measurement instruments in pediatric populations, Asian American and South Asian youth mental health, and prevention of youth suicide by firearm. She enjoys teaching and mentoring students and trainees, and currently is a mentor through the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association's FLIPP program. -
Celeste Birkhofer, PhD, PsyD
Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Celeste Birkhofer is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Clinical Faculty member at Stanford School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Birkhofer teaches didactics and provides clinical supervision to the psychiatry residents, and she has a private practice in Portola Valley. Dr. Birkhofer's interests and special training include contemporary relational psychoanalysis, grief counseling, dialectic behavior therapy (DBT), life coaching, mindfulness, and couples counseling.
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Britney Blair, PsyD, DBSM, CST
Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine
BioDr. Blair is a licensed clinical psychologist and is board certified in behavioral sleep medicine. Her clinical and research expertise are in behavioral medicine with specializations in sleep and sexual health. She has made numerous presentations, developed workshops, written chapters and published articles in the area of sleep and sexual medicine. Dr. Blair is a Stanford sleep consultant and is on the adjunct faculty at The Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. She is also the Clinical Director of The Clinic.
Dr. Blair completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University Medical School and her pre-doctoral internship at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. Dr. Blair received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Dr. Blair founded a successful business consulting firm. -
Helen M. Blau
Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor, Director, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Professor, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProf. Helen Blau's research area is regenerative medicine with a focus on stem cells. Her research on nuclear reprogramming and demonstrating the plasticity of cell fate using cell fusion is well known and her laboratory has also pioneered the design of biomaterials to mimic the in vivo microenvironment and direct stem cell fate. Current findings are leading to more efficient iPS generation, cell based therapies by dedifferentiation a la newts, and discovery of novel molecules and therapies.
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Cara Bohon
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests have focused on the neural bases of eating disorders. I am particularly interested in the way emotion and reward is processed in the brain and how that may contribute to eating behavior and food restriction. I hope to eventually translate biological research findings into treatments.
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Mariya Borodyanskaya
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
BioDr. Mariya Borodyanskaya enjoys being part of the Stanford Team at Mills, an interdisciplinary team dedicated to supporting adolescents and their families in navigating the challenges of mental health crisis. She maintains a broad set of interests, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychotic Disorders and Juvenile Justice system reform. She also enjoys supervising and teaching the Stanford Child & Adolescent Psychiatry fellows.
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Daniel L. Bowling, PhD
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioAs a translational neuroscientist, my research aims to integrate music neuroscience, therapy, and technology to advance new diagnostics and treatments for mental health disorders, with a particular focus on mood, anxiety, and reward. My approach is rooted in the biology of vocal behavior, particularly its functions in emotional regulation, communication, and social connection.
I earned my PhD in Neurobiology from Duke University in 2012 for work on the biological bases of emotion in musical tonality. Following this, I completed postdoctoral work at the University of Vienna on the neurophysiology of group singing and rhythmic entrainment. In 2019, I started an instructorship in translational psychiatry at Stanford Medicine, focusing on auditory-vocal processing in individuals with autism and digital music-based interventions for depression and anxiety.
My work has been supported by awards from the NIMH (K01), the Austrian Science Fund (Lise Meitner Fellowship), the University of Vienna's Faculty of Life Sciences (Young Investigator Grant), and Stanford's Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute (Seed Grant). I have authored over 40 scientific articles in journals including Science, PNAS, Molecular Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry, PLoS Biology, Trends in Cognitive Science, and Physics of Life Reviews—aiming to advance a rational framework for understanding music's role in human biology as a foundation for applying its effects to improve human health. -
Christiane Brems, PhD, ABPP, ERYT500, C-IAYT
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioChristiane Brems, PhD, ABPP, RYT-500, C-IAYT, is the Founding Director of YogaX, a Special Initiative in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 1987. Dr. Brems is licensed as a psychologist in several US states and board-certified as a clinical psychologist by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She is a registered yoga teacher (E-RYT500) and certified C-IAYT yoga therapist. She is also certified in Interactive Guided Imagery.
She began her career in academia at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She then served on faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage for 23 years, where she held a variety of leadership positions, including as (Co-Founding) Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, (Co-Founding) Director of the PhD Program in Clinical-Community Psychology, and Interim Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. Most recently, she served for nearly six years as Dean and Professor of the School of Graduate Psychology (SGP) at Pacific University Oregon.
Dr. Brems has worked for decades as an applied researcher and clinical practitioner with particular interests in health promotion, rural healthcare delivery, and all things yoga. Her work has been funded by grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, and local and State of Alaska funding sources. She has shared her work extensively in over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, 100s of technical reports, and several books, including the Comprehensive Guide to Child Psychotherapy (now in its 4th edition), Dealing with Challenges in Psychotherapy and Counseling, Basic Skills in Counseling and Psychotherapy, and others. Dr. Brems is committed to excellence in and integration of clinical services, teaching, consultation, and research.
Dr. Brems has integrated yoga, mindfulness, complementary interventions, and self-care strategies in her work as a consultant, author, dean, teacher, researcher, mentor, supervisor, colleague, and service provider. She values these practices as crucial aspects of day-to-day professional and personal life and seeks to enhance access to them for all who can benefit. -
Nicole Brooks
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Nicole Brooks is a board-certified psychiatrist with added qualification in forensic psychiatry. She specializes in the treatment of mood disorders and serves as a forensic expert in criminal and civil cases. In her role as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Brooks provides outpatient care in the depression and bipolar disorder clinics. She also serves as the Associate Program Director of the forensic psychiatry fellowship.
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Lisa Brown
Adjunct Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioLisa M. Brown, Ph.D., ABPP is an Adjunct Clinical Professor and member of the Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health program at Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor and Director of the Peace and Human Rights Lab at Palo Alto University. Her clinical and research focus is on trauma, resilience, human rights, refugees, and aging. As a researcher, she is actively involved in developing and evaluating health programs used nationally and internationally, drafting recommendations aimed at protecting vulnerable individuals and communities, facilitating the participation of key stakeholders, and improving access to resources and services.
Dr. Brown has been appointed to and has served on numerous local, state, and national boards and commissions. From 2007 to 2014, she served as the Assistant Clinical Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Florida Department of Health where she helped write the state disaster behavioral health response plan, develop regional disaster behavioral health teams, and conduct program evaluations of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crisis counseling programs. From 2008 to 2011, Dr. Brown was appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board Federal Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she contributed to the development of a national behavioral health response to disasters, terrorism, and pandemics. In 2020, she was appointed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.
Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 20 and the Gerontological Society of America. She is the former President of the APA Division 20 Adult Development and Aging. She is the recipient of two Fulbright Specialist awards with the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (2014) and with Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2015). -
Jennifer L. Bruno
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Bruno is a translational researcher at the interface of developmental cognitive neuropsychology and neurobiology. An overarching goal of her work is to understand developmental windows of vulnerability—periods of risk for falling off the trajectory of typical brain development. Her research utilizes genetics, brain imaging, and deep behavioral phenotyping to bridge computational science with clinical knowledge, translating cutting-edge science to solve problems of great clinical need.
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Kim Bullock, MD
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDirector of Virtual Reality & Immersive Techology (VR-IT) Clinic and Lab.
Use of technology to understand the interaction of sensation, embodiment, and emotional/ behavioral regulation.
Virtual reality treatments as a sensory modulating device to treat disorders involving body image, sensation, and control. Exploration of the use of mirrored visual feedback while inhabiting a virtual avatar to treat pain and somatic symptom related disorders. -
Jonathan Burgess, MD, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioJonathan Burgess, MD, MPH is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Lifestyle Psychiatry Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is passionate about evidence-based lifestyle practices for psychiatric disorders. He has published two academic book chapters on diet and lifestyle interventions for psychiatric disorders. With over 30 publications and oral presentations, he is credited with nine Grand Rounds presentations, is a faculty presenter at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting and Harvard School of Public Health’s national conferences, as well as an invited speaker at major academic hospitals. Dr. Burgess is co-author of the Lifestyle Interventions for Depression module of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine certification course. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, received a Doctor of Medicine from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
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Weidong Cai
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioMy research investigates the brain mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in two key populations: children with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly ADHD, and elders with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease. By integrating cognitive science, neuroscience, and computational modeling with cutting-edge functional neuroimaging techniques, I aim to uncover the neurocognitive processes that shape both typical and atypical brain development and aging. My research goal is to advance our understanding of the factors contributing to cognitive dysfunction across the lifespan, with the ultimate goal of improving diagnosis and treatment strategies.
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Robson Capasso, MD
Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS) and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Sleep Medicine)
On Leave from 10/01/2024 To 11/01/2024Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinically relevant outcomes for OSA Surgery.
Wearables and Digital Health Technologies for Sleep.
Innovative approaches for OSA Management.
