Dr. Leibenluft studies the brain mechanisms mediating bipolar disorder and severe irritability in youth. She has demonstrated that children with bipolar disorder and those at familial risk for the disorder have deficits processing emotional stimuli, in particular emotional faces, and has begun to elucidate the relevant brain mechanisms. Dr. Leibenluft has also identified differences in clinical course and brain function between youth with bipolar disorder and those with severe, non-episodic irritability.

Dr. Leibenluft completed her B.A. from Yale University, summa cum laude; her M.D. from Stanford University, and residency training at Georgetown University. Dr. Leibenluft has been conducting research at the NIMH on bipolar disorder since 1989, prior to which she worked at Georgetown University Hospital, first as Medical Director and then Director of Hospital Services.