Meet Dr. Adrienne Romer
I am in my first year as an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Science area. I grew up in the Philadelphia area. I earned my undergraduate degree in Human Development from Cornell University, and my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Duke University. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School.
The strong research environment, collegial department, beautiful mountains and scenery, and Hokie school spirit!
I am interested in studying the overlap among mental disorder categories to determine shared neurobiological and psychological risk factors, mechanisms, and causes of co-occurring forms of psychopathology. I am passionate about this research topic because I believe that by identifying shared risk markers of psychopathology, we may be better able to prevent and intervene on symptoms that span traditional diagnostic boundaries.
About half of individuals with one mental disorder are also diagnosed with a second comorbid (co-occurring) mental disorder. Those with comorbid mental disorders tend to have greater impairment, complexity in treatment planning and compliance, and poorer disorder trajectories. Given these high comorbidity rates, it’s important to study what’s shared across disorder categories to identify common causes, risk markers, and mechanisms underlying the development of co-occurring forms of disorder. Ultimately this work can lead to the identification of novel targets for intervention and prevention which could address many symptoms across disorder categories.
I love engaging in the research process, thinking about the brain and mental health, and working with students and mentees to develop their own research interests.
“If you’re able to do what you love for a living, work won't feel like work.” Also, “take walk breaks.”
With multiple scientists in my family, I became interested in science at a very young age. My interest in clinical psychology and neuroscience developed in college after taking an “Emotional Functions of the Brain” course.
Taking nature walks, traveling, trying new restaurants, and watching movies/TV.
Tough question! I really like to travel so it’s hard to choose just one place, but right now I’d love to go to Greece!
Growing up I had a pet chinchilla named “Rocky” because the movie Rocky was my favorite movie (and I’m from Philadelphia and my name is Adrienne).