{{short description|American psychologist}}{{Infobox scientist | name = Kathleen Ries Merikangas | image = Kathleen Merikangas at NHGRI.jpg | caption = Merikangas speaks at the [[National Human Genome Research Institute]] in 2014 | birth_name = Kathleen Ries | fields = Genetic epidemiology<br/>Psychiatric epidemiology | workplaces = [[National Institute of Mental Health]] (NIMH)<br/>[[Yale School of Medicine]] | alma_mater = [[University of Notre Dame]] (BA)<br/>[[University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health]] (PhD) | awards = * Rema Lapouse Award (2017) * Paul Hoch Award (2015) * NIMH IRP Outstanding Mentor Award (2015) }}
'''Kathleen Ries Merikangas''' is the Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch in the Intramural Research Program at the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] (NIMH) and an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the [[Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]]. She has published more than 800 papers, and is best known for her work in adolescent mental disorders.<ref name=":2" /> == Early life and education == Merikangas was born Kathleen Ries to F. William and Dorothy Campbell Ries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=dorothy-ries-campbell&pid=15501856|title=Dorothy (Campbell) Ries's Obituary |website= Legacy.com | location = Pittsburgh |department=Post-Gazette|access-date=2018-08-20}}</ref> Merikangas earned her bachelor's degree ''[[Latin honors|summa cum laude]]'' in experimental psychology and music from [[University of Notre Dame]] in 1973.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://childmind.org/bio/kathleen-merikangas-phd/|title=Kathleen Merikangas, PhD {{!}} Child Mind Institute|work=Child Mind Institute|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/principal-investigators/kathleen-merikangas|title=NIMH " Principal Investigator: Kathleen R Merikangas, Ph.D|website=www.nimh.nih.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref>
She received her master's degree from [[University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine]], which was sponsored by [[National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]]. During this time, she did her clinical training and internship at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
She earned her Ph.D. in chronic disease epidemiology from [[University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health|University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health]] in 1981, focusing on conducting clinical research on the [[Affective spectrum|affective disorders]].<ref name=":1" /> With the help of Career Development Award from National Institute of Mental Health, Merikangas did her postdoctoral work in [[population genetics]] and [[genetic epidemiology]] at [[Yale School of Medicine|Yale University School of Medicine]].
== Career == Merikangas became a faculty member at [[Yale School of Medicine|Yale University School of Medicine]], where she did her postdoctoral work.<ref name=":0" /> She worked as a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Psychiatry and Psychology and the Director of the Genetic Epidemiology Research Unit in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. During her time at Yale, she proposed the genome-wide case-control associations of disorders, and conducted large population studies of mental disorders.<ref name=":2" /> The perspectives article titled ''"The Future of Genetic Studies of Complex Human Diseases"'' that appeared in journal [[Science (journal)|Science]] in 1996, which she co-authored with [[Neil Risch]], has been cited more than 3,000 times.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Risch|first1=Neil|last2=Merikangas|first2=Kathleen|date=1996-09-13|title=The Future of Genetic Studies of Complex Human Diseases|journal=Science|language=en|volume=273|issue=5281|pages=1516–1517|doi=10.1126/science.273.5281.1516|issn=0036-8075|pmid=8801636|bibcode=1996Sci...273.1516R|s2cid=5228523}}</ref> She left Yale in 2003.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://medicine.yale.edu/centuryofwomen/distinguishedwomen/326905.profile|title=Kathleen Ries Merikangas, PhD > 100 Years of Women at YSM {{!}} Yale School of Medicine|website=medicine.yale.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-08-08|archive-date=2018-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613135443/https://medicine.yale.edu/centuryofwomen/distinguishedwomen/326905.profile|url-status=dead}}</ref>
After joining NIMH after leaving Yale, Merikangas conducted large scale survey-based studies including the first nationally representative study of adolescent mental disorders.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Merikangas|first1=Kathleen Ries|last2=He|first2=Jian-ping|last3=Burstein|first3=Marcy|last4=Swanson|first4=Sonja A.|last5=Avenevoli|first5=Shelli|last6=Cui|first6=Lihong|last7=Benjet|first7=Corina|last8=Georgiades|first8=Katholiki|last9=Swendsen|first9=Joel|date=October 2010|title=Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in US Adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Study-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A)|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry|volume=49|issue=10|pages=980–989|doi=10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017|issn=0890-8567|pmc=2946114|pmid=20855043}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201129015455/https://psychcentral.com/news/2010/09/29/teens-disproportionately-affected-by-mental-disorders/18922.html | archive-date = 2020-11-29|url=https://psychcentral.com/news/2010/09/29/teens-disproportionately-affected-by-mental-disorders/18922.html | website = Psych Central|location = Massachusetts|first = Traci |last = Pedersen |title=Teens Disproportionately Affected by Mental Disorders|date=2010-09-29|access-date=2018-08-27|language=en-US}}</ref> Her 2011 study on shyness and social phobia of American teenagers attracted huge media attention.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Burstein|first1=Marcy|last2=Ameli-Grillon|first2=Leila|last3=Merikangas|first3=Kathleen R.|date=November 2011|title=Shyness Versus Social Phobia in US Youth|journal=Pediatrics|volume=128|issue=5|pages=917–925|doi=10.1542/peds.2011-1434|issn=0031-4005|pmc=3208958|pmid=22007009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://healthland.time.com/2011/10/17/study-nearly-1-in-8-shy-teens-may-have-social-phobia/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111231214942/http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/17/study-nearly-1-in-8-shy-teens-may-have-social-phobia/ | archive-date = 2011-12-31 | publisher = Time Warner | title=Study: Nearly 1 in 8 Shy Teens May Have Social Phobia|last=Harding|first=Anne| magazine = Time | date = 17 October 2011 |agency = www.health.com |department = Healthland |access-date=2018-08-23|language=en-US| oclc = 1311479 |url-status=live|issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/10/18/half_of_teens_shy_but_for_a_few_its_more_serious/?page=full|title=Half of teens shy, but for a few it's more serious|last=Neergaard|first=Lauran|date=2011-10-18|work=Boston.com|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref> Other areas of focus include [[eating disorder]]s,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/news/20110307/study-eating-disorders-in-teens-are-common#1|title=Study: Eating Disorders in Teens Are Common|work=WebMD|access-date=2018-08-27|language=en-US}}</ref> [[bipolar disorder]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/07/US.highest.bipolar.rates/index.html|title=U.S. has highest bipolar rate in 11-nation study|agency=www.health.com|first= Amanda |last = Gardner|access-date=2018-08-27| archive-date = 2011-08-30|website = cnn.com | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110830154505/http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/07/US.highest.bipolar.rates/index.html |language=en}}</ref> suicidal behaviors,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/15/most-suicidal-teens-have-not-received-professional-help/46068.html|title=Most Suicidal Teens Don't Get Professional Help|date=2012-10-15|access-date=2018-08-27| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121213054502/https://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/15/most-suicidal-teens-have-not-received-professional-help/46068.html | archive-date = 2012-12-13 |website = Psych Central|location = Massachusetts|first = Traci |last = Pedersen |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[substance abuse]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/addiction/teens-young-adults-with-psychiatric-disorders-at-risk-for-drug-and-alcohol-abuse/article/488658/|title=Increased Risk of Substance Abuse in Adolescents With Mental Disorders|date=2016-04-08| first = Nicole |last = Ostrow | publisher = Haymarket Media |work= Psychiatry Advisor|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160616211713/https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/addiction/teens-young-adults-with-psychiatric-disorders-at-risk-for-drug-and-alcohol-abuse/article/488658/ | archive-date = 2016-06-16 |access-date=2018-08-27|language=en}}</ref> in adolescents.
== Awards and honors ==
* 2017: [[Rema Lapouse Award]] for Achievement in Epidemiology, Mental Health and Applied Public Health Statistics<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apha.org/apha-communities/member-sections/mental-health/who-we-are/awards|title=Awards|website=www.apha.org|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref> * 2015: Paul Hoch Award for Career Contribution to Research in Psychopathology Association<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.appassn.org/awards.html|title=APPA: Awards|website=www.appassn.org|access-date=2018-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607012755/http://www.appassn.org/awards.html|archive-date=2015-06-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> *2015: NIMH IRP Outstanding Mentor Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/scientific-director/office-of-fellowship-and-training/nimh-irp-sponsored-awards/nimh-irp-outstanding-mentor-award|title=NIMH IRP Outstanding Mentor Award|website = National Institute of Mental Health |location= National Institutes of Health | publisher = U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |language=en|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[National Comorbidity Survey]]
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Google Scholar id|kfupcP0AAAAJ}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Merikangas, Kathleen}} [[Category:21st-century American women scientists]] [[Category:American geneticists]] [[Category:American women psychologists]] [[Category:21st-century American psychologists]] [[Category:Genetic epidemiologists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:University of Notre Dame alumni]] [[Category:University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine alumni]] [[Category:American women geneticists]] [[Category:Yale School of Medicine alumni]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]