Gail Bernstein
,
Credentials
MD
Bio
I received a BA in Psychology from Tufts University and completed medical school and a postdoctoral research fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Minnesota. I completed residencies in pediatrics and general psychiatry and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. My areas of clinical and research expertise include child and adolescent anxiety disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS). I am board certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and pediatrics. I hold an Endowed Professorship in Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders. Current research activities include serving as a Co-Investigator on several studies of arts-based interventions for treating depression in adolescents and as a Co-Investigator on Project ECHO which uses telehealth to improve access to mental health services for families who are geographically dispersed or highly mobile. I have over 100 publications which are primarily peer-reviewed research papers. I enjoy engaging in research studies, taking care of patients, and supervising child and adolescent psychiatry fellows in the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) Clinic. My honors include recognition by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) with the Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Award for Scientific Achievement (2006) and as a Distinguished AACAP Fellow.
Expertise
- Child and adolescent anxiety and mood disorders
- Pediatric OCD
- PANS/PANDAS
Administrative Assistant
(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu
In the Media
- 2021: Interviewed for this piece titled, "Life at the new Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain brings integration in care and learning, and opens opportunities for collaboration".
Research Summary
Dr. Bernstein's research interests include pediatric anxiety disorders, depression, OCD and PANS/PANDAS. Dr. Bernstein has served as Principal Investigator on multiple grants including through the National Institute of Mental Health. She is currently Co-Investigator on several studies of arts-based Interventions for treating adolescent depression and on Project ECHO which uses telehealth to improve access to mental health services for families who are geographically dispersed or highly mobile, including military families. She has served on the editorial board of several scientific journals and is currently the Anxiety Section Editor for the Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
Dr. Bernstein recently published “Psychometric Properties of the PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale” doi: 10.1089/cap.2023.0088. Dr. Bernstein developed the PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale with Tanya Murphy, MD, MS, Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida. The PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale is currently being translated into Italian and Swedish.
Clinical Summary
Dr. Bernstein is tripled-boarded (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, and Pediatrics). She joined the University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences in 1985. Dr. Bernstein supervises child and adolescent psychiatry fellows and psychology interns doing evaluations and treatment in the MIDB Clinic. Dr. Bernstein has been selected as a Top Doctor in Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine each year from 2013 to 2024.