BSC Member - Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Stanford University School of Medicine and a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs. As the Director of the Stanford OCD Research Lab and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Rodriguez leads studies investigating the brain basis of severe mental disorders. Her landmark clinical trials pioneer rapid-acting treatments for illnesses including OCD and related disorders. Her NIH-, foundation-, and donor-funded mechanistic and clinical efficacy studies span targeted glutamatergic and opioid pathway pharmacotherapy, noninvasive brain stimulation, psychotherapy and suicide prevention.

Dr. Rodriguez also serves as Deputy Editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry and Deputy Editor of Neuropsychopharmacology. She serves as a member of several scientific councils for non-profit research and advocacy groups including Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the International OCD Foundation. She has won several national awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and the Dolores Shockley Diversity and Inclusion Advancement Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.  Carolyn presented her research at the World Economic Forum in Davos and Fortune Brainstorm Health. She is co-author of “Hoarding Disorder: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide,” published August 2022 by APA Publishing.

Carolyn received her B.S. in Computer Science from Harvard University, followed by an M.D. from Harvard Medical School-M.I.T. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Genetics from Harvard Medical School. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she now lives with her husband and three children in Palo Alto.