People

Dr. Fernandez is a child psychiatrist and psychiatric geneticist who has an active clinical practice and research laboratory. Tom is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale School of Medicine, with additional research training at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed residency training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry in the Solnit Integrated Residency Program at Yale. As a faculty member in Yale Child Study Center and the Department of Psychiatry, Tom's research efforts include the following investigations into developmental neuropsychiatric disorders: (1) discovering genetic mutations in Tourette syndrome, motor stereotypies, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, and anxiety disorders using next generation DNA sequencing (whole genome and exome), and using these discoveries to identify treatment targets; (2) discovering epigenetic marker variation in these disorders; and (3) clinical trials of new behavioral and medication treatments. Tom has received research funding from the NIMH (K08, R01), Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD), Simons Foundation, and Allison Family Foundation. Additionally, Tom works clinically as an attending in the Tourette/OCD/ADHD Clinic at Yale Child Study Center.

Solnit Integrated Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry Program (2020-2026)After growing up in Ann Arbor, MI, I attended college at Yale and haven’t left since, although I’m still a Midwesterner at heart! My broad research interest is in applying experimental and computational genomics approaches to better understand the etiologies of early-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. I currently am in clinical training as a combined adult and child psychiatry resident at the Yale Child Study Center. I also work in the lab of Dr. Tom Fernandez to identify genes and rare genetic variants that contribute to OCD and Tourette’s. Outside of medicine, I enjoy running, playing touch rugby, and working on art/film projects.

Emily Olfson is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on the genetics of childhood-onset psychiatric conditions. She received her MD-PhD from Washington University in St. Louis where her dissertation in Human and Statistical Genetics focused on the genetics of smoking and alcoholism in the laboratory of Dr. Laura Bierut. She then completed residency and fellowship training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry in the Yale Solnit Integrated Program. At Yale, Dr. Olfson also pursued research training focused on the neurogenomics of trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and childhood anxiety disorders in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Fernandez. Under the mentorship of Dr. Fernandez and Dr. Michael Bloch, she has developed the first DNA sequencing study focused on parent-child trios impacted by body-focused repetitive behaviors (tabsstudy.org). Dr. Olfson works clinically with adults and children in the Tic and OCD Program in the Yale Child Study Center. She has received research support from the NIMH, AACAP, IOCDF, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation, and Alan B. Slifka Foundation through the Riva Ariella Ritvo endowment.

I went to medical school with the intention of becoming an oncologist, building on knowledge I developed in biotech industry research making DNA sequencing assays for clinical research applications. That all changed when in medical school, during a research year-off working at the NIH, I discovered the emerging value of using genomics to uncover the neurogenetic mechanisms underlying serious mental illness.During that research year, working in Dr. Karen Faith Berman’s lab at NIMH, I conducted a neuroimaging-genetics study that showed for the first time a gene-dosage effect on regional white matter myelination in a clinical cohort of children with the 7q11.23 genetic Copy Number Variation (CNV). The knowledge, experience and amazing mentorship from Dr.Berman’s lab emboldened my desire to become a physician-scientist within psychiatry. For residency training, I chose Yale for it’s vibrant research community within the Psychiatry department and the Child Study Center, the ample protected research time provided during residency, and the opportunity for PhD or Master’s level training through the Investigative Medicine Program. At the start of my PGY-2 year, I joined the lab of Dr.Tom Fernandez which focuses on the genomics of childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders like Tourettes, OCD, ADHD and Schizophrenia. I am currently working on a project investigating genome wide differential gene expression in OCD patients, with the goal of identifying gene networks and distinct biological pathways that may underlie OCD pathology. In the future, I look to further develop research skills in genomics and transcriptomics with the long term goal of becoming an independent investigator working in translational psychiatric genomics. Having grown-up in Uganda, and done college in California, I’ve come to love and appreciate the season changes in the North East! I’m still discovering good running trails in the New Haven area and I continue to be amazed by the variety of restaurants with great food in such a small city.

Dr. Vitulano is a clinical psychologist and clinical professor of psychology at the Yale Child Study Center, where he supervises pre-doctoral and post-doctoral interns and fellows. He is the former chief child psychologist of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. He is past president of the Connecticut Behavior Therapy Association and serves on the boards of Southwest Community Health Center in Bridgeport.  He is involved in research on the applications of mindfulness and the genetics of ADHD.