Elaine Tierney

Biography

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Dr. Tierney received her bachelor's of arts from the University of Florida and her medical degree at the University of South Florida in 1989. After completing a transitional residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and a general psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, she accepted a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She formerly served as the medical director of both Kennedy Krieger's Neurobehavioral Unit and its Center for Autism and Related Disorders, and as the director of the Department of Psychiatry. She continues to serve in the Neurobehavioral Unit. Dr. Tierney is a pediatric and adult psychiatrist with a special interest in autism, genetic, metabolic and neurological disorders that cause behavioral disturbances. Dr. Tierney is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association, the Maryland Psychiatric Society, and the Maryland Regional Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. RESEARCH SUMMARY: Current statistics predict one out of every 68 children is destined to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is an incapacitating, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears within the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Individuals with ASD frequently exhibit developmental delays in physical, social and language skills, have abnormal responses to sensations, communicate unusually and have abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events in the environment. The condition is four times more likely in boys than girls, and sometimes occurs in association with other disorders. Dr. Tierney works along with behavioral psychologists, neurologists, developmental pediatricians, nurses, communication specialists, educational specialists, social workers and occupational therapists to create treatments for individuals with ASD. Previously, her research had included the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Multisite Project in autism, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The RUPP at Kennedy Krieger has completed double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of the use of risperidone and methylphenidate, and an open-blind study of the use of guanfacine in children and adolescents with ASD. Dr. Tierney investigates the presentation of ASD in individuals which have metabolic disorders (conditions in which chemical pathways in the body are not working properly). These conditions include mitochondrial disorders, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) and other sterol disorders.

Research Interest

Psychiatry