Maria Kroupina, Ph.D.

Dr. Kroupina received a degree in child psychology from Moscow University in Russia and worked there until 1994, when she moved to Minnesota to begin work on her Ph.D. in the University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development. Her dissertation examined the assessment of cognitive and communication skills in post-institutionalized children.

Today, Dr. Kroupina's main research interest is early assessment of children who experienced early adversity.  She is the clinical research director for the International Adoption Medicine Program, heading a research program that is developing sensitive tools for the assessment of internationally adopted children, with the goal of being able to predict behavior and other cognitive issues later in the child's life.  The overarching goal of this project is to help identify children who will particularly benefit from early intervention.

One of our staff of clinical child psychologists, she sees patients in clinic at 12 and 24 months post-adoption, and handles a wide variety of patient concerns.

9/96 - 7/03
Ph.D., Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota

9/84 - 6/90
M.A., Moscow State University Department of Psychology
Clinical Psychology

02/04 – present
Assistant Professor, Global Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota

01/01 – present
Director of Research Programs
International Adoption Medicine Program, University of Minnesota

09/00 – 12/02
Research Assistant, Institute of Child Development
International Adoption Project, University of Minnesota

09/00 – 12/02
Research Assistant, Center for Neurobehavioral Development
University of Minnesota

9/97 – 8/00
Research Assistant to Patricia Bauer, Ph.D.
Institute of Child Development
 
9/94 – 12/98
Teaching Assistant, Institute of Child Development
University of Minnesota

9/90 – 9/92
Clinical Psychologist, Center For Marriage and the Family
Moscow, Russia

2/90 – 10/92
Clinical Psychologist, Center For Children With Special Needs
Moscow, Russia

AWARDS

1996
Eva O. Miller Fellowship, University of Minnesota

CURRENT FUNDED RESEARCH

08/01/2008- 07/01/2010
Gerber Foundation, $191,786
Title: Nutritional Status, Physical Growth, and Neurodevelopment in a High Risk Population of Internationally Adopted Children
PI: Michael Georgieff, M.D.
Co-PI: Maria Kroupina, Ph.D., Dana Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.

Collaborative Work

05/01/2008- 04/31/2013
Recovery from Early Life Stress in Children Adopted from Institutions
PI Megan Gunnar, Ph.D.
Co-investigator: Maria Kroupina

01/2004- 01/2009
Neurobehavioral Correlates of Early Deprivation (NIH)
PI Megan Gunnar, Ph.D.
Co-investigator: Maria Kroupina

7/12/2004 – 12/31/2007
Neuroendocrine functions in post-institutionalized children
Mason P, Kroupina M, Petryk A, Johnson DE
Genentech, Inc., $141,200

3/15/2003 – 2/14/2004
Vikings Children’s Fund, $11, 988
The effects of orphanage rearing on neuroendocrine functions of internationally adopted children
Johnson DE, Kroupina M

12/01/2002 – 11/30/2003
Minnesota Medical Foundation, $7,500
Cortisol growth in international adoptees
Johnson DE, Kroupina M, Gunnar MR
 
1/1/2001 – 12/31/2001
Vikings Children’s Fund, $9,992
Neurobehavioral study of the post-institutionalized child
Johnson DE, Bauer P, Gunnar M, Kroupina M

Miller BS, Kroupina M, Iverson S, Mason P, Narad C, Himes J, Johnson DE, Petryk A. (2008)

Auxological evaluation and determinants of growth failure at the time of adoption in Eastern European adoptees. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism (next issue Nov 2008)

Fuglestad, A. J., Lehmann, A. E., Kroupina, M. G., Petryk, A., Miller, B. S., Iverson, S. L., Johnson, D.E., & Georgieff, M.K. (2008). Iron deficiency in international adoptees from Eastern Europe. The Journal of Pediatrics, 153(2), 272-277.

Johnson D, Kroupina M (2003) How institutional care affects children’s development. In: K. Evans (ed) For Children: The Half the Sky Foundation’s Guide to Infant Nature, Child Care and Preschool Education. Half the Sky Foundation.

Johnson D, Kroupina M (2003). How children grow and learn: from birth to two. In: K. Evans (ed) For Children:  The Half the Sky Foundation’s Guide to Infant Nature, Child Care and Preschool Education. Half the Sky Foundation.

Johnson D, Kroupina M (2003) How children grow and learn from two to seven. In: K. Evans (ed) For Children: The Half the Sky Foundation’s Guide to Infant Nature, Child Care and Preschool Education. Half the Sky Foundation.

Bauer P, Wenner J, Kroupina M (2002) Making the past present: later verbal accessibility of early memories. Journal of Cognition and Development, 3, Vol. 1, pp. 21-49

Bauer P, Kroupina M, Schwade J, Dropic P, Wewerka S (1998) If memory serves, will language? later verbal accessibility of early memories. Developmental and Psychopathology, 10, pp. 655-679

Fuglestad, A. J., Kroupina, M. G., Petryk, A., Miller, B. S., Iverson, S. L., Johnson, D. E., & Georgieff, M.K. (2008). Iron status and neurobehavioral development in Eastern European adoptees. Poster presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI.

Kroupina, M., Claassen, I., Fuglestad, A.J., Petryk, Miller, B, Mason, P., Iverson, S., Himes, J.,& Johnson, D. (2007).  Stunted physical growth as an index of early adversity in a  high    risk population of post-institutionalized children. Poster presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Fuglestad, A.J., Lehmann, A., Kroupina, M. G., Iverson, S. L., Johnson, D. E., Petryk, A.,       Miller, B.S. & Georgieff, M. (2006). Iron Deficiency in Post-Institutionalized Infants.       Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Kroupina M, ClaassenI, FuglestadA, PetrykA, Miller B, Mason P, Iverson S, Himes J, Johnson DE. Stunted physical growth in a high risk population of post-institutionalized children: HPA-axis alterations and neurobehavioral development. Pediatric Academic Societies;  Toronto, Canada; May 2007

Miller B, Kroupina M, Iverson S, Mason P, Himes J, Johnson DE, Petryk A. Relationship of salivary cortisol to the determinants of catch-up growth in children following international adoption. Pediatric Academic Societies; Toronto, Canada; May 2007

Kroupina M, Iverson S, Himes J, Petryk A, Miller B, PflugiJ, Mason P, Johnson  DE. Risk factors predicting stunted physical growth in a high risk population of post-institutionalized children. (2005). Pediatrics Research 55

Fuglestad A, Lehmann A, Kroupina M, Iverson S, Johnson D, Petryk A, Miller B, Georgieff  M. (2005). Iron deficiency in post-institutionalized infants. Pediatrics Research 55

Kroupina M, Johnson DE, Iverson S, Good A.(2003) Predicting growth trajectories of post-institutionalized children. Pediatrics Research 53:193A.

Kroupina M, Iverson S, Gunnar M, Johnson DE. (2002) Social and communication skills of post-institutionalized children. Pediatrics Research 51:20A.

Kroupina, M. G., Fuglestad, A. J., Miller, B. S., Patrick, M., Iverson, S. L., Narad, C., et al. (2008). A high risk population of post-institutionalized children: Early adversity, social relatedness, stress sensitive system, and developmental outcomes Paper presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Biennial Meeting, Wurzberg, Germany.

Kroupina, M., Ocken, M., Sandra L. Iverson, Dana E. Johnson (2007). A High Risk Population of Post-Institutionalized Children: Early Adversity, Social Communication Skills and  Developmental Outcomes. Paper presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, MS .

Kroupina, M., Kuefner, D., Iverson, S., Johnson, D.  (2003, April).  Joint Attention Skills of Post-Institutionalized Children. Paper presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Tampa, FL.         

Kroupina, M., Dayton, R., Iverson, S., Johnson, D.  (2003, April)  Explicit Memory in Post-institutionalized Children.  Paper presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Tampa, FL. 

McCall, R., Rutter, M.,  Groark, C., Zeanah, C., Johnson, D., Kroupina, M. (2001, April). The effects  of early experience  on human development: institutional rearing, interventions,  and  adoption.  Discussion Hour presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MN.

Kroupina, M., Kuefner, D., Pinete, L., Gunnar M, Johnson D  “Social communication skills of post-institutionalized children” (April 2002). Poster presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies, Toronto, Canada.

Kroupina, M, Hichman, S., Bruegger, A. 2001, April “Post–adoption social behavior in orphanage reared children”, Poster presented at the meeting of Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MN.

Kroupina, M., Parker, S., Bruce, J., Gunnar, M., Bauer, P. (July, 2000). Assessing the cognitive development of internationally adopted children. Poster presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies, Brighton, England.

Bruce, J., Kroupina, M., Parker, S., Gunnar, M. (July, 2000). The relationships between cortisol patterns, growth retardation, and developmental delay in post-institutionalized children. Poster presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies, Brighton, England.

Parker, S., Bruce, J., Kroupina, M., Gunnar, M. (1999, October). Psychobiological predictors of developmental delays in internationally adopted children. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Developmental Psychobiology, Miami, FL.

Kroupina, M. (1997, April).  Maternal determinates of children's memory. Poster presented at the meeting of Society for Research in Child Development, Washington, DC.

Kroupina M, Konrardy A, Iverson S, Himes J, Petryk A, Miller B, Mason P (October 2006) “Physical Growth and Health Status in Post-Institutionalized Children with High-Risk of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure”AAP National Conference and Exhibition; Atlanta, GA

Kroupina M, Dayton (October 2004) “Internationally Adopted Children Early Identification of At-Risk Children” AAP National Conference and Exhibition; San Francisco, CA

Kroupina M, Johnson DE, Iverson S, Stoltz L (November 2003) “Physical Growth of Post-institutionalized Children” AAP National Conference and Exhibition; New Orleans, LA  

Kroupina M, Kuefner D, Dayton R. Iverson S, Johnson DE, Gunnar M. (October 2002) “Social Communication Skills In Post-institutionalized Children” AAP National Conference and Exhibition;  Boston, MA

"How We Can Study the Impact of Early Adversity on HPA Axis: Orphanage-reared Infants and Children", Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, December 2005

“Research with post-institutionalized children.” Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, August 15, 2003

“The Role of  Social Relationship In Child Development” Medical School, Voronez Russia, June 20, 2003

“Developmental Trajectories of Post-institutionalized Children” Children’s Home Society, March 2001

Stress-sensitive System, Physical Growth and Cognitive Functions In Post-institutionalized Children” Center for Early Adversity, University of Minnesota, February, 2000

"How We Can Study the Impact of Early Adversity on HPA Axis: Orphanage-reared Infants and Children” December 13th, 2005

“Your Internationally Adopted Child: Attachment” Presentation to Target Adoption Network; October 16, 2008.

“Development and Attachment Issues” Presentation to Medical Issues in International Adoption seminar; March 15, 2008.

“Research With Internationally Adoption Children” Presentation to Pediatric Grand Rounds in Park Nicollet Clinics; April 16, 2008.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

1990 - 1992
Moscow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy
Two year training program in family systems therapy. This training included lectures, clinical observation, clinical work with supervision by U.S.-licensed psychologists and family therapists.

September 2007
Disturbance in attachment interview training.
Tulane University, Dr Charles Zeanah and Dr Anna Smyke

May 2008
Online intensive training course by Dr Stanley Greenspan: Infancy and Early Childhood Training Course Basic Cours, The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based Approach (DIR) Floortime Model