Bruce D. Miller MD
Bruce D. Miller
MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Psychiatry
Professional Summary:
Dr. Miller is tenured Professor of Psychiatry (Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) and Pediatrics. He is former Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2001-2016), and served as Director of Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry in CAP from 1995-2007. He supervises medical students, general psychiatry residents, pediatric residents and child psychiatry fellows in consultation-liaison psychiatry and child and family psychotherapy. He is co-founder and co-director of the Child and Family Asthma Studies Center, Oishei Children’s Hospital, University at Buffalo, and is an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose translational research focuses on psychobiologic mechanisms by which stress and depression impact asthma and somatization disorders in children.
Education and Training:
- MD, Child Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (1972)
- BA, Biology, Lafayette College (1968)
Employment:
- Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (1995-present)
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (1990–1995)
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Medicine (1981–1990)
Awards and Honors:
- Distinguished Life Member (2025)
- Lectureship (2010)
- Outstanding Research Award (2004)
- Simon Wile Award (2004)
- President's Recognition Award (2002)
- Visiting Scholar Awardee (1999)
- President (1989)
- International Task Force on Asthma Mortality (1986)
- Ehrman Fellow (1981)
- International Fellow (1971)
- Honors Degree in Biology (1968)
- Sigma Xi Honorary Society (1968)
- Undergraduate Academic Scholarship (1964)
- Michael Reinard Annual Endowment
- Distinguished Life Fellow
Research Expertise:
- Mind-Body Pathways: The trajectory of my research program has been to examine psychobiologic mechanisms by which stress and emotions impact asthma in children and adolescents. In carrying out this research, we study high risk, medically and emotionally vulnerable children with asthma. Specifically we measure social and family stress, child emotional and psychological conditions, asthma related mind-body pathways (autonomic, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, beta adrenergic), pulmonary function, and asthma disease activity/control. We use longitudinal linear modeling techniques to test ANS, HPA, and beta adrenergic mechanisms by which stress and depressive symptoms influence asthma disease activity over time. In addition, I have developed a laboratory stress provocation paradigm which enables us to examine proximal mechanisms by which stress and depressive symptoms alter stress responsivity and airway function in asthmatic patients. I am trained as a pediatric psychiatry clinician/researcher and have extensive research training and experience in developmental psychobiology. After my post-doctoral Research Fellowship in Developmental Psychobiology in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, I joined the faculty at the University of Colorado. Early in my tenure I developed the “Psychophysiologic Treatment/Research Unit” at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center (now called National Jewish Health); this Unit served as the foundation upon which I built my research. There I began my treatment and study of medically and emotionally vulnerable, high risk asthmatic children. I have been involved in federally funded research since 1979. In 1986-1987 I served as an invited member of the AAAI/NHLBI sponsored International Asthma Mortality Task Force, whose goal was to set priorities for research aimed at reducing asthma morbidity and mortality. This task force identified low SES, minority children as being at high risk, and recommended prioritizing research in this population. These experiences prepared me to embark on a systematic program of research. As I set out, I met and teamed up with Beatrice Wood, Ph.D., who brought a strong and complementary set of training, experience and expertise in family study and psychosomatic research in chronically ill children to our collaborative effort. Dr. Wood and I have work closely together since 1991 during which time we have integrated my model of stress, depression and autonomic dysregulation in asthma with her model of family relational stress as they impact on child depression and asthma. We have had federal funding for nearly 15 years consecutively, and have published many empirical papers emanating from our research program. Our most recent NIH grant application is a natural extension of our research to date. The goal of this proposal (presently under review) is to identify targetable psychosocial and psychoneuroimmunologic factors contributing to asthma morbidity and mortality in low SES minority children, and thus develop more effective means to reduce health disparities in this population.
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- August 2015–July 2023
Treating Caregiver Depression to Improve Childhood Asthma: Impact and Mediators
NIH/NHLBI
Role: Principal Investigator - July 2016–June 2017
Defining and Treating a New Pediatric Asthma Endotype: Depression-Related Asthma Mediated by the Cholinergic Pathway
University at Buffalo
Role: Co-Investigator
$47,000 - January 2002–June 2010
Depression and Child Asthma: Effects of Family Relations
NIH
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
$3,761,650 - January 2000–June 2005
Effect of Depressive Emotions on Airways in Asthma
NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
$1,438,029 - January 1996–January 2001
Career Development K Award: Psychophysiologic and Family Factors in Childhood Asthma
NIMH
Role: Contributor
$698,000
Journal Articles:
- Miller BD, Wood BL, Lim J, Ballow M, Hsu C. (2009) Depressed children with asthma evidence increased airway resistance: "vagal bias" as a mechanism?. J Allergy Clin Immunol (Jul), 124(1): 66-73.
- Wood BL, Miller BD, Lim J, Lillis K, Ballow M, Stern T, Simmens S. (2006) Family relational factors in pediatric depression and asthma: pathways of effect. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (Dec), 45(12): 1494-1502.
- Lehman HK, Wood BL, Humayun Q, Lam W, Miller BD. (2025) Depression in children with asthma: Testing a cholinergically mediated "endotype". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global (Oct) doi:10.1016/j.jacig.2025.100581
- Gwak DY, Tea JC, Fatima FN, Palka JM, Lehman H, Khan DA, Zhou H, Wood BL, Miller BD, Brown ES. (2024) Contribution of caregiver and child anxiety and depressive symptoms to child asthma-related quality of life. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (Sep), 133(3): 295-301.
- Brown ES, Palka JM, Lehman HK, Kulikova A, Khan DA, Lopez J, Antony A, Persaud D, Tiro J, Ivleva EI, Nakamura A, Patel Z, Holmes T, Humayun Q, Lloyd T, Allen K, Kaur S, Owitz MS, Pak RJ, Zablonski KG, Adragna MS, Chankalal R, Wood BL, Miller BD. (2023) The Impact of Caregiver Depression on Child Asthma Outcomes: Pathways and Mechanisms. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice (Jan), 11(1): 200-209.
- E. Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, Jayme M. Palka, PhD, Heather K. Lehman MD, Alexandra Kulikova, MS1, David A. Khan, MD, Josseline Lopez, BS, Anna Antony, MA, Donna Persaud, MD, Jasmine Tiro, PhD, Elena I. Ivleva, MD, PhD, Alyson Nakamura, MD, Zena Patel, PA-C, Traci Holmes, BS, Quratulain Humayun, MBBS, MSc, MD, Tressa Lloyd, MS, Karen Allen, MS, Savitoj Kaur, BS, BA, M. Seth Owitz, BS, Ray J. Pak, BS, Kevin G. Zablonski, BS , Michael S. Adragna, MD, Raymond Chankalal, MD, Beatrice L. Wood, PhD, Bruce D. Miller, MD. (2022) The Impact of Caregiver Depression on Child Asthma Outcomes: Pathways and Mechanisms. Journal of Asthma and Clinical Immunology, In practice (Nov) doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2022.09.016
- JungHa Lim