Faculty

Bio

I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a focus on childhood-onset psychiatric illnesses at the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. I graduated from the University of Chicago with honors in psychology before completing an MD/PhD program in Neurobiology. I went to UCLA for general psychiatry training and completed an extended clinical research child fellowship at UIC. I am board-certified in general adult as well as child & adolescent psychiatry.

My primary focus as a scientist and clinician is to advance our understanding of neurodevelopment. These efforts build on my PhD work in neuroscience investigating the biological mechanisms underlying social behaviors and interactions. My current research focuses on novel and data-driven approaches to elucidate developmental trajectories. I co-lead the CANlab (Converging Approaches to Neurodevelopment) with Dr. Conelea. My team investigates biobehavioral differences that predict dimensional outcomes or categorical psychiatric disorders; this includes testing new measures and using alternative statistical and machine learning analyses to delineate developmental risk profiles and to follow lifespan mental health outcomes. I have also studied biopsychosocial modulators (e.g., neurohormones) and reproductive physiology during the critical pre-/post-pubertal stage in development. After post-doctoral and clinical training, I ran an independent research wet lab and subsequently led a clinical research lab. Large genetic/phenotypic studies and multisite clinical trials have increased our knowledge through national collaborations. My clinical experience and interest in using new technologies have honed my expertise in transdiagnostic research by leveraging our ability to quickly access data from large communities. 

My clinical specialties include developmental disorders that affect rigid, inflexible behaviors and social functioning including autism; obsessive-compulsive disorder; social anxiety, and selective mutism. Treatment modalities include group, family, and individual cognitive behavioral therapy along with medication management. I also serve as the Chief Medical and Sciences Officer for Fraser as they integrate biomedical services and become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.

I am board-certified in adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. I have been awarded “Best Teacher Award” for several years in a row. I was voted the Top Doctor in Minneapolis for 2020.

Expertise

• Childhood-onset psychiatric illnesses 
• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
• Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders
• Anxiety spectrum disorders
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Psychotic spectrum disorders
• Mood disorders

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Shelly Slominski
slomi001@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2023: Featured in this article titled, “Strategic planning process in the Division of Child and Adolescent Mental Health creates a vision for the future.”

Teaching Summary

Dr. Anjum teaches medical students, residents, child and adolescent fellows and psychology interns.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Anjum directs the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic training for the fellows. She sees patients with a variety of childhood onset psychiatric illnesses including developmental delays, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, Anxiety Spectrum disorders, Autism Spectrum disorders, Schizophrenia and Psychotic Spectrum disorders and Mood disorders.

Bio

I received a BA in Psychology from Tufts University in Massachusetts and completed medical school and a postdoctoral research fellowship in child psychiatry here at the University of Minnesota. I completed my residency in general psychiatry, a residency in pediatrics, and a child psychiatry fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist and focus on anxiety and mood disorders. I am board certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology and the American Board of Pediatrics. I also hold an Endowed Professorship in Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders. In most of my peer-reviewed articles, I am the first or last author. I supervise psychiatry residents, child, and adolescent psychiatry fellows, and psychology interns doing evaluations and treatment in the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Clinic. I also serve as a Grand Rounds committee member within the department. I am on the editorial board of several scientific journals and serve as an Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer for the National Institute of Mental Health. I have been included in the Best Doctors in America database from 1996-2014 and was selected as a Top Doctor in Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Expertise

• Child and adolescent anxiety and mood disorders

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 primary research interests include anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) in children and adolescents. She is currently completing an investigation of brain imaging in adolescents with OCD and healthy controls. Dr. Bernstein is the recipient of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Norbert and Charlotte Reiger Award for Scientific Achievement for the most outstanding research paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in 2005. Dr. Bernstein is on the editorial board of several scientific journals and serves as an Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer for the National Institute of Mental Health. We have completed an NIMH-funded neuroimaging and sertraline treatment study for children and adolescents with OCD and are currently in data analysis. Sertraline is FDA-approved for the treatment of pediatric OCD. 

Clinical Summary

Dr. Bernstein is tripled-boarded (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, and Pediatrics). She joined the University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry in 1985. Dr. Bernstein has been included in the Best Doctors in America database from 1996-2014 and was selected as a Top Doctor in Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Bio

Jacquetta Blacker, MD, MA, joined UMN following several years working for the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System. A native of the United Kingdom, she earned her BMBCh (the equivalent of an MD) in medicine and surgery, and her Master of Arts and undergraduate degree in Physiological Sciences at Oxford University. Dr. Blacker completed her general psychiatric residency and a child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and she is board certified in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.  

