Dr. Gail Bernstein celebrates her 40 year Anniversary with the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Gail Bernstein, MD, recently reached an extraordinary milestone with 40 years of outstanding service in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences - having joined the department in May of 1985. This is a rare achievement that speaks volumes of her character, commitment and outstanding contributions over the years.

Gail’s journey thus far has greatly shaped our department in countless ways, and her contributions to date have left a lasting imprint on those lucky enough to work alongside her.

Some of Gail’s achievements and contributions are listed below:

• Led the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division for 5 years (1996-2000)
• Led multiple clinical trials and other studies focusing on anxiety in children, including NIH-funded studies
• Created the Child Anxiety Clinic and has been leading it for decades
• Has a national / international reputation for her expertise in the care and study of childhood anxiety disorders
• Has special expertise in PANDAS, created a unique PANDAS Clinic and is a key collaborator in a national group of PANDAS experts
• Trained MANY MANY child and adolescent psychiatrists and many, many child psychologists.
• Played a major role in the child psychiatry fellowship and the child psychology internship
• The weekly Anxiety Roundtable is an institution. It's been going for decades and is a highly valued resource to UMN and the broader community
• Led cutting-edge neuroimaging research in pediatric OCD
• Personal commitment to child and adolescent psychiatry -- demonstrated through donation to MIDB and contributing to the design and implementation of MIDB

Many of her colleagues also shared with us some of Gail’s achievements over the years.

Sasha Zagoloff shares, “I have been in the department for 13 years and I thank Gail for my position. She was one of my supervisors when I was a psychology intern in 2009. I joined the faculty in 2012 as Gail’s psychologist partner. I have attended Anxiety Roundtable - an interprofessional, clinical team meeting - every week since 2012. Gail saw the value in interprofessional healthcare before it was en vogue. Anxiety Roundtable is the only part of my job that I have maintained weekly for 13 years. Gail continues to deliver weekly clinical care with a psychology intern - over my 13 years, this means there are 52 child psychologists in practice who learned from her! I am incredibly grateful to her for this work since it is the interns’ only formal training experience with a physician during their time in our program. Gail’s commitment to her patients, as well as lifelong learning, is second to none. This is best exemplified by her recent case conference for the department on an exceptionally challenging case that she has managed with her characteristic tenacity and compassion. On a personal note, Gail hosted my wedding shower in 2014 which was a beautiful event at her home. I miss the days of walking past Gail’s office door and smiling at her holiday cards which prominently showcased her beloved pups, Matisse and Ruby. I cannot imagine my career without Gail.”

Tim Moore added, “In my brief time on the faculty Gail has been an important source of wisdom and a gracious collaborator. I’ve learned much from her perspective on complex clinical conditions in the weekly Anxiety Roundtable, enjoyed the good fortune of sharing several patients along the way, and presenting one of them together during a recent department forum. I am inspired and awed by the scope of impact of Gail’s clinical, research, and training efforts over her career. I consider myself very fortunate to work alongside and learn from her.’

Christine Conelea shares the following, “Gail is a wonderful, generous, and thoughtful collaborator across all of the areas I’ve had the fortune to work with her in--research, clinical care, teaching and supervision. I first met Gail at an AACAP conference when I was a post-doc at another institution. She had one of the only presentations on pediatric OCD, and we had such a wonderful and thought-provoking conversation. I felt so fortunate to become her colleague years later! Gail’s recent work includes key involvement in Project ECHO, where she is reaching clinicians all across the state to increase awareness and access to care for kids with anxiety, OCD, and related disorders. I deeply appreciate her efforts to engage many of us in the CAP faculty in this work and service to greater MN.”

Afshan Anjum shares, “My friend GB is my friend! She started out with being my mentor in 2000 -2002, while I was a fellow in c&a fellowship. She has taught me to be curious. As a mentor and supervisor she did not have all the answers but would gladly seek the answers with me, consulting with colleagues or looking up literature. It was an endearing, enlightening experience. It taught me a lot about humility and honesty and that one may not always have the answers but one should always strive to seek knowledge. As a junior colleague she always advocated for me, sought my opinion on things and communicated her views openly. She was open about how you made her feel and was very careful to make sure I felt heard. She has been very inclusive of learners at every level inviting them into her splendid home, would tour the place sometimes with us if her husband Tom was not  available. They both are good hosts making guests feel very welcome in their abode. They are accepting of other cultures and embrace others with open arms. She continues to inspire me with her hard work and commitment to education and research. She courageously takes on  different roles and no duty is below her. She also models for all, reminding us that we should never forget to have some fun. She balances her work and life beautifully without missing a beat. She always values her friendship and always makes an effort to keep herself abreast of what is happening with others. I am grateful to have her as my friend as I know I can count on her to give me an honest opinion in all matters!! Hoping to have another 40 loving, curious years with you Gail!”

We want to thank you, Gail, for your outstanding contributions over the last 40 years in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the profound impact you have had on your colleagues and community. We look forward to your continued excellent service in your field!