Dr. Jennifer Barkin is a professor, academic administrator, inventor, researcher, and mother of two children.  At East Carolina University, she serves as the Associate Dean for Research for the College of Health and Human Sciences where she has the opportunity to work with talented faculty across various disciplines.  She is a Research 1-trained psychiatric epidemiologist and completed her post-doctoral studies at the prestigious Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  Anchored by a strong methodological background in biostatistics, epidemiology, survey design/psychometrics, and clinical trials, Dr. Barkin has produced a robust body of published work in reproductive health.  She has notable expertise in maternal mental health and postpartum functioning has made critical advances in our understanding of the connections between climate change and (perinatal and child) mental health.  Her intellectual property, the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning, has been implemented all over the world and across sectors including in industry-sponsored clinical trials.  Dr. Barkin also developed the Climate Distress Index (CDI), a comprehensive self-report tool designed to measure various forms of human distress caused by exposure to extreme weather; the measure is available in a 16 and 17 item format.

Photo credit:  East Carolina University