Dr. Kimberly Yonkers

Biography

Kimberly Yonkers, MD, holds a Professorship in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, where she also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member. She has a significant clinical role as Chief of the Division of Psychological Medicine at Yale New Haven Health. Her research focuses primarily on psychiatric disorders in women, particularly during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Yonkers directs the Center for Women and Mothers within the Department of Psychiatry, where her team investigates the clinical course, etiology, and treatment of psychiatric and substance use disorders in women. Her groundbreaking work includes evaluations of the impact of psychiatric conditions on birth outcomes, leading to pivotal findings on postpartum depression and the effectiveness of standard antidepressant treatments. She has published extensively on premenstrual dysphoric disorder and has contributed to the DSM-5 revisions related to race, gender, and ethnicity in psychiatric conditions. Currently, she leads research on substance use during pregnancy, aiming to improve care for women affected by substance misuse. Additionally, she serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the American Psychiatric Association's online journal, Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice, which aims to disseminate research in the field. Her ongoing work includes large cohort studies assessing the relationship between maternal mental health and obstetrical risks.

Research Interests

Awards