Faculty

Candice L Biernesser, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

PhD
Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Public Health Association
Member, Society for Social Work and Research

Research Interests

Technological interventions to reduce suicide risk; Health equity
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Biernesser C, Bear T, Brent D, Mair C, Zelazny J, Trauth J. (2021) Development of an ecological momentary assessment of the impact of social media use among suicidal adolescents, Archives of Suicide Research, 2021 Jul 2:1-15.
  2. Biernesser C, Zelazny J, Brent D, Bear T, Mair C, Trauth J. (2021) Exploring the feasibility and acceptance of automated digital media monitoring within the clinical care of suicidal youth. JMIR Mental Health. Sep 15;8(9):e26031.
  3. Biernesser C, Montano G, Miller E, Radovic A. (2020) Social media use and monitoring for adolescents with depression and implications for the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative study of parent and child perspectives. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting. Dec 8;3(2):e21644.
  4. Kennard BD, Goldstein T, Foxwell A, McMakin D, Wolfe K, Biernesser C, Moorehead A, Douaihy A, Zullo L, Wentroble E, Owen V, Zelazny J, Iyengar S, Porta G, Brent DA. (2018) As Safe As Possible (ASAP): Establishing efficacy of a manualized intervention and associated phone app for psychiatrically hospitalized suicidal adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry. Sep 1;175(9):864-872.

Pitt Psychiatry Investigators Receive YourMomCares Research Awards

Pitt Faculty Presented with YourMomCares Award

Congratulations to Heather Joseph, DO (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics), who received the inaugural YourMomCares Brilliance in Research Award. YourMomCares is a kids’ mental health nonprofit, founded by the moms of musicians, actors and athletes, to fund innovations in kids’ mental health and wellbeing. Candice Biernesser, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Rachel Vaughn-Coaxum, PhD...

Suicide Prevention: Promoting Safe and Supportive Environments for All Youth

STAR Center Child in Window

The Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of child and adolescent suicide. The STAR-Center provides outpatient assessment and treatment for depressed and anxious children and teens, and offers acute treatment to depressed and suicidal youth through the Center’s intensive outpatient...

The Department of Psychiatry Welcomes Three New Research Faculty Members

Drs. Candice Biernesser, Thomas Karikari and Sierra Stringfield

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to three new research faculty members: Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) Dr. Biernesser earned her PhD from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, then joined the Pitt Department of Psychiatry as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department’s National Institute of Mental...