Monica E. Calkins, PhD

Dr. Calkins is Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her research program focuses on the clinical characterization and treatment of psychopathology, especially psychotic disorders, and the evaluation of biobehavioral measures of psychosis risk. The overarching goal of this collaborative research program is to contribute to enhanced early identification of psychosis and increased understanding of its pathophysiological processes. Dr. Calkins is Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Early Intervention Center/HeadsUp, which provides ongoing education, training and outreach support for Pennsylvania First Episode Psychosis programs and other stakeholder groups. As the Director of Clinical Research Assessment in the Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Dr. Calkins has led the conceptualization of assessment approaches, development, adaptation and implementation of instruments, training and supervision of assessors, establishment and maintenance of quality control procedures, and use and interpretation of clinical data across numerous NIMH funded grants. Drawing from these experiences, she has participated with global leaders in think tanks aiming to enhance clinical characterization of the psychosis spectrum, playing a role in determining the field’s definitions of clinical high risk constructs. Locally, she is the Associate Director of the Penn Psychosis Evaluation and Recovery Center (PERC). She has delivered many local, national and international lectures on topics including biobehavioral risk factors for psychosis, early identification of psychosis, psychopathology assessment, careers in psychology, and research ethics. Dr. Calkins involves and mentors students (undergraduate, graduate, medical, resident, post-doctoral) and research coordinators in research design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript and thesis preparation, and provides clinical supervision to trainees through PERC. She has received career awards from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the National Alliance on Mentally Illness, and an NIMH KO8 Mentored Clinical Scientist Award. Dr. Calkins has authored more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals. She is a member of the University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board, and has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for NIMH, several international grant review panels, and for more than 30 journals.

Education

• 1991 – B.A. Temple University: Psychology Honors
• 2002 – Ph.D. University of Minnesota: Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research
• 2002-2004 – NIMH Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• 2002-2004 – Scottish Rite Schizophrenia Research Fellowship, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Academic Positions

• 2004-2015 – Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania 
• 2015-2023 – Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
• 2023-present – Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Hospital and Administrative Appointments

• 2010 – Director of Clinical Research Assessment, Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
• 2013 – Member, Institutional Review Board, University of Pennsylvania

Honors:

• 2015 – National Alliance on Mental Illness Research Award: Recognizing Research Focused on First Episode Psychosis
• 2007-2012 – Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award (K08): National Institute of Mental Health
• 2008 – Early Career Development Award: American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• 2005 – Young Investigator Award: International Congress on Schizophrenia Research
• 2002, 2000 – Harrison Gough Research Travel Award, University of Minnesota, Department of Psychology
• 2001 – Graduate Research Partnership Program Award, University of Minnesota Graduate School
• 2001 – Doctoral Dissertation Supplemental Grant, University of Minnesota Graduate School
• 2000-2001 – Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota Graduate School
• 1999-2000 – Graduate Research Ethics Participant Grant, National Science Foundation and the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics
• 1996-1998 – Neurobehavioral Aspects of Personality and Psychopathology Training Grant, National Institute of Mental Health, University of Minnesota
• 1994-1995 – Department of Psychology Graduate Fellowship, University of Minnesota

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