Jennifer Lanier Payne, MD
Psychiatry
Additional Locations
Bio & Overview
Jennifer Payne, MD, is an expert in reproductive psychiatry. She helps people who experience a psychiatric illness that is influenced by times of reproductive hormonal change. This can include pre-menstruation, during pregnancy and after pregnancy (postpartum), and during perimenopause (years leading up to menopause).
Her expertise includes:
- Women's mood disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorders
- Perimenopausal depression
When working with a patient, Dr. Payne says, “it's important to take a complete history and understand who this individual is, where they are from, and what experiences have shaped them. If you're missing a part of the picture, you invariably cannot help someone get better. Taking a thorough history is the most important step, and the most efficient step, in helping someone recover from a psychiatric illness.”
She adds, “I really enjoy helping people. During medical school, I realized that psychiatry was a good fit for me because you can really help people get better. And when you do, you're not just helping the individual, you're helping their whole family and their community as well.”
Dr. Payne was adopted and grew up in Beckley, West Virginia. “My entire family (uncles/grandparents) lived on the same block. I grew up running around and playing outside. I loved science and biology from an early age. I went to Davidson College, majored in biology, and fell in love with neuroscience. After graduation, I started in the neuroscience program at UVA, which I really enjoyed, but realized I wanted to go to medical school. I was going to stay in Charlottesville but got a scholarship to Washington University so I moved to St. Louis for medical school.”
Academic Information
- Department
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences
- Academic Role
- Professor
- Division
- Psychiatric Medicine
- Research Interests
- Epigenetic biomarkers of postpartum depression Genetics of postpartum depression Prevention of postpartum depression Premenstrual exacerbation of mood disorders and psychiatric management Perimenopause in mood disorders and psychiatric management Best clinical practices for management of psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and postpartum Treatment of postpartum depression Biological basis of postpartum depression
- Gender
- Female
- Languages
- English
- Age Groups Seen
- Adults (21-65)
Older Adults (65+)
- Primary Education
- University of Washington School of Medicine
- Residency
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Fellowships
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Certification
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Psychiatry)