Paul A Bloom, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Overview
Paul Alexander Bloom is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry) and a Herbert Pardes Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry. He received his PhD in psychology from Columbia University. Dr. Bloom's work focuses on understanding how digital technologies can help identify adolescents at risk for depression and suicide. He uses smartphone-based assessments, passive sensing, and social media data to model within-person changes in mood and behavior. His research develops methods that identify both who is at increased risk and when suicide risk is highest. Dr. Bloom is committed to teaching and mentoring to expand access to STEM and higher education.
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Gender
- Male
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- PhD, Psychology, Columbia University
Honors & Awards
2025 Career Development Institute for Psychiatry
2024 Alies Muskin Career Development Leadership Program Award, Anxiety and Depression Association of America
2023 Rudel Prize for Neuropsychology Research
2022 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, Columbia Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
2024 Alies Muskin Career Development Leadership Program Award, Anxiety and Depression Association of America
2023 Rudel Prize for Neuropsychology Research
2022 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, Columbia Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Research
Dr. Bloom's research aims to identify digital behaviors and experiences associated with youth suicide risk, with the long-term goal to inform the development of scalable, accessible tools for suicide prevention. His work recruits adolescents at high risk for suicide, including youth visiting pediatric emergency departments for acute suicide concerns. He leverages digital methods, including experience sampling, passive smartphone sensing, and youth "data donation" of archives from social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok) and AI chatbot (e.g., ChatGPT) platforms. His research program integrates psychiatry, pediatric emergency medicine, and computational approaches such as natural language processing and intensive longitudinal modeling through interdisciplinary collaboration at Columbia and other institutions. This work is funded by the Huo Family Foundation, Bender-Fishbein Foundation, and internal pilot funding from Columbia University.
Dr. Bloom's research has several key goals, including:
• Identifying how adolescents use suicide-related language online and when this language signals short-term risk
• Detecting interpersonal risk and resilience factors on social media, particularly online victimization and social support
• Characterizing adolescents' disclosures of mental health challenges to AI chatbots and evaluating the extent to which chatbot responses align with clinical best practices
By understanding how youth use technology and what they are exposed to online, this work aims to inform clinical interventions and policies to protect vulnerable youth and prevent suicide.
Dr. Bloom's research has several key goals, including:
• Identifying how adolescents use suicide-related language online and when this language signals short-term risk
• Detecting interpersonal risk and resilience factors on social media, particularly online victimization and social support
• Characterizing adolescents' disclosures of mental health challenges to AI chatbots and evaluating the extent to which chatbot responses align with clinical best practices
By understanding how youth use technology and what they are exposed to online, this work aims to inform clinical interventions and policies to protect vulnerable youth and prevent suicide.
Grants
Detecting Social Media Markers of Adolescent Suicide Risk
Grant: Huo Family Foundation Early Career Fellowship
Role: Principal Investigator
Identifying Short-Term Links Between Social Media and Interpersonal Stress Exposures with Adolescent Suicide
Grant: Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences
Role: Principal Investigator
Interpersonal Risk Factors for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among High-Risk Adolescents Discharged from the Emergency Department
Grant: Bender-Fishbein Foundation
Role: Principal Investigator
Grant: Huo Family Foundation Early Career Fellowship
Role: Principal Investigator
Identifying Short-Term Links Between Social Media and Interpersonal Stress Exposures with Adolescent Suicide
Grant: Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences
Role: Principal Investigator
Interpersonal Risk Factors for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among High-Risk Adolescents Discharged from the Emergency Department
Grant: Bender-Fishbein Foundation
Role: Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Treves, I. N.,+ Bloom, P. A.,+ (+shared first-authorship) Salem, S., Durham, K., Zaccaria, V., Spence, J., Dayan, P. S., Chernick, L. S., Blanchard, A., Kirshenbaum, J. S., Trivedi, E., Brent, D., Allen, N., Zelazny, J., Joyce, K., Pagliaccio, D., & Auerbach, R. P. (in press). In Their Own Words: Case Studies of Adolescent Smartphone Language Preceding Suicide-related Hospitalizations. NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Bloom, P.A., Galfalvy, H., Bitran, A., Blanchard, A., Chernick, L.S., Dayan, P., Durham, K.,
Greenblatt, J., Joyce, K., Kirshenbaum, J.S., Lan, R., Parjane, N., Porta, G., Trivedi, E., Tse, T.C., Yu, J., Allen, N.B., Brent, D., Auerbach, R.P.*, & Pagliaccio, D.* (2025). Momentary Stress and Social Context among Adolescents at Risk for Suicide: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Journal of Affective Disorders
Auerbach, R.P.+, Bloom, P. A.+, (+shared first-authorship) Pagliaccio, D., Lan, R., Galfalvy, H., Bitran, A., Durham, K., Crowley, R., Joyce, K., Blanchard, A., Chernick, L.S., Dayan, P., Greenblatt, J., Kahn, L.E., Porta, G., Tse, T.C., Cohn, J.F., Morency, L., Brent, D., Allen, N.B. (2025). Using Smartphone GPS Data to Detect the Risk of Adolescent Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors. JAMA Network Open
Bloom, P. A., Lan, R., Galfalvy, H., Liu, Y., Bitran, A., Joyce, K., Durham, K., Porta, G., Kirshenbaum, J. S., Kamath, R., Tse, T., Chernick, L., Kahn, L. E., Crowley, R., Trivedi, E., Brent, D., Allen, N., Pagliaccio, D., & Auerbach, R. P. (2024). Identifying Factors Impacting Missingness within Smartphone-based Research: Implications for Intensive Longitudinal Studies of Adolescent Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.
Bloom, P.A., Galfalvy, H., Bitran, A., Blanchard, A., Chernick, L.S., Dayan, P., Durham, K.,
Greenblatt, J., Joyce, K., Kirshenbaum, J.S., Lan, R., Parjane, N., Porta, G., Trivedi, E., Tse, T.C., Yu, J., Allen, N.B., Brent, D., Auerbach, R.P.*, & Pagliaccio, D.* (2025). Momentary Stress and Social Context among Adolescents at Risk for Suicide: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Journal of Affective Disorders
Auerbach, R.P.+, Bloom, P. A.+, (+shared first-authorship) Pagliaccio, D., Lan, R., Galfalvy, H., Bitran, A., Durham, K., Crowley, R., Joyce, K., Blanchard, A., Chernick, L.S., Dayan, P., Greenblatt, J., Kahn, L.E., Porta, G., Tse, T.C., Cohn, J.F., Morency, L., Brent, D., Allen, N.B. (2025). Using Smartphone GPS Data to Detect the Risk of Adolescent Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors. JAMA Network Open
Bloom, P. A., Lan, R., Galfalvy, H., Liu, Y., Bitran, A., Joyce, K., Durham, K., Porta, G., Kirshenbaum, J. S., Kamath, R., Tse, T., Chernick, L., Kahn, L. E., Crowley, R., Trivedi, E., Brent, D., Allen, N., Pagliaccio, D., & Auerbach, R. P. (2024). Identifying Factors Impacting Missingness within Smartphone-based Research: Implications for Intensive Longitudinal Studies of Adolescent Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov