After earning a PhD in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Denver in 2014, Dr. Oppenheimer moved to Pittsburgh to complete a clinical psychology internship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. She obtained postdoctoral training through the federally funded Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research training program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine prior to joining the Department of Psychiatry faculty. Dr. Oppenheimer’s current research focuses on how neurobehavioral and interpersonal vulnerabilities contribute to mood problems, such as depression and suicidal behaviors, in adolescent youth. With funding from a K01 career development award from the National Institute of Mental Health, she is testing the hypothesis that neural sensitivity to social rejection, when occurring in the presence of peer rejection, increases risk for issues in adolescent girls.
