Christine Conelea

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Credentials

PhD

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.