1991 BA Psychology, cum laude, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1991 BS Biology, cum laude, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1998 PhD Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1999 MD University of Illinois College of Medicine
1999-2000 Intern in Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
2000-2001 Resident in Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
2001-2004 Resident in Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
2004-2006 Fellow in Child Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital, Boston MA
Dr. Althoff is the Division Director of the Adirondack Division of Psychiatry in Plattsburgh and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry. With a background in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral genetics, Dr. Althoff and his lab study the development of self-regulation. Through collaborations with his colleagues in the VCCYF and around the world, he has demonstrated that children with problems in self-regulation go on to have severe problems in adulthood. By characterizing these children as having profound problems with attention, mood swings, and aggression, his research aims to identify modifiable genetic and environmental factors to reduce depression, personality disorders, and substance use in adolescence and adulthood. Most recently, he has been examining the metabolic consequences of impaired self-regulation and possible underlying environmental, genetic, psychophysiological, and epigenetic mechanisms along with a research program to develop novel assessments for suicide risk prediction. He has published over 100 papers in peer reviewed journals. He is the co-chair of the AACAP Presidential Task Force on Emotion Regulation in Children and is the Associate Editor for JAACAP, the leading journal in child and adolescent psychiatry.
1. Identification of phenotypes and endophenotypes for psychiatric genetic studies of childhood
psychiatric disorders – specifically as related to disorders of self-regulation
2. Analytic methods of large datasets of twin and family studies using structural equation modeling,
latent class modeling, and multivariate techniques
3. Cognitive neuroscientific studies of childhood psychiatric disorders using behavioral measures, eye
movement monitoring, and magnetic resonance imaging
1999-2001 Clinical Instructor, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
2001-2004: Clinical Instructor, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
2004-2006: Officer, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
2006-2013: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington
2007-2013: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
2009-2013: Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington
2009-Present: Director, Division of Behavioral Genetics, Psychiatry Department, University of Vermont
2009 - Present: Faculty of the Graduate College, University of Vermont
2009 - Present: Faculty of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Vermont
2013 - Present: Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology, University of Vermont
2014 - Present: Executive Vice President, Research Center for Children, Youth & Families, University of Vermont
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, COBRE Grant: 1P20GM103644-01A1
9/13-7/16
"Shared Mechanisms in Child Dysregulation, Adult Psychopathology, and Metabolic Disorders"
The overarching aim of this project is to understand why children have broad problems with self-regulation and to develop interventions to prevent poor adult outcomes. In this COBRE project, we will investigate the epigenetic and psychophysiological mechanisms of a child behavior syndrome termed "dysregulation." Based on preliminary data suggesting a role of genetics, adverse environments, impaired autonomic regulatory function and glucocorticoid function in these children, we propose a model consisting of environmental impact on a genetic predisposition affecting the systems involved with self-regulation.
Role: PI
NIMH. 1K08MH082116
9/09-4/15
“Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile: Genes, Environment, and Life Course”
This proposal describes a 5 year mentored training program to develop a research career in child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Research will focus on the CBCL-Dysregulation Profiles as a measure of mood instability, attention problems, and aggression that is often seen in child and adoelscent pscyhiatry clinics, but poorly studies and understood.
Role: PI
Stare-in-the Crowd Effect: Eye tracking and physiological response
A face that is looking directly at us stands out more prominently than the other faces in a crowd; this phenomenon is called the stare-in-a-crowd effect. Initally, the ability to pick out these self-directed faces played an evolutionary role. Quick identification of faces allows us to determine if another being is looking at us and whether or not they are a threat (Senju et al 2005). In our world today, the ability to detect direct gaze plays an important role in social awareness (von Grunau 1995). In particular, identifying direct gaze is important to understand how another individual is feeling (Baron-Cohen 1995) and to recognize their facial expression (Pelphrey et al 2002). Speed in identifying gaze direction is still important; once a person recognizes that a face is directed at them, they allocate more cognitive resources to detecting information about this other person (Conty et al 2007). With the importance of direct gaze detection already established, this study will employ advanced eye tracking technology to look at this effect in situations that more closely simulate real social situations. Much of the field uses photos of individuals for this research; the proposed study will use stimulus photographs of groups of people. Additionally, the eye tracking technology will allow us to manipulte the stimulus photograhs in reaction to where a subject is looking.
Role: PI
Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation
“Donald J. Cohen Medical Student Training Program”
7/1/07-6/30/14
Goals of the program are 1) to crea Donald J. Cohen Medical Student Training Program” 1) positive mentoring relationships between medical students and child psychiatrists, 2) to teach empirically-based and family-centered assessment, and 3) to encourage students to consider a career in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Role: PI
National Institute on Drug Abuse, (T32 DA07242)
9/11-6/16
"Training in Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse,"
(Higgins, PI) Role: Co-I
1987-1991 Edmund J. James Scholar
1991 Phi Beta Kappa
1991 Outstanding Teaching Assistant
1992 Arnold Beckman Research Assistantship (competitive award for graduate student engaged
in interdisciplinary research)
1998 Daniel K. Bloomfield Fellowship (for outstanding Medical Scholar)
1999 Granville A. Bennett Award (for contributions to medical education)
1999 University of Illinois Alumni Association Student Leadership Award
1999 Rute Medenis Award (for outstanding student in pediatrics)
1999 David Olkon Scholarship (for outstanding student in psychiatry/neurology)
2000 James P. Keating Outstanding Resident Award
2003 General Psychiatry Resident Travel Award, AACAP, Lilly
2003 Emory University Psychiatry Resident’s Symposium
2003 NIMH Outstanding Resident in Psychiatry Award
2007 Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow
2008 Future Leaders in Psychiatry Awardee
2008 “Excellence in Academic Teaching” Award by Psychiatry Residents
2009 Richard Todd Memorial Award Lecture in Child Psychiatry, World Congress of
Psychiatric Genetics
2010 Nominee, Golden Stethoscope Teaching Award, UVM College of Medicine
2011 Nominee, Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Vermont
Center for Teaching and Learning
2011 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2011 Klingenstein Third
Generation Foundation Award for Research in Depression or Suicide.
2011 University of Vermont Medical Group Junior Researcher of the Year
2013 "Excellence in Academic Teaching" Award by Psychiatry Residents
Althoff RR, Ayer LA, Crehan ET, Rettew DC, Baer JR, Hudziak JJ. Temperamental profiles of dysregulated children. J Child Psychiatry Hum Devel. 2012 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print] In press. PMID: 22271225
Kuny AV, Althoff RR, Copeland W, Bartels M, Van Beijsterveldt CE, Baer J, Hudziak JJ. Separating the domains of oppositional behavior: comparing latent models of the conners’ oppositional subscale. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013 Feb;52(2): 172-183 PMID: 23357444
Rubin D, Althoff RR, Walkup JT, Hudziak JJ. Cross-informant Agreement on Child and Adolescent Withdrawn Behavior: A Latent Class Approach. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev, 2012 Sept published online. PMID: 22968799
Scheet P, Ehli EA, Xiao X, van Beijsterveldt CE, Abdellaoui A, Althoff RR, Hottenga JJ, Willemsen G, Nelson KA, Huizenga PE, Hu Y, Amos CI, Bartels M, Groen-Blokhuis MM, de Geus EJ, Hudziak JJ, Davies GE, Boomsma DI. Twins, Tissue, and Time: An Assessment of SNPs and CNVs. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2012 Sep 28:1-9. PMID: 23021707
Althoff RR, Hudziak JJ, Willemsen G, Hudziak V, Bartels M, Boomsma DI. Genetic and environmental contributions to self-reported thoughts of self-harm and suicide. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2012; Jan;159B(1):120-7. PMID: 22162437 PMCID: 3254180
De Clercq B, Rettew D, Althoff RR, De Bolle M. Childhood Personality Types: Vulnerability and Adaptation over Time. J Child Psych Psychol. 2012 Jun;53(6):716-22. PMID: 22211435. PMCID: 3326221
Ehli EA, Abdellaoui A, Hu Y, Hottenga JJ, Kattengerb M, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Bartels M, Althoff RR, Xiao XJ, Scheet P, de Geus EJ, Hudziak JJ, Boomsma DI, Davies GE. De novo and inherited CNVs in MZ twin pairs selected for discordance and concordance on Attention Probems. European Journal of Human Genetics. April 2012 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 22490988
To view more of Dr. Althoff's publications, please visit Pub Med