Kimberly Yonkers

Kimberly A. Yonkers, MD is a Professor and Katz Family Chair in Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School, with affiliations in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology departments. She holds additional appointments in the NeuroNexus Institute and is a leading expert in perinatal psychiatry and substance use disorders in pregnancy.

• Education: BA in Political Science/Women's Studies from Amherst College, MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Her research focuses on perinatal mental health, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and substance misuse interventions for women. She has pioneered studies on pharmacological treatments during pregnancy, digital health tools for maternal mental health, and policy implications of substance use reporting. Her recent work explores AI-driven agitation prediction in emergency settings and fetal membrane inflammation from opioid exposure.

Awarded the Katz Family Chair in Psychiatry, Yonkers has led numerous clinical trials and public health initiatives, including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's program for physician-scientists. She has published extensively on SSRI safety, pregnancy outcomes, and screening protocols for mental health and addiction.