Alison Giovanelli, PhD

Alison (Allie) Giovanelli, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in Pediatrics - Adolescent Medicine at UCSF. She completed her PhD in a joint program in Clinical and Developmental Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and her clinical internship at Stanford University School of Medicine/The Children's Health Council.

Allie is experienced in evaluation and treatment of a range of mental health concerns in both children and adults, and she has particular expertise in adolescent mental health, early childhood development, the impacts of early adversity such as abuse and neglect (including impacts of ACEs), and the treatment of youth anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). She is currently the lead psychologist in the Youth Outpatient Substance Use Program at UCSF, where she facilitates caregiver education and support groups, conducts brief targeted consultations relating to mental health and substance use, and leads a pilot study of group Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) with caregivers of adolescents with SUDs who are not engaged in treatment.

Her research focuses on leveraging technology for intervention in common adolescent mental health problems. Alison has published many articles in peer-reviewed journals, with first-author publications in Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine, Development and Psychopathology, and the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship, 11/2021 - Adolescent Health, UCSF
Predoctoral Residency, 06/2018 - Clinical Psychology, Stanford University School of Medicine/The Children's Health Council
PhD, 06/2018 - Child Development and Clinical Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
BA, 05/2010 - Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
Honors and Awards
  • Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota, 2017
  • Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being, Chapin Hall, University of Chicago, 2016
  • Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), National Science Foundation, 2013
  • Warner Brown Memorial Prize in Psychology, UC Berkeley, 2010
Websites

  1. Reynolds AJ, Ou SR, Mondi CF, Giovanelli A, Morency MM. Structural inequality modifies midlife outcomes of a multisystemic early childhood program. Families, systems & health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare 2024. PMID: 39418425


  2. Giovanelli A, Sanchez Karver T, Roundfield KD, Woodruff S, Wierzba C, Wolny J, Kaufman MR. The Appa Health App for Youth Mental Health: Development and Usability Study. JMIR formative research 2023. PMID: 37792468


  3. Giovanelli A, Mondi CF, Reynolds AJ, Ou SR. Evaluation of Midlife Educational Attainment Among Attendees of a Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program in the Context of Early Adverse Childhood Experiences. JAMA network open 2023. PMID: 37347483


  4. Giovanelli A, Rowe J, Taylor M, Berna M, Tebb KP, Penilla C, Pugatch M, Lester J, Ozer EM. Supporting Adolescent Engagement with Artificial Intelligence-Driven Digital Health Behavior Change Interventions. Journal of medical Internet research 2023. PMID: 37223987


  5. Mondi CF, Giovanelli A, Ou SR, Reynolds AJ. Psychiatric and substance use disorders in a predominately low-income, black sample in early midlife. 2022. PMID: 35196603


  6. Giovanelli A, Ozer EJ, Adams SH, Park MJ, Ozer EM. Adolescent Technology-use Rules and Sleep in a Large Representative Sample. 2022. PMID: 34991931


  7. Mott M, Mott B, Rowe J, Ozer E, Giovanelli A, Berna M, Pugatch M, Tebb K, Penilla C, Lester J. "What's Important to You, Max?": The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change. Interactive storytelling : 14th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2021, Tallinn, Estonia, December 7-10, 2021, Proceedings. Joint International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (14th : 202... 2021. PMID: 36354310


  8. Reynolds AJ, Ou SR, Eales L, Mondi CF, Giovanelli A. Assessment of a Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Midlife. 2021. PMID: 34415316


  9. Giovanelli A, Adams SH, Jane Park M, Ozer EM. Delivering Anticipatory Guidance About Technology Use to Adolescents in Primary Care: Rates in a Representative California Sample. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2021. PMID: 34301469


  10. Reynolds AJ, Eales L, Ou SR, Mondi CF, Giovanelli A. A Comprehensive, Multisystemic Early Childhood Program and Obesity at Age 37 Years. 2021. PMID: 33749715


  11. Giovanelli A, Reynolds AJ. Adverse childhood experiences in a low-income black cohort: The importance of context. 2021. PMID: 33857559


  12. Giovanelli A, Mondi CF, Reynolds AJ, Ou SR. Adverse childhood experiences: Mechanisms of risk and resilience in a longitudinal urban cohort. 2020. PMID: 31663487


  13. Ozer EM, Rowe J, Tebb KP, Berna M, Penilla C, Giovanelli A, Jasik C, Lester JC. Fostering Engagement in Health Behavior Change: Iterative Development of an Interactive Narrative Environment to Enhance Adolescent Preventive Health Services. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718513


  14. Giovanelli A, Ozer EM, Dahl RE. Leveraging Technology to Improve Health in Adolescence: A Developmental Science Perspective. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718517


  15. Reynolds AJ, Ou SR, Mondi CF, Giovanelli A. Reducing poverty and inequality through preschool-to-third-grade prevention services. 2019. PMID: 31545639


  16. Giovanelli A, Hayakawa M, Englund MM, Reynolds AJ. African-American Males in Chicago: Pathways From Early Childhood Intervention to Reduced Violence. 2017. PMID: 29111227


  17. Bloomquist ML, Giovanelli A, Benton A, Piehler TF, Quevedo K, Oberstar J. Implementation and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Psychotherapeutic Practices for Youth in a Mental Health Organization. 2016. PMID: 30078979


  18. Giovanelli A, Reynolds AJ, Mondi CF, Ou SR. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Well-Being in a Low-income, Urban Cohort. 2016. PMID: 26966132


  19. Hayakawa M, Giovanelli A, Englund MM, Reynolds AJ. Not Just Academics: Paths of Longitudinal Effects From Parent Involvement to Substance Abuse in Emerging Adulthood. 2016. PMID: 26774638


  20. Bloomquist, M. L., Giovanelli, A., Benton, A., Piehler, T. F., Quevedo, K., & Oberstar, J.. Implementation and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Psychotherapeutic Practices for Youth in a Mental Health Organization 2016. PMID:


  21. Giovanelli, A., Hoerger, M., Johnson, S. L., & Gruber, J.. Impulsive responses to positive mood and reward are related to mania risk 2013. PMID: