Karen J. Parker, PhD | UW Psychiatry Grand Rounds

Advances in Detecting and Treating Autism

Karen J. Parker, PhD
Associate Professor
Director, Social Neurosciences Research Program
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stanford University School of Medicine

Reading List:

1. Cerebrospinal Fluid Vasopressin and Symptom Severity in Children with Autism
2. A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial shows that intranasal vasopressin improves social deficits in children with autism
3. Arginine vasopressin in cerebrospinal fluid is a marker of sociality in nonhuman primates
4. Early Predictors of Impaired Social Functioning in Male Rhesus Macaques

Dr. Parker is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University where she directs the Social Neurosciences Research Program. Dr. Parker’s research expertise is the biology of social functioning, with a particular interest in oxytocin and vasopressin signaling pathways. Her preclinical research program focuses on developing novel animal models of social impairments; her clinical research program encompasses biomarker discovery and therapeutic testing in patients with autism and other brain disorders.

Dr. Parker received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. Dr. Parker joined the Stanford faculty in 2007. She is an Affiliate Scientist at the California National Primate Research Center, a Member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a Kavli Fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Parker’s research program has been supported by multiple funding agencies including the NIH, Simons Foundation, and NARSAD. Dr. Parker serves on the Editorial Board of Psychoneuroendocrinology, and on various national (e.g., NIH and NSF) and international (e.g., Medical Research Council) grant review committees and scientific panels.

Dr. Parker was born in Boulder, CO and grew up in suburban Chicago, IL. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband (a high-tech executive), three children, and an Australian shepherd.

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, the University of Wisconsin-Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statement:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 0.1 CEUs or 1.0 hour.