Faculty

Kristen L Eckstrand, MD, PhD

Kristen L Eckstrand, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

MD
Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine
PhD
Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Department of Neuroscience
Adult Psychiatry, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
Innovative Methods in Pathogenesis and Child Treatment, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Professional Affiliations

Member, Society for Biological Psychiatry
Member, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Member, United States Professional Association for Transgender Health
Member, Society for Research in Child Development

Selected Honors & Awards

Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Award, University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry
Beatrix A. Hamburg Award, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Peter Henderson MD Memorial Award, American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training

Research Interests

LGBTQ+ mental health equity; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Trauma-associated neural circuitry
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Eckstrand KL, Forbes EE, Bertocci MA, Chase HW, Greenberg T, Lockovich J, Stiffler R, Aslam HA, Graur S, Bebko G, Phillips ML. Trauma impacts prospective relationships between reward-related ventral striatal and amygdala activity and 1-year future hypo/mania trajectories. Biological Psychiatry. (2020) 89(9):868-877. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.017
  2. Forbes EE, Eckstrand KL, Rofey D, Silk JS. A social affective neuroscience model of risk and resilience in adolescent depression: Preliminary evidence and application to sexual and gender minority youth. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. 2020, S2451-9022(20)30211-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.07.020.
  3. Eckstrand KL, Flores LE, Cross M, Silk J, Allen NB, Healey K, Marshal MP, Forbes EE. Social and non-social reward processing and depressive symptoms among sexual minority adolescents. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. (2019) 13:209. Doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00209.
  4. Eckstrand KL, Forbes EE, Bertocci MA, Chase HW, Greenberg T, Lockovich J, Stiffler R, Aslam HA, Graur S, Bebko G, Phillips ML. Anhedonia reduction mediates relationship between left ventral striatal reward response and 6-month improvement in life satisfaction in young adults. JAMA Psychiatry. (2019) doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0864.
  5. Eckstrand KL, Hanford LC, Bertocci M, Chase HW, Greenberg T, Lockovich J, Stiffler R, Aslam HA, Graur S, Bebko G, Forbes EE, Phillips ML. Trauma-associated anterior cingulate connectivity during reward processing predicts affective and anxiety states in young adults. Psychological Medicine. 2018, 1-10. doi:10.1017/S0033291718002520.

Clinical Interests

Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Willging C., Sturm R., Sklar M., Kano M., Davies S., & Eckstrand K. LGBTQ primary care toolkit: A guide for primary care clinics to improve services for sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients. 2021. Albuquerque, NM: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at: http://www.lgbtqprimarycare.com.
  2. Eckstrand KL & Potter J. Trauma, Resilience, and Health Promotion for LGBT Patients: What Every Healthcare Provider Should Know. Springer International Publishing. 2017. ISBN: 978-3319545073.

Education Interests

Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Eckstrand KL, Lunn MR, Yehia BR. Organizational change model for LGBT inclusion: A framework for promoting inclusion and reducing health disparities. LGBT Health. (2017) 4(3): 174-180.
  2. Hollenbach A, Eckstrand KL, Dreger AD, eds. Improving Care and Climate for Individuals who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Born with Differences of Sex Development: A Resource for Medical Educators, 1st ed. Association of American Medical Colleges. Washington DC. November 2014.

“Affirming Care” – Congratulations to UPMC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES) Honoree Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD

Dr. Eckstrand and Dr. Lewis

We are delighted to congratulate Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), who has received a 2023 UMPC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES) for her outstanding achievement in increasing inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ people at UPMC. The prestigious ACES award, received by less than 1% of UPMC staff annually, honors individuals who routinely go above and beyond. Dr. Eckstrand is...

Pitt Psychiatry News from the 2023 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting

2023 ACNP Annual Meeting Collage

Many University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry faculty and trainees attended the 2023 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting to learn about and present new research, and connect with colleagues. Below is a recap of Pitt Psychiatry news from the meeting: Honorific Award Mary Phillips, MD, MD (Cantab) (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, and...

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...

New Research: Maternal Response to Positive Affect Moderates the Impact of Familial Risk for Depression on Ventral Striatal Response to Winning Reward in Children

Morgan et al. Biological Psychiatry 2022

Adolescent offspring of depressed parents show diminished response to reward in the ventral striatum. Though factors associated with neural alterations in childhood are poorly understood, altered reward response may emerge before adolescence in offspring at familial risk for depression. A group of investigators, including Pitt Psychiatry scientists Judith Morgan, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and...

The Department of Psychiatry’s 20th Annual Research Day

The 20th annual Department of Psychiatry Research Day on June 9, 2022, represented a joyful reunion for more than 400 faculty members, trainees, and staff, who had not attended a large in-person event together since 2019. The morning session featured 110 posters at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. In the afternoon, attendees gathered across the street at the University...