Kristina M. Deligiannidis, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Director,

Depression Specialty Clinic at UMMMC

Psychiatrist, Women's Mental Health Specialty Clinic at UMMMC

Dr. Deligiannidis completed her undergraduate degrees and an Honors Scholars Research Program in Neuroscience and Behavior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  As a recipient of NIH pre-doctoral Intramural Research training Awards, she trained in molecular neuroendocrinology research at the NIH/National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NIH/NICHD).  Her research was in the neural regulation of melatonin in the pineal gland by serotonin N-acetyltransferase.

Dr. Deligiannidis completed additional research training at the National institute of Mental health (NIMH) and NICHD during medical school and residency.  She received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed her psychiatry residency and chief residency in psychopharmacology research at UMass Medical School (UMMS/UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC).  Dr. Deligiannidis joined faculty at UMass Medical School and its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Medical Center, in October 2009 as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. 

Dr. Deligiannidis is the Director of the Depression Specialty Clinic, a regional referral center at UMass/Memorial Medical Center, (UMMMC) that specializes in the evaluation and treatment of adult patients suffering from major depression, psychotic depression, treatment-resistant depression and bipolar depression.  The Clinic faculty provides psychiatric consultations that use validated research-based diagnostic and symptom rating instruments and provide evidence-based psychiatric treatments.

Dr. Deligiannidis also evaluates and treats women with depressive disorders across the reproductive life cycle at the Women's Mental Health Specialty Clinic at UMMMC.  She provides initial evaluations and short-term treatment of women suffering from premenstrual exacerbations of mood disorders premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and depression during pregnancy or the post-partum period.

Dr. Deligiannidis additionally evaluates subjects enrolled in depression research at UMMS/UMMHC.  Her research interests include:

• Psychoneuroendocrinology (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, gonadal hormones and neuroactive steroids).
• Neuropsychopharmacology in major depression with special interest in the γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate systems.
• The neurochemical/endocrinological pathophysiology of major depression in women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
• The use of neuroimaging to elucidate the neurochemical pathophysiology of major depression (MRS, PET).

Dr. Delligiannidis's research efforts have been nationally recognized.  She is the recipient of a 2009 NIMH/NCDEU New Investigator Award, APA/APIRE Junior Investigator Awards (2008, 2009) and American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology/NIMH Clinic Trials in Psychopharmacology Awards (2007, 2008).  Dr. Deligiannidis is an appointed Young Investigator Member of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE) and a member of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP), the Association of Women Psychiatrists, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society.