Diana O. Perkins MD, MPH

Dr. Perkins is a Professor of Psychiatry at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She is a fellow of Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry and the Medical Director of OASIS (Outreach and Support Intervention Services) at UNC Hospitals and the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. OASIS is an innovative program for individuals recovering from a first psychotic episode or individuals at risk of psychosis. The mission of OASIS and STEP is to enhance recovery from psychosis, to support research that investigates the causes and treatments of psychotic disorders, and to train future clinicians to better treat psychotic disorders.

Dr. Perkins received her medical degree in 1984 from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. She completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Maryland Hospitals and University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals, where she was chief resident, and obtained her MPH in epidemiology in 1992 from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health. Prior to this, Dr. Perkins received her BS in Psychology and in Biochemistry at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Perkins’ primary research interests include early identification and treatment of schizophrenia, emphasizing treatment of the prodromal period, and early intervention of the first episode of schizophrenia. She is currently investigating pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments in the treatment of psychosis, focusing on managing the side effects of atypical antipsychotic medications and the weight gain mechanism in patients taking psychotropic medications, including the health risks associated with weight gain. Dr. Perkins is also investigating the genetic basis of schizophrenia.