Innovation in Sleep and Otolaryngology -
Eve Carlson
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioEve Carlson is a Clinical Professor who focuses on fostering mental health after traumatic stress. She is a clinical psychologist and a researcher with the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder’s Dissemination and Training Division. Her primary interests are in measurement development and recovery after traumatic stress. She collaborates with faculty in Surgery (David Spain) and Medicine (Lisa Shieh) to study mental health of patients hospitalized after sudden, severe illness or injury, racial/ethnic disparities in traumatic stress risks and responses, screening for risk of mental health problems, and preventive mental health care. As PIs of a multi-center study funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Dr. Carlson and Dr. Spain and their collaborators have developed and validated a mental health risk screen for hospital patients admitted after sudden, severe illness or injury. Data from patients who identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander, Black, Latinx, Multiracial, and White were analyzed to select screen items, and the screen accurately predicts later mental health outcomes within these ethnic/racial groups. Our research has also found disparities across ethnic/racial groups in several traumatic stress risk factors and mental health responses. Dr. Carlson is Co-PI with Dr. Shieh of a study funded by Stanford RISE comparing mental health recovery in Latinx and non-Latinx COVID-19 patients to recovery in patients hospitalized with other sudden, severe illness.
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Victor G. Carrión
John A. Turner Endowed Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsExamines the interplay between brain development and stress vulnerability via a multi-method approach that includes psychophysiology, neuroimaging, neuroendocrinology and phenomenology. Treatment development that focuses on individual and community-based interventions for stress related conditions in children and adolescents that experience traumatic stress.
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Regina Casper
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emerita
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAlterations in brain morphology and organization during starvation and anorexia nervosa
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Erin Cassidy Eagle
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Erin Cassidy-Eagle specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders in adults and older adults. She has practiced as a Clinical Psychologist for more than 20 years. Dr. Cassidy-Eagle has a special interest in sleep, cognition and mental health of older adults.
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Anusha Chandrakanthan
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Anusha Chandrakanthan is a clinical instructor in psychiatry. She is a family practice physician who is board certified in Addiction Medicine. Previously, she was the medical director for a company that provided substance use treatment using telemedicine. Presently, she works with the Valley Homeless Healthcare Program at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center providing services to a marginalized population. She also continues to teach at the Stanford Addiction Medicine fellowship.
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Sripriya Chari
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Sripriya (Priya) Chari is a CA Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor working with the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford. Dr. Chari's clinical interests lie in early identification of the psychosis risk syndrome and providing evidence based psychotherapeutic interventions from a recovery oriented perspective. Prior to the INSPIRE Clinic, Dr. Chari was a clinical assessor for the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study, aimed at studying the predictors for conversion to psychosis of youth at clinical high risk for psychosis. She also worked for Santa Clara County Department of Mental Health, in inpatient, outpatient, and forensic settings providing psychotherapy and assessment services.
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Vanika Chawla
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioVanika Chawla (she/her), M.D., FRCPC is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford. Dr. Chawla completed her medical school training at the University of Calgary and psychiatry residency at the University of Toronto. She completed a fellowship in Student Mental Health at Stanford University. Dr. Chawla works in a variety of clinics with a focus on student mental health, cultural psychiatry and lifestyle psychiatry. She utilizes a combination of integrative treatments including lifestyle changes (sleep, nutrition, exercise), medication management and psychotherapy (ACT, DBT, CBT, psychodynamic), and provides trauma-informed and culturally contextualized care. Her additional clinical and research interests include the integration of therapeutic yoga into mental health care. She is also interested in the use of digital health as a novel and innovative way to increase access to mental health care.
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Lu Chen
Professor of Neurosurgery and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWhat distinguishes us humans from other animals is our ability to undergo complex behavior. The synapses are the structural connection between neurons that mediates the communication between neurons, which underlies our various cognitive function. My research program aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie synapse function during behavior in the developing and mature brain, and how synapse function is altered during mental retardation.
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Christina F. Chick
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research examines the mechanistic contributions of sleep, cognition and affect to the onset and course of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. I am particularly interested in adolescence as a period during which changes in circadian rhythm, sleep architecture, and sleep behavior co-occur with neuroendocrine development, psychosocial changes, and the onset of many psychiatric disorders. Given that sleep is a highly treatable target, increasing our understanding of the specific contributions of sleep to psychiatric symptom onset may facilitate the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the course of illness.
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Octavio Choi, MD, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Choi is the founding director of the Stanford Neuro Forensics Accelerator, whose core mission is to accelerate the transformation of basic neuroscience research into actionable insights for reliable legal decision making.
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Mehak Chopra
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioHer expertise lies in treating special populations such as athletes and students. She has also had training in dealing with cultural psychiatry issues. She has been trained to treat students with a variety of mental health issues – ADHD, Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, insomnia, mood disorder and personality disorders.