JOHN T. WALKUP, MD

Study PI and Site PI

John T. Walkup, MD, is Chair, Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Margaret C. Osterman Professor of Psychiatry, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

His work covers three main areas of innovation and investigation. His work with movement disorders, specifically Tourette syndrome, uniquely spans psychiatry, child psychiatry and neurology. His expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry focuses on the development and evaluation of psychopharmacological and psychosocial treatments and lastly, he has been involved in developing and evaluating interventions to reduce the large mental health disparities facing Native American youth, specifically drug use and suicide prevention.

For his work, he has been awarded four United States achievement awards for child and adolescent psychiatry, the Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Award for Academic Achievement in 2009 from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the Blanche F. Ittlelson Award for Research in Child Psychiatry in 2011 from the American Psychiatric Association, the Schonfeld Award from the American Society of Adolescent Psychiatry in 2016, and the Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation in 2021.

John Lavigne, PhD

Site Co-I

Dr. Lavigne is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and the Chief Psychologist, Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. His research has focused on developmental psychopathology and developing a research base for supporting the incorporation of psychiatric services into pediatric primary care.

Rachel Ballard, MD

Psychopharmacology Co-I

Dr. Ballard is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and director of collaborative care in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and an assistant professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Ballard is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is interested in expanding access to mental health care through training and consultation with pediatricians.

John Parkhurst, PhD

CBT Co-I

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and child and adolescent psychologist in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and completed post-doctoral training at the Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health in Omaha, NE. Dr. Parkhurst coordinates the Mood, Anxiety, ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) program that trains and consults with primary care pediatricians to expand access to mental health treatment. He specializes in evidence-based assessment and cognitive behavioral therapy treatment for children and adolescents with anxiety and comorbid conditions. Areas of research include diagnostic decision making and measurement-based care.

Adolfo Ariza, MD

Peds Site Co-I

Dr. Adolfo J. Ariza is a Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Ariza is experienced in practice-based research. He is the Director of the Pediatric Practice Research Group (PPRG) at the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and has been a participant in PPRG projects over the past 25 years working as a manager, co-investigator and principal investigator for various research projects funded by federal and private agencies including studies of prevalence, natural history, perceptions, screening, and interventions evaluating changes to practice operations that foster clinical care improvements. He has also participated in the development of tools and methods to improve care in primary care practices. Dr. Ariza has a particular interest in issues related to the Hispanic community.

Stephanie Stern, BS

Project Coordinator

Stephanie Stern received her bachelor's degree in healthcare management and leadership from the University of St. Francis. She has worked with children and adolescents with anxiety, ADHD, and mood disorders in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health since 2016. As a lead program coordinator, she has helped to develop and implement the Mood, Anxiety, ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) program and a group therapy program for patients with mental health disorders. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling around the country.

Catherine Garcia-Goetting, BS

Behavioral Research Associate

Catherine Garcia-Goetting received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePaul University. As a research assistant, she has helped implement culturally informed research studies for minority youth with depression and anxiety. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying new recipes, yoga, and photography.

Heidi Cano, BA

Behavioral Research Associate

Heidi Cano received her bachelor's degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2019 and has worked in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health since the fall of 2020. As a behavioral research associate, she has fostered relationships with families of children and adolescents presenting with anxiety symptoms. Heidi is highly interested in continuing research on mental health in the Latinx and Spanish speaking community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going on walks with her dog, and working out.