C. Neill Epperson, MD, is the Robert Freedman Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Epperson is internationally known for her unique lifespan approach to women's reproductive and behavioral health in both the clinical and research realms. Her work related to early life stress and its impact on risk for affective disorders during periods of hormonal change, in addition to projects relating to cognitive decline during menopause, and sex differences among smokers have been funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, the Office of Research on Women's Health, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Her body of work has led to a greater appreciation of the impact of childhood adversity on physiologic responses during times of hormonal fluctuation as well as gonadal steroid effects on brain and behavior. Dr. Epperson's research has been funded consistently by the National Institutes of Health for more than two decades. She is a mentor and independent investigator with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
Before being recruited to CU Anschutz, Dr. Epperson served as the founder and director of both the Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness and Penn PROMOTES, Research on Sex and Gender in Health at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where she was a tenured Professor of Psychiatry, with a secondary appointment in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Epperson received her medical degree at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed her postdoctoral and research training in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, where she rose to the level of associate professor before her recruitment to the University of Pennsylvania.
Allison G. Dempsey, PhD, serves as the Director of Informatics and the Director of Technology for the University of Colorado Brain and Behavior Innovation Center (BBICen). She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, where she also serves in the roles of Director of the Connections Program for High-Risk Infants and Families and Interim Director of Perinatal and Family Services for Women’s Behavioral Health and Wellness. She integrates her expertise in clinical psychology and technological innovation to drive advancements in mental health care delivery. She has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and multiple other sources for projects involving innovative care approaches. She has further expanded her skill set by pursuing advanced coursework in human-centered design and obtaining certifications through EPIC Systems, including Advanced Physician Builder, Physician Builder Analyst, and Clinical Data Model for Physician Builders. As a member of the UCHealth Physician Informatics Group, she represents providers delivering behavioral health care across the health system.
She received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2002), graduating with comprehensive honors. She earned Masters degrees from Towson University (2004) and the University of Florida (2007) prior to obtaining her PhD from the University of Florida (2009). Dr. Dempsey has held previous faculty positions at the University of Houston and McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She is a founder and past co-chair of the National Network of NICU Psychologists and was the 2022 recipient of the Society for Health Psychology’s Excellence in Clinical Health Psychology award.
Tereza Guedes, PhD : BBICen Innovations Program Manager
Rosalia Lotspeich, MA : Program Coordinator
Department of Psychiatry
University of Colorado
Anschutz Health and Sciences Building
1890 N Revere Ct. Suite 4003
Mail Stop F546
Aurora CO 80045
CU Anschutz
Anschutz Health Sciences Building
1890 N Revere Ct
Suite 4003
Mail Stop F546
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-4940