Kristin Cadenhead, MD

Kristin Cadenhead, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and director of UC San Diego Health's Early Psychosis Treatment Program. This clinical and research program offers specialized care for adolescents and young adults who are experiencing changes in their thoughts, behavior or emotions that might be associated with serious mental illness.

Dr. Cadenhead's research interests include the schizophrenia prodrome (the earliest phase of schizophrenia) and first episode psychosis. She is involved in clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) that investigate biomarkers and early identification and treatment of early psychosis. Dr. Cadenhead has published her research in many distinguished publications, including the American Journal of Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry and Schizophrenia Bulletin.

She is also listed among the most highly cited researchers in psychiatry in "The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015," published by Thomson Reuters.

As a professor of psychiatry, Dr. Cadenhead enjoys teaching residents and medical students. In addition to giving academic lectures, she mentors undergraduate and graduate students, medical students, residents, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty members.

Dr. Cadenhead completed a residency in psychiatry, and a fellowship in schizophrenia research at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Medicine in Galveston, Texas. She is board certified in psychiatry.

Dr. Cadenhead serves on the committee of many professional societies, including the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Society of Biological Psychiatry and the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. She is an active member of numerous groups such as the American Psychiatric Association and the International Early Psychosis Association.

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