Faculty

Boris Birmaher, MD

Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Endowed Chair in Early Onset Bipolar Disease

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213

Education & Training

MD
Valle College of Medicine
Medicine, Valle College of Medicine, Cali, Colombia
General Psychiatry, Haddassah Medical College and the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Clinical Research, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and New York Psychiatric Institute
Child Psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and New York Psychiatric Institute
Biological Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Current Appointments

Director, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Psychiatric Association
Member, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Member, Society of Biological Psychiatry
Member, Hispanic Mental Health Association
Member, Allegheny County Medical Society

Selected Honors & Awards

Excellence in Psychiatry Award, American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry
Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders Research, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Ellen Frank Psychiatric Research Award, Mental Health Association of Allegheny County

Research Interests

Bipolar spectrum disorders; Mood and anxiety disorders; Phenomenology, course & treatment
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Birmaher B, Merranko J, Gill MK, Hafeman D, Goldstein T, Goldstein B, Hower H, Strober M, Axelson D, Ryan N, Yen S, Diler R, Iyengar S, Kattan M, Weinstock L, Keller M. Predicting personalized risk of mood recurrences in youths and young adults with bipolar disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Jan 21 (Online ahead of print). PMID: 31978620. PMCID: PMC7371512.
  2. Bertocci MA, Hanford L, Manelis A, Iyengar S, Youngstron E, Gill MK, Monk K, Versace A, Bonar L, Bebko G, Ladouceur CD, Perlman S, Diler R, Horwitz S, Arnold E, Hafeman D, Travis M, Kowatch R, Holland SK, Fristad M, Findling R, Birmaher B, Phillips ML. Clinical, cortical thickness, and neural activity predictors of future affective lability in youth at risk for bipolar disorder: initial discovery and independent sample replication. Molecular Psychiatry. 2019 Dec;24(12):1856-1867. PMID: 31628415. PMCID: PMC6814510.
  3. Shalev A, Merranko J, Goldstein T, Miklowitz DJ, Axelson D, Goldstein BI, Brent D, Monk K, Hickey MB, Hafeman D, Sakolsky D, Diler R, Birmaher B. A longitudinal study of family functioning in offspring of bipolar parents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019 Oct;58(10):961-970. PMID: 30768400. PMCID: PMC6584080.
  4. Birmaher B, Gill MK, Axelson DA, Goldstein BI, Goldstein TR, Yu H, Liao F, Iyengar S, Diler RS, Strober M, Hower H, Yen S, Hunt J, Merranko JA, Ryan ND, Keller MB. Longitudinal trajectories and associated baseline predictors in youths with bipolar spectrum disorders. Am J Psychiatry, 2014 Sep; 171(9):990-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp. 2014. 13121577. PMID 24874203. PMCID: PMC4164021.
  5. Birmaher B, Axelson DA, Monk K, Kalas C, Clark DB, Ehmann M, Bridge J, Heo J, Brent DA. Fluoxetine for the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003;42(4):415-23. PMID: 12649628.

Clinical Interests

Pediatric mood and anxiety disorders
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Birmaher B. Bipolar Disorders. In: Martin A, Volkmar FR, eds. Lewiss Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Textbook. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, in press.
  2. Birmaher B and Brent DA. Depressive Disorders. Dulcans Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, APA Publishing, 2015
  3. Birmaher B. UpToDate: Diagnosis and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorders, 2014.
  4. Birmaher B, Brent D, Bernet W, Bukstein O, Walter H, Benson RS, Chrisman A, Farchione T, Greenhill L, Hamilton J, Keable H, Kinlan J, Schoettle U, Stock S, Ptakowski KK, Medicus J. Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with depressive disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007;46(11):1503-26. PMID: 18049300. 10075518.
  5. Birmaher B, Brent DA, Chiappetta L, Bridge J, Monga S, Baugher M. Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): a replication study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999;38(10):1230-6. PMID: 10517055.

Education Interests

Medical and resident education; Research mentorship; Mentoring international scholars