Advances in Pediatric OCD

Presenter

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  Moira Rynn, MD

  Moira A. Rynn, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, is an expert in treating mood and anxiety disorders across the lifespan, with a primary focus on children, adolescents, and young adults. In her role as chair, Dr. Rynn led the expansion of behavioral health ambulatory services and the creation of Duke Behavioral Health North Durham at Duke Regional Hospital, a state-of-the art hospital facility designed to center patients and their families. She directs behavioral health services for Duke Health Integrated Practice and across Duke Health. Dr. Rynn has led or co-led numerous controlled adult and pediatric clinical trials investigating the efficacy of medications such as monotherapy treatment or in combination with psychosocial treatments. She has also led key medication clinical trials in pediatric mood and anxiety disorders. More recently, Dr. Rynn has focused on improving treatments for children and young adults with treatment-refractory anxiety disorders. Her most recent work has focused on the underlying dysfunction of neuorcircuits and the impact of treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as examining novel augmentation treatment strategies for these disorders. Dr. Rynn co-authored the book, If Your Adolescent Has Depression: An Essential Resource for Parents, published in 2023 and served as co-editor for the third edition of Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders in 2026. She has also received awards recognizing her excellence in teaching, her contributions to the field of psychiatry, and her leadership. Prior to joining Duke, Dr. Rynn was the director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University. Dr. Rynn received her medical degree from Rutgers University and completed her internship and residency in adult psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Penn), where she served as chief resident. After residency, she completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, followed by a NIMH-sponsored neuropsychopharmacology research fellowship at Penn. While at Penn, Dr. Rynn served as the medical director of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Section, providing oversight and leadership for the research program and funded clinical trials.