Tiffany Taft, PsyD, MIS, is a clinical psychologist specializing in the mental health needs of people living with chronic digestive illnesses. She began her career at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, where she helped establish the first integrated gastro-psychology clinic in the United States. Between 2011 and 2023, she conducted a wide variety of research studies on the intersection of mental health and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Her main areas of focus have been disease-related stigma, brain-gut behavioral therapies, and medical trauma.
In 2023, Dr. Taft left her position as Associate Professor at Northwestern to join the Rome Foundation Research Institute, where she helps lead global epidemiological studies on disorders of gut-brain interaction. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, served on the scientific advisory committee of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and received multiple research grants.
In addition to her research, Dr. Taft started a private mental health practice in 2012, where she and her colleagues work with patients to reduce the social and emotional burdens of chronic illness. She is passionate about advocating for patient access to mental health services and driving change within the healthcare system to mitigate the risk of traumatic experiences.
In addition to being a medical professional, she also lives with IBD (since 2002) and EoE (since 2016), which gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by both patients and providers.