Being at the University enables Dr Blacker to teach and she is currently the program director of UMN’s CAP fellowship. She also works with the neuromodulation team and consults with adults and children at the UMMC campus. She has a long-standing enjoyment of public speaking, and lectures and holds teaching seminars on a huge range of topics. She enjoys collaborating with colleagues on research projects, especially those related to bipolar and anxiety disorders, and her passion is medical history.

Expertise

• PTSD

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2022: Featured in this article titled, "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship making meaningful changes to improve the fellows’ experience".

Research Summary

Dr. Blacker's research interests include mood and anxiety disorders in medical-surgical populations, and suicide among medical professionals. Being part of a much larger institution that has many disciplines – and the opportunities that creates for doing cross-disciplinary work – is exciting to Blacker. "A lot of what I do is historical, looking at trends over time, how concepts have changed, how treatment has changed," she said. "Having access to specialists in history and statistics will really help move my research along." Dr. Blacker was co-investigator for three research grants, one looking at developing biomarkers that would lead to individualized treatments in bipolar patients with and without comorbid addiction; another used EEG to identify potential markers of suicidal behaviors in children between age 13-18; another examined biochemical and genetic differences in mood disorders.

Bio

I am a professor and a clinical psychologist with extensive experience as a service provider, supervisor, and researcher in mental health. My education included receiving a BA in child psychology here at the University of Minnesota and a PhD in clinical psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I also completed a clinical psychology internship at Duke University Medical Center.  

My current clinical practice is providing outpatient diagnostic assessments and psychotherapy for adults with ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress. I use a strengths-based, whole-person mental health and wellbeing-focused approach to psychotherapy that incorporates best practices from cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, positive psychology, mindfulness, habit formation psychology, and motivational interviewing. 

My work also emphasizes developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative mental health programs utilizing an implementation science approach. For many years this work focused on school, community, and clinical programming for youth, but in recent years my focus has been on clinical programming for adults. To this end, I am concurrently a clinical scientist for Portages Health where I guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of measurement-based and evidence-based behavioral health models that are supported by digital technologies and applied in real-world practice settings. 

I have published peer-reviewed journal articles with many as either first or last author, and written several books about youth mental health, effective intervention methods, and evidence-based practice.

Expertise

• Prevention and early intervention in children and adolescents experiencing behavior and mood disorders
• Evidence-based practice
• Digital mental health intervention

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Natasha Hampton-Anderson
nhampton@umn.edu

Research Summary

Dr. Bloomquist has accumulated many years of research experience in collaboration with a team of prevention and intervention scientists. This included (1) evaluating the short- and long-term effects of school/community/clinic-based interventions for children with behavior and emotional disorders, (2) examining predictive variables and facilitative strategies related to parents engaging in prevention programming, (3) delineating and studying methods for enhancing and measuring program implementation in real world settings, (4) examining mediators and moderators of response to prevention programming, and (5) delineating child and parenting characteristics related to behavior disorders in children. His current research is examining youth and family stress associated with adolescent depression and translating and evaluating evidence-based mental health programming for use in real world health settings.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Bloomquist provides program consultation for intensive outpatient programming services for adolescent depression. He specializes in parent and family skills training (a.k.a. behavioral family therapy) for youth with behavior-emotional problems. As an author/co-author of several books, Dr. Bloomquist has written about effective intervention methods and evidence-based practice.

Bio

I received my BA in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010. I completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in child mental health at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. My training and career development have been supported by T32, F32, and K23 awards from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Prior to joining the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty, I was an Assistant Professor (Research) at Brown Medical School and a Psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital and Bradley Hospital.

I am a clinical psychologist with research and clinical expertise in the area of neurodevelopmental disorders, with an emphasis on Tourette Syndrome/tic disorders, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, and anxiety disorders. I am the Co-Director of the Converging Approaches to Neurodevelopment (CAN) Lab, a research group that focuses on studying the causes and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Our research integrates behavioral and neuroscience methods, including neuromodulation, brain imaging, and video-based symptom quantification. My current major projects include clinical trials to identify mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) response and to test augmentation of CBT with non-invasive neuromodulation. I also collaborate with faculty in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering to use computer vision approaches to quantify atypical movements associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

Within the university, I am the Director of the Novel Interventions & Neuromodulation Core at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB). In this role, I oversee the MIDB Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Lab and support MIDB investigators conducting cutting-edge interventions research focused on critical neurodevelopmental periods. 

Expertise

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Tourette syndrome
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Anxiety disorders

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Shelly Slominski
slomi001@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2023: Featured in this article titled, “NIH grant supporting U of M research that could result in a quantifiable way to diagnose Tourette syndrome.”
• 2023: Quoted in this article posted by Fatherly titled, “If You’re Trying To Raise A ‘Happy Child,’ You’re Missing The Point.”
• 2023: Featured in this article in the U’s Discovery magazine titled, “Heads Together,” about their collaboration to help kids with neurodevelopmental disorders
• 2022: Featured in video titled "Tackling Psychiatric Illness Using Translational Models and Computations", shot as part of the American Psychiatric Association's Conference TV with funding from NeuroPRSMH (NeuroPlasticity Research in Support of Mental Health), the U’s multidisciplinary neuroscience research group 
• 2021: Featured in this interview titled, "Tik Tok may be influencing tic disorders in children".
• 2020: One of many physicians featured in the Minneapolis StarTribune who participated in protests against police killing Black men on April 17 (seen holding the “Policing is a Public Health Crisis" sign)

Research Summary

Dr. Conelea's research focuses on the etiology and treatment of Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and anxiety disorders. She is particularly interested in understanding how the brain, environment, and psychosocial factors interact to impact symptoms and treatment outcome. Dr. Conelea's research integrates behavioral and neuroscience methods, including neuromodulation and brain imaging. Additional interests include therapeutic process and mechanism of change in cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Conelea provides training and supervision for clinical psychology and psychiatry students, residents, and fellows in the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Conelea's clinical interests include Tourette Syndrome; tic disorders; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; anxiety disorders; and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Bio

I am a tenured Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. My program of research is examining the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of depression, self-injury, and suicide risk in adolescents and young adults. I have also been testing the efficacy and mechanisms of novel interventions (including neuromodulation, pharmacology probing oxidative stress and glutamate systems, and creative arts-based approaches) aimed at promoting recovery and thriving in these youth.

Expertise

• Depression and non-suicidal self-injury
• Child and adolescent suicide
• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2023: Featured in this Medical School article titled, “Keeping an Eye on Children's Mental Health During the Summertime.”
• 2023: Featured in this Medical School article about children’s use of social media titled, “Talking social media and mental health with U of M.”
• 2023: Featured in this article titled, “Strategic planning process in the Division of Child and Adolescent Mental Health creates a vision for the future.”
• 2023: The focus of this article titled, “Minnesota collaborators work with colleagues in Japan to create course aimed at increasing undergraduate well-being.”
• 2023: Featured in this UMN Giving article titled, “Creativity and the brain".
• 2022: Offers timely advice to parents & caregivers in this M Physicians article titled, "Back to School: Let's Talk Mental Health". She says, "School is the biggest challenge for children." She was also featured on MPR talking about recent studies that seem to delink serotonin levels from depression. “It’s complicated,” she said.
• 2022: Featured in this article titled, "Interprofessional collaboration at the U aims to improve mental health treatment for children and adolescents".
• 2022: Coauthor of a study featured (although not named) in this MIDB article: "First Study to Evaluate Neurobiological Predictors of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents".
• 2022: Quoted in this Wall Street Journal article titled, "What Parents Can do When Kids Have Suicidal Thoughts".
• 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. Cullen's research primarily focuses on depression and self-injury in adolescents. Her research approaches include the use of brain imaging to examine the biology of depression and self-harm, elucidate the mechanisms of existing treatments, and develop novel treatments.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Cullen is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Clinic, which is housed in the Dept. of Psychiatry Clinic on the 2nd floor, West Building, on the Riverside campus. This clinic is designed to provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and evidence-based treatments to children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Cullen also works on the adolescent subacute unit (Adolescent Crisis, Lodging and Stabilization Services) located on the 4th floor, West Building, on the Riverside campus.

Bio

I earned my PhD in Clinical Social Work from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, IL. Research from my dissertation was foundational for Developmental Repair, an intervention manual for behaviorally challenged and challenging children, written in collaboration with the Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis. This manual is now used extensively throughout the state. I taught for 25 years in the U of MN School of Social Work and was faculty of the U’s Infant and Early Child Mental Health Certificate program in the Institute for Child Development. I completed a Master’s in Social Work from the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work of New York, NY, and have had an independent mental health practice that serves children, adolescents, and adults since 1987. 

My initial role in Psychiatry was teaching normal child development to child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. In 2017, I started the family consult clinic to help families navigate potentially confusing diagnoses, treatment plans, and related family needs, and provide fellowship with family engagement experiences. 

I provide mental health therapy at MIDB, and in the community, as well as consulting with agencies and schools about the developmental needs of children and adolescents. My teaching and research expertise is in early development, attachment, and impact of trauma, especially trauma that occurred when children are preverbal, or when the impact of intergenerational traumas persists within family dynamics. In 2021 I was awarded the University of MN Medical Center (UMMC), Clinical Educator Award; this complimented Teacher of the Year awards from the psychiatry fellows. I am honored to be able to use my experiences to pass knowledge on.

Expertise

• Early development
• Attachment
• Impact of childhood trauma, specifically when children are preverbal
• Intergenerational trauma within family dynamics 

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Natasha Hampton-Anderson
nhampton@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2022: Interviewed during this KARE 11 piece titled, “Strategies for coping with holiday blues”.
• 2022: Featured in this Minneapolis Star Tribune article titled, "Minnesota experts offer advice for parents to talk to children about tragedy".
• 2020: Interviewed recently by KARE11 about the negative impact of the pandemic on children and learning. She advocates helping teachers, students, and parents come together as a team and see the setbacks of COVID-19 as an opportunity to reinvent the educational system, replacing the 3 Rs with the three Es.
• 2022: Featured during a May 27 Minnesota Public Radio interview titled, "During the pandemic, don't forget about kids' mental health".

Research Summary

Dr. Gearity's research expertise is in early development; attachment; and the impact of trauma, especially trauma that occurred when children are preverbal or when the impact of intergenerational traumas persists within family dynamics.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Gearity taught at the U of MN School of Social Work for 27 years; she developed and taught in the Infant and Early Childhood program through the Institute for Child Development at the U of MN for 20 years; and consulted with schools and community agencies. Her initial role in the Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Department was teaching normal child development to child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. With over four decades of psychotherapy practice, she also provides case consultations and training.

Bio

I am a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. I conduct community-based intervention research focused on the development and implementation of more effective and accessible services to support youth mental health. My research also focuses on understanding how family relationships during adolescence can promote healthy emotion regulation and well-being or contribute to the development of psychopathology. I provide training and supervision in the delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy to student learners, as well as practicing providers in the community. I also provide psychotherapy in the Department’s Early Stage Mood Disorders Clinic.

Expertise

• Child and adolescent depression
• Attachment theory and interventions
• Community-based intervention research

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2022: Featured in this M Physicians article titled, “Coping with Grief During the Holiday Season.
• 2022: Coauthor of a study featured (although not named) in this MIDB article: "First Study to Evaluate Neurobiological Predictors of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents".

Research Summary

Dr. Gunlicks-Stoessel’s currently funded research studies focus on addressing mental health disparities experienced by youth in rural communities, providing parents with guidance to support their adolescents’ mental health, and developing strategies for personalizing interventions for adolescents with depression.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Gunlicks-Stoessel provides training and supervision in the delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy to student learners, as well as practicing providers in the community. She also provides psychotherapy in the Department’s Early Stage Mood Disorders Clinic.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Gunlicks-Stoessel's clinical interests include Child & Adolescent Mood Disorders Clinic; and Grief/Bereavement.

Bio

I received my BA in Biology from Grinnell College, Iowa. I received my medical degree, a residency in Adult Psychiatry, and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, where I was Chief Fellow, here at the University of Minnesota. My role includes two days a week practicing at the Community University Health Care Center. I was also the Program Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. Additional teaching roles include precepting the child and adolescent consult clinic at the U of M Masonic Children's Hospital and providing clinical supervision of fellows in the M Health Fairview Psychiatry Clinic. I have also presented nationally at over 30 conferences, including 9 grand rounds lectures.

Expertise

• Child and adolescent suicide
• Child and adolescent depression

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu

In the Media

• 2021: One of the members of the department’s PERLab was featured in this Medical School article titled, "New Framework Teaches Better Doctor-Patient Conversations During a Personal Crisis".