Faculty

Bio

Dr. Pardo leads a research program which seeks to 1) elucidate the functional architecture of the human brain with particular emphasis on how dysfunction within neural networks relates to psychiatric disorders; 2) to identify neural systems mediating cognitive operations (e.g., attention, memory); 3) to define the pathophysiology of mental illness.

His team identified the anterior cingulate cortex as a locus of attentional operations (PNAS 1990; 87:256) and the major site of cognitive aging in otherwise healthy individuals (Neuroimage 2007; 35(3):1231. They have also applied brain imaging for early diagnosis of the dementias (Alzheimers Dement 2010; 6(4): 326).

These studies point to a high degree of genetic heterogeneity especially in psychiatric nosology. To address this issue, a major effort underway is the discovery of Mendelian genes (rare, high penetrance, simple inheritance). An international collaboration was established 1) to recruit multiplex, first-cousin marriages with a defined phenotype (e.g., psychosis); 2) whole genome sequencing of pedigree members; and 3) filtering for variants of interest, VOI (e.g., homozygosity mapping, evolutionary conservation, predicted damaged protein; absence in normative databases). Currently, the prime VOI is USP53 p.C228R. Preliminary molecular studies show this protein localizes to the hippocampus and dentate granular regions and interacts with GRIA2 and GRIP2—components of the AMPA synapse. These findings support the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia and motivate additional molecular studies of the variant.

Research Summary

Dr. Pardo leads a research program which seeks to elucidate the functional architecture of the human brain with particular emphasis on how dysfunction within neural networks relates to psychiatric disorders. The multidisciplinary approach (in close collaboration with the Brain Sciences Center, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, and GRECC) involves methods from cognitive neuroscience, including several imaging modalities, particularly PET and fMRI.His team identified the anterior cingulate cortex as a pivotal locus of cognitive aging in otherwise healthy individuals (Neuroimage. 2007 April 15; 35(3): 1231–1237). They now seek to understand the significance and pathophysiological basis of this finding in the context of systems neuroscience, biochemistry, and animal models. They are also using brain imaging for early diagnosis of the dementias (Alzheimers Dement. 2010 July; 6(4): 326–333). Given the current heterogeneity of psychiatric diagnosis, a developing interest is imaging genetics to identify genotypes with defined psychiatric phenotypes that may lead to improved models of mental disease. For additional information, see the Pardo laboratory website at http://james.psych.umn.edu/.

Clinical Summary

Mood disorders; treatment-resistant; neuroimaging

Bio

After receiving my BA in Psychology from Yale University, I attended the University of Minnesota where I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology. I completed my predoctoral clinical psychology internship at the Yale School of Medicine. My NIH-funded research focuses on examining novel approaches to treating eating disorders by targeting the psychological and neurobiological factors that maintain these conditions. I am especially interested in identifying the role of emotion in eating disorder maintenance, as well as innovative approaches to clinical assessment.  I serve as the Program Director of our multisite T32 Midwest Regional Postdoctoral Training Program in Eating Disorder Research. In addition, I work as a clinician in our Interventional Psychiatry Program where I provide psychotherapy to individuals with mood, eating, and anxiety disorders.

Expertise

• Behavioral interventions
• Psychotherapy
• Adult psychopathology assessment/diagnosis measures (e.g. SCID) for psychiatric disorders
• Eating disorders (e.g. EDE)

Administrative Assistant

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

In the Media

• 2023: Featured in this article titled, “Celebrating the many ways that psychologists help us".
• 2023: Featured in this Medical School article titled, “Talking eating disorders with U of M,” to commemorate National Eating Disorders Week, February 27-March 5.
• 2023: Featured in this article titled, “Common themes emerge as members of the department think about Women in Medicine Month".

Research Summary

Eating disorders: Specifically treatment outcome, assessment, and diagnosis

Clinical Summary

Eating disorders

Bio

I received a BA in Psychology from Wesleyan University CT prior to completing my MA and my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. I completed my clinical internship at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Charleston, WV prior to completing my postdoctoral fellowship in eating disorders research here at the University of Minnesota. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and an Adjunct in the Department of Psychology. I am a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Minnesota.My work focuses on eating disorders and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. My research is focused on the psychological and momentary mechanisms associated with suicide risk in individuals with eating disorders, as well as developing, implementing, and testing innovative psychological treatments for eating disorders. I have over 35 publications and an h-index of 17.I provide direct patient care in the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic, where I co-direct the Women's Wellbeing Program. I am a certified Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy provider. I am actively involved in education, including clinical supervision at the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and the Behavioral Health Clinic for Families. I am on the Training Committee for the APA Accredited Psychology Internship program and supervise psychology and psychiatry trainees. I teach the graduate level course Foundations in Therapeutic Intervention in the Department of Psychology.Within the department, I am co-chair of the Grand Rounds Committee , and am the clinical lead for the Discovery Program Project . I am also a member of the UMN Medical Reserve Corp .

Research Summary

Dr. Pisetsky's research focuses on etiology and treatment of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. She is particularly interested in identifying factors associated with the increased risk of suicide in individuals with eating disorders.

Clinical Summary

Eating Disorders; Body Image; Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Stress and Adjustment.

Bio

I received my BA in Psychology from the College of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN), graduating Magna Cum Laude. I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno and completed my clinical internship at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. I am a licensed psychologist and clinician investigator at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System where I serve as a Core Investigator in the Center for Care Delivery & Outcomes Research (CCDOR), a VA Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation as well as serve as a member of the Adaptive Design & Engineering (MADE) Program. I am a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences who studies traumatic stress and resilience in military service members and veterans. My current research, funded by NCCIH, focuses on developing an integrated, multilevel model of resilience to guide the development of intervention strategies for at-risk populations. My research has also examined risk and resilience factors associated with mental health outcomes in Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with a special emphasis on the longitudinal course of military-related PTSD. I am Program Director of the Service to Science Scholars Research Program, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative funded by the VA’s Office of Research and Development, which provides student Veterans, military-connected students, and those traditionally underrepresented in science with an intensive 10-week mentored research experience.

Expertise

• Behavioral interventions
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Longitudinal methods to study risk and resilience trajectories of post-traumatic psychopathology and positive adaptation

Research Summary

My research program (continuously funded for over 15 years by Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) focuses on processes contributing to risk and resilience following traumatic stress among National Guard service members and their families. Currently, I direct the Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers (RINGS)/Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Research Laboratory at the Minneapolis VA and the UMN. 

Clinical Summary

I serve as a staff psychologist in the Mental Health Service Line at the Minneapolis VA where I conduct assessment and treatment of Veterans, with a particular focus on those with trauma-related conditions. Within the VA system, I also served for over a decade (2008-2019) as a national trainer and consultant for the VA’s initiative to disseminate prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD.

Bio

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Residency Program Director.  I completed my residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I was Chief Resident. After completing my residency, I became the Associate Program Director of the Iowa Medical Education Collaborative Psychiatry Residency Program, now known as the MercyOne Psychiatry Residency Program. I earned my DO at Des Moines University in Iowa, and my BA from St. John’s College-Santa Fe, also in New Mexico. In 2022, I won the Society of St. Luke’s Award from MercyOne for providing compassionate care and being a servant leader.

Most recently, I was medical director at the MercyOne Psychiatry Resident Clinic in Des Moines, IA, and supervised second, third, and fourth-year residents. My current clinical focus will be on the resident portion of the M Health Fairview Riverside Clinic in Minneapolis.

Administrative Assistant

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

Bio

Karina Quevedo, PhD, LP, is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. She directs the Health and Emotions in Adolescent Trajectories laboratory (HEAT lab). Dr. Quevedo completed her doctoral graduate training at the University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development (ICD) and her postdoctoral T32 training at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinics. She has received a BA in Psychology from the University of Havana, Cuba, and a MA in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas, MN. Dr. Quevedo’s research interests span typical and atypical pathways of emotional development; brain, physiological, and hormonal markers of child and adolescent adaptation; the long-term impact of adverse experience; and adolescent psychopathology. She has further interests in neuromodulation approaches to treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and suicide attempts in youth and adults. Dr. Quevedo trains graduate and undergraduate students as both emerging clinicians and scientists and mentors post-doctoral junior scientists.

Expertise

• fMRI; how to study processes of emotion and social cognition
• Typical and atypical pathways of emotional development
• Adolescent depression
• Psychopathology

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Tenisha Collins
coll1148@umn.edu

Research Summary

• Typical and Atypical Pathways of Emotional Development: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19144221 Brain, Physiological and Hormonal Markers of
• Child and Adolescent Adaptation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22383860 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18037012 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20027622
• Long Term Impact of Adverse Experience: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24552550 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16903808
• Adolescent Depression and Psychopathology: The neural basis of aspects of self-knowledge, self-understanding and social cognitions are strongly linked to the course and morbidity associated to pediatric depressive disorders and risks for the illness during the adolescent transition.

Our laboratory has collected functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) data while teens think about- and see themselves while in the scanner. We are currently finishing data processing on three neuroimaging tasks that tap into self-knowledge and social interaction as well as diffusion tension imaging. Graduate students interested in clinical neuroscience are welcome to contact us at queve001@umn.edu for collaboration in writing manuscripts, data analyses, and learning about how to use fMRI to study basic processes of emotion and social cognition.