Scientific breakthroughs in understanding mood disorders.

Depressive disorders are very complex diseases, and the expanded efforts of basic and clinical scientists are needed to develop more effective diagnostic and treatment methods. At the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, we foster an intellectual environment that stimulates innovation and creativity, improves diagnostic services and develops novel treatment and prevention strategies for mood disorders.

Member Spotlight

Cara Angelotta

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Forensic Psychiatry)

Dr. Angelotta is a board-certified forensic psychiatrist with expertise in treating mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality, and trauma-related disorders. She has subspeciality training in perinatal psychiatry, which is the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Jacqueline K Gollan

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Psychology) and Obstetrics and Gynecology

I am an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, working as a clinical researcher and a licensed clinical psychologist. As a clinician in the Asher Center, I offer evidence-based psychotherapy for depression and anxiety, with expertise in behavioral activation and cognitive behavioral therapy. In my lab, we examine the neural and behavioral substrates of reinforcement learning in depression. We translate these results into experimental treatments to accelerate a person's rate of recovery. We use multiple methods (e.g., neuroimaging, computer tasks, biologic challenges) towards...

Inger E Burnett-Zeigler

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Psychology)

Dr. Burnett-Zeigler treats patients at the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders. Her clinical interests are in mood and anxiety disorders, comorbid substance use disorders, stress management, wellness and interpersonal relationships. She is has training and experience in several psychotherapy interventions including psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, and mindfulness meditation. Dr. Burnett-Zeigler’s research focuses on examining the factors associated with mental health service utilization. Sh...

Dorothy K Sit

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry)

Dr. Dorothy Sit is an Associate Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Sit’s main clinical research focus is on the development of treatments for women with mood disorders. Dr. Sit’s clinical work is devoted to the care of women with major mood disorders during the childbearing years including pre-conception planning, pregnancy and postpartum. With NIMH grant support, Dr. Sit recently completed a clinical trial confirming the efficacy of bright light therapy for bipolar depression and discovered that light therapy at midday versus an inactive placebo comparator i...

Sheehan D Fisher

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Psychology)

Dr. Fisher’s research and clinical interests focus on father’s mental health during the perinatal period and their impact on the family dynamic and child outcomes. His research examines the hormonal and socio-environmental factors that contribute to the etiology of postpartum depression in fathers and mothers. In turn, the impact of paternal and maternal postpartum depression on parenting behaviors and infant/child outcomes is investigated. Dr. Fisher’s clinical work specializes in behavioral therapies for fathers and couples during the perinatal period.

What We Treat

We are a nationally recognized group of physicians and psychologists dedicated to offering compassionate and confidential patient care for the behavioral health needs of women. We have earned a reputation for providing high-quality patient care and are known for our innovative clinical practices.

Learn About Mood Disorders Get Patient Care

Remembering Donald & Carol Asher

We fondly remember our late benefactor Donald Asher (1936–2023), who is now with his wife Carol, who passed away in 2021. Over the last decade, the couple championed scientific advancement and clinical research at the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders. Both Mr. and Mrs. Asher showed scientific curiosity and gentle humor that always inspired and invigorated our group to keep working to care for our patients. We are indebted to their support and commitment to the community, and they will be missed. We look forward to continuing our work to improve care for individuals with mood disorders with David, Craig and Hope Asher. 

Learn More About Our Benefactors

Donald Asher with Carol
Research at the Asher Center

Find information on how to participate in our current research studies and learn more about ongoing projects from our labs.

Explore Our Research

Follow Asher Center on Instagram