Kieran O'Donnell, PhD
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive SciencesDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Child Study Center
Fully Joint
Contact Info
Yale School of Medicine
Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06519
United States
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Titles
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Biography
Dr. O’Donnell is an Associate Professor in the Yale Child Study Center and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences within the Yale School of Medicine where he leads the Health-Omics & Perinatal Epidemiology (HOPE) Research Group.
Dr. O’Donnell's research themes include Perinatal Mental Health and the Developmental Origins of Mental Health. His group integrates genomic and epigenomic data with measures of psychosocial risk to 1) better understand individual differences in maternal perinatal health and 2) identify the molecular processes that underlie the persisting influence of the prenatal environment on child/adolescent neurodevelopment and mental health. Dr. O'Donnell's research occurs in the context of a number of large prospective longitudinal cohorts as well as randomized controlled trials of psychosocial interventions in the US, Canada, UK, Viet Nam, and the Philippines.
Last Updated on September 29, 2025.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Associate Professor on TermFully JointObstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Associate Professor on TermFully Joint
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University (2016)
- PhD
- Imperial College London, Clinical Medicine (2011)
- MSc
- Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, Neuroscience
- BSc (Hon)
- University of Westminster, Psychology
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Biological Psychiatry; Depression, Postpartum; Molecular Epidemiology; Pregnant People
Public Health Interests
Biomarkers; Global Health; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; Maternal & Child Health; Perinatal/Prenatal Health
ORCID
0000-0002-3935-1014
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Kieran O'Donnell's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Kieran O'Donnell's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Kieran O'Donnell is interested in exploring.
Hung Pham
Tara Thompson-Felix, MD
Adam Lombroso
James Leckman, MD, PhD
Joshua Warren, PhD
Robert Dubrow, MD, PhD
107Publications
5,850Citations
Depression, Postpartum
Pregnant People
Publications
2025
Sex-specific interaction effects of Syntaxin 1A coexpression network and childhood trauma on adult depressive symptoms
Arcego D, Dalmaz C, Pokhvisneva I, Wang Z, Barth B, Patel S, Xia Q, de Lima R, de Mendonça Filho E, Kobor M, O'Donnell K, Meaney M, Silveira P. Sex-specific interaction effects of Syntaxin 1A coexpression network and childhood trauma on adult depressive symptoms. EBioMedicine 2025, 123: 106062. PMID: 41380478, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.106062.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEffects of childhood traumaChildhood traumaPrefrontal cortexDepressive symptomsExposure to early life traumaSynaptic functionPolygenic scoresEffects of early traumaEarly life traumaAdult depressive symptomsDevelopment of depressionSusceptible to depressive symptomsDiagnosis of depressionLong-term effectsLife traumaEarly traumaIndividual vulnerabilityDepression riskDepressionIn adulthoodYoung adult femalesIndividual variationJPB FoundationSymptomsPostsynaptic sitesCorrigendum to “A scoping review of functional genomics in perinatal depression”. [Front. Neuroendocrinol. 78 (2025) 101202]
Bruzzone S, Garre V, Høgh S, Frokjaer V, O'Donnell K, Eid R. Corrigendum to “A scoping review of functional genomics in perinatal depression”. [Front. Neuroendocrinol. 78 (2025) 101202]. Frontiers In Neuroendocrinology 2025, 79: 101219. PMID: 41176502, DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2025.101219.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchA scoping review of functional genomics in perinatal depression
Bruzzone S, Garre V, Høgh S, Frokjaer V, O'Donnell K, Eid R. A scoping review of functional genomics in perinatal depression. Frontiers In Neuroendocrinology 2025, 78: 101202. PMID: 40581107, DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2025.101202.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPerinatal depressionMental health problemsPublic mental health problemPsychosocial adaptationComprehensive assessmentPostpartum periodClinically useful biomarkersInclusion criteriaHealth problemsAssociated with PDGenome functionPregnant womenCandidate-gene approachSystematic overviewEstrogen signalingMolecular profiling methodsImmune functionReview studiesSample sizeDepressionWomenSignature of PDDNA methylationGene expressionFunctional genomics211. The Mediating Role of Executive Functioning in the Association between Early Life Adversity and Psychological Functioning in Individuals With and Without a History of Sexual Abuse
Nadarajan R, Gotlib I, O'Donnell K, Noll J, Pokhvisneva I, Meaney M. 211. The Mediating Role of Executive Functioning in the Association between Early Life Adversity and Psychological Functioning in Individuals With and Without a History of Sexual Abuse. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 97: s182. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.02.448.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchImpact of age-related changes in buccal epithelial cells on pediatric epigenetic biomarker research
Merrill S, Konwar C, Fatima F, Dever K, MacIsaac J, Letourneau N, Giesbrecht G, Dewey D, England-Mason G, Lewis C, Wang D, Teh A, Meaney M, Gonzalez A, Noll J, De Weerth C, Bush N, O’Donnell K, Stewart S, Kobor M. Impact of age-related changes in buccal epithelial cells on pediatric epigenetic biomarker research. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 609. PMID: 39800776, PMCID: PMC11725590, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55909-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBuccal epithelial cellsAge-related changesObsessive-compulsive disorderEpithelial cellsDiurnal cortisol slopeCheek swabsImpact of age-related changesCortisol slopeAssociated with ageOral cellsDevelopmental rangeAge accelerationDNA methylation studiesHeterogeneous sampleNeutrophil proportionBiomarker researchMethylation studiesAgeSwabsWeak associationEpigenetic age
2024
Predictors of Participation in a Perinatal Text Message Screening Protocol for Maternal Depression and Anxiety: Prospective Cohort Study
Barnwell J, Robert C, Nguyen T, Davis K, Gratton C, Elgbeili G, Pham H, Meaney M, Montreuil T, O'Donnell K. Predictors of Participation in a Perinatal Text Message Screening Protocol for Maternal Depression and Anxiety: Prospective Cohort Study. JMIR Pediatrics And Parenting 2024, 7: e53786. PMID: 39361419, PMCID: PMC11487212, DOI: 10.2196/53786.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMaternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Biological Aging During Pregnancy and in Newborns
Dye C, Alschuler D, Wu H, Duarte C, Monk C, Belsky D, Lee S, O’Donnell K, Baccarelli A, Scorza P. Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Biological Aging During Pregnancy and in Newborns. JAMA Network Open 2024, 7: e2427063. PMID: 39120899, PMCID: PMC11316241, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.27063.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMaternal adverse childhood experiencesAdverse childhood experiencesEdinburgh Postnatal Depression ScaleAccessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomics StudiesEpigenetic age accelerationGestational age accelerationAssociated with epigenetic agingAvon Longitudinal Study of ParentsLongitudinal Study of ParentsPostnatal Depression ScalePrimary outcomeChildhood experiencesAvon Longitudinal StudyEpigenetic ageStudy of parentsAge accelerationHigher ACE scoresCross-sectional studyEpigenetic clocksMother-offspring dyadsDepression ScaleHealth districtMother-child dyadsDNA methylation–based epigenetic clocksInvestigate depressionDifferential interactions between gene expressions and stressors across the lifespan in major depressive disorder
Wang R, Su Y, O'Donnell K, Caron J, Meaney M, Meng X, Li Y. Differential interactions between gene expressions and stressors across the lifespan in major depressive disorder. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2024, 362: 688-697. PMID: 39029669, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMDD riskDepressive disorderPatterns of stressorsVulnerability-stress theoriesSusceptibility to MDDTranscriptome-wide association studyDimensions of stressorsLatent profile modelsLongitudinal community-based cohortPrefrontal cortexLifetime stressorsMDDGene expressionBrain amygdalaBasal gangliaStress researchNominal p-values <Southwest MontrealStressorsBrainFine-mapping analysisBrain cortexStudy cohortGenetic predispositionCortexVariation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) moderates the influence of maternal sensitivity on child attachment
Tchalova K, Lydon J, Atkinson L, Fleming A, Kennedy J, Lecompte V, Meaney M, Moss E, O’Donnell K, O’Donnell K, Silveira P, Sokolowski M, Steiner M, Bartz J. Variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) moderates the influence of maternal sensitivity on child attachment. Translational Psychiatry 2024, 14: 181. PMID: 38580654, PMCID: PMC10997775, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02888-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMaternal sensitivityChild attachmentAttachment behaviorExpression of attachment behaviorLevels of maternal sensitivityOPRM1 A118G genotypeInfluence of maternal sensitivityNon-human animal researchAmbivalent attachment patternsStrange Situation paradigmMu-opioid receptor geneOPRM1 A118G polymorphismA118G genotypeChildren's attachment stylesMother-child interactionA118G polymorphismEndogenous opioid systemMinor G alleleSensitive maternal careMother-infant attachmentInfant rhesus macaquesG alleleC77G polymorphismReceptor geneSituation paradigmThe effects of pregnancy, its progression, and its cessation on human (maternal) biological aging
Pham H, Thompson-Felix T, Czamara D, Rasmussen J, Lombroso A, Entringer S, Binder E, Wadhwa P, Buss C, O'Donnell K. The effects of pregnancy, its progression, and its cessation on human (maternal) biological aging. Cell Metabolism 2024, 36: 877-878. PMID: 38521058, PMCID: PMC11774303, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.02.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity McGill University
07/01/2020 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsAdjunct Professoractivity Ludmer Center for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health
05/30/2016 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsInvestigatoractivity Scientific Reports
02/03/2017 - PresentJournal ServiceEditoractivity Postpartum Support International-Advisory Council
01/29/2021 - PresentAdvisory BoardsBoard MemberDetailsPostpartum Support Internationalactivity Learning Clubs
07/01/2020 - PresentResearchDetailsMelbourne, VIC, Australia; Hanoi, Vietnam
Honors
honor NARSAD Young Investigator
01/01/2020National AwardBrain & Behavior Research FoundationDetailsUnited Stateshonor CIFAR Fellow
07/01/2019International AwardCanadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR) Child & Brain Development ProgramDetailsCanadahonor FRSQ Research Fellow (Chercheur Boursier)
07/01/2019International AwardThe Quebec Health Research Fund (Fonds de recherche Santé- Québec)DetailsCanadahonor CIFAR Global Scholar
07/01/2016International AwardCanadian Institute For Advanced ResearchDetailsCanada
News & Links
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News
- March 24, 2025
Spicer Honored With 2025 Yale Department of Psychiatry Mental Health Advocacy Award
- December 11, 2024
October 2024 YCSC Faculty Development Fund awardees announced
- November 21, 2024
New BEGINnings: Presidential Policy Platform to Improve Health and Wellbeing for Children and Families
- August 30, 2024
Distinguished Speakers Announced: Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds Fall 2024
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Mailing Address
Yale School of Medicine
Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06519
United States
Events
Mar 202617Tuesday
Yale Only Candice L Odgers, PhD
Apr 20268Wednesday
Everyone Katarzyna Chawarska, PhD - Thomas Fernandez, MD - Matthew Goodwin, PhD - Zeyan Liew, PhD, MPH - Suzanne Macari, PhD - James McPartland, PhD - Angela M Montgomery, MD, MSEd - Kieran O'Donnell, PhD - Kelly Powell, PhD - Helena Rutherford, PhD - Mariana Torres-Viso, PsyD, BCBA-D - Leah Wang, PhD