Kieran O'Donnell, PhD
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive SciencesDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Appointments
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
About
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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; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; Global Health; 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
Hugh Taylor, MD
James Leckman, MD, PhD
Joshua Warren, PhD
Robert Dubrow, MD, PhD
105Publications
6,311Citations
Depression, Postpartum
Pregnant People
Publications
2026
slideimp: efficient imputation of DNA methylation data
Pham H, Lombroso A, Cevik E, Taylor H, O’Donnell K. slideimp: efficient imputation of DNA methylation data. Bioinformatics 2026, 42: btag318. PMID: 42179165, PMCID: PMC13257852, DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btag318.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricTiming of Exposure to Parental Depression From Pregnancy to Young Adulthood and Mental Health in Adult Offspring
Feibel A, Pham H, Glover V, O’Connor T, O’Donnell K. Timing of Exposure to Parental Depression From Pregnancy to Young Adulthood and Mental Health in Adult Offspring. JAMA Network Open 2026, 9: e264892. PMID: 41961501, PMCID: PMC13069460, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.4892.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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, PMCID: PMC12752767, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.106062.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricCorrigendum 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.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersConsortium profile: the methylation, imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) consortium
Schuurmans I, Mulder R, Baltramonaityte V, Lahtinen A, Qiuyu F, Rothmann L, Staginnus M, Tuulari J, Burt S, Buss C, Craig J, Donald K, Eriksson J, Felix J, Freeman T, Grassi-Oliveira R, Huels A, Hyde L, Jones S, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Koen N, Lawn W, Mitchell C, Monk C, Mooney M, Muetzel R, Nigg J, Belangero S, Notterman D, Ong Y, O’Connor T, O’Donnell K, Pan P, Paunio T, Ryabinin P, Saffery R, Salum G, Seal M, Silk T, Stein D, Tan A, Teh A, Wang D, Zar H, Walton E, Cecil C. Consortium profile: the methylation, imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) consortium. Molecular Psychiatry 2025, 31: 1177-1189. PMID: 40914754, PMCID: PMC12514860, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03203-w.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsA 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 Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsImpact 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricMaternal 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricDifferential 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 ResearchCitations
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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Media
News
- July 24, 2026
Yale Ob/Gyn's 2026 C. Lee Buxton and Graduation Day
- June 30, 2026
Women’s Health Research at Yale and SWHR’s Symposium Highlights the Power of Collaboration to Advance Women’s Health Research
- May 07, 2026
Recognizing Long-Term Service at Yale Child Study Center
- April 10, 2026
Parental Depression: How Does Timing Impact Mental Health in Adult Offspring?
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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
Sep 202629Tuesday
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Oct 202620Tuesday
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