Dr. Katherine Wisner is Professor of Psychiatry, and Pediatrics in the Developing Brain Institute at Children’s National Hospital, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University School of Medicine, in Washington DC. She received her M.S. in Nutrition and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio), followed by a pediatric internship and general and child psychiatry residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  She completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Dr. Wisner is a pioneer in the field of perinatal psychiatry. She is internationally recognized as an expert in the treatment of mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period.  Her research has advanced our understanding of the natural history of mood disorders across childbearing, benefit-harm decision-making for pharmacotherapy during pregnancy and lactation, and the pharmacokinetics of medications across pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Wisner received over $22 million in funding from NIH, published 270 peer-reviewed publications, and 23 book chapters.

She was awarded the annual American Psychiatric Association Award for Research. Dr. Wisner received the Mentor Award from both the University of Pittsburgh and Northwestern Schools of Medicine. She received the Marcè International Society for Perinatal Mental Health’s Medal for lifetime contributions. Dr. Wisner serves on the Boards of JAMA Psychiatry and Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. She is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Wisner is a member of the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She was the founding President for the Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health in North America.