Title: Tenured Professor
Company: The University of Arizona
Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Karen L. Weihs, MD, Tenured Professor at The University of Arizona, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in Psycho-Oncology and Higher Education.
Dr. Weihs has established herself as a leading clinician and scientific researcher in psycho-oncology, with a distinguished tenure at The University of Arizona. Her expertise and dedication have shaped the academic and clinical landscape of biobehavioral medicine. In this capacity, Dr. Weihs has been instrumental in advancing research and education, mentoring numerous graduate students and junior investigators who have utilized her data for their doctoral research. Her commitment to guiding the next generation of psychiatrists and bio-behavioral medicine researchers is evident in her ongoing supervision of multiple students and her support for early-career professionals in launching their own studies.
In addition to her professorship, Dr. Weihs has served as a co-investigator at The University of Arizona since 2007, contributing to collaborative research initiatives that advance understanding of psychosocial factors that affect health outcomes. From 2005 to 2023, she was a principal investigator on campus, leading significant projects that explored the intersection of family dynamics, emotional management and life-threatening illnesses, particularly breast cancer. Dr. Weihs’s research has been recognized her continuous federal grant funding from 1996 to 2016.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Weihs completed specialized training in child psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1989 to 1991, following her residency in general psychiatry between 1986 and 1989. These formative years provided a strong foundation for her later work in psycho-oncology and biopsychosocial medicine. Before her psychiatric training, Dr. Weihs completed training in family medicine at Hunterdon Medical Center from 1981 to 1982 and at York Hospital between 1979 and 1981. At Brown University, she was an instructor from 1982 to 1984 and an assistant professor of family medicine from 1984 to 1986.
Dr. Weihs’s educational background laid a robust foundation for her career achievements. She completed a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa in 1975 and a Doctor of Medicine from the College of Medicine at The University of Iowa in 1979. Additionally, Dr. Weihs holds board certification in psychiatry and in hospice and palliative medicine from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology since 1994 and 2012, respectively, and by the American Board of Family Practice from 1983 to 2019.
In addition to her education and professional background, Dr. Weihs’s leadership is marked by her service as an active member of the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine and through her role as the president of the American Psychosomatic Society. She also holds the distinction of being a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Drawing inspiration from her husband, Richard Lane, MD, PhD, a distinguished psychosomatic medicine researcher, with whom she occasionally co-publishes research findings, Dr. Weihs’s scholarly output includes authoring and over 100 peer-reviewed publications in scientific research journals. Beyond her professional commitments, Dr. Weihs is civically engaged as a volunteer with local charities.
Throughout her career, Dr. Weihs has received numerous accolades recognizing her excellence in teaching, research and clinical care. She was honored with the Teaching Award for Psychiatry Residency in 2016, named Senior Women’s Health Scholar by the Women’s Center of Excellence at The University of Arizona and received the Outstanding Clinical Care Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. Additionally, Dr. Weihs was the recipient of a research grant for psycho-oncology psychiatry for cancer patients.
Dr. Weihs credits her inventive thinking and willingness to embrace challenges as key drivers behind her success. Looking ahead, she remains dedicated to advancing mentorship within psychiatry and biobehavioral medicine while continuing to refine her clinical skills. Dr. Weihs aims to excel as a supervisor, supporting skill development among residents and junior investigators while integrating family therapy, psychoanalysis and emotion focused psychotherapy, grounded in scientific principles, into clinical practice.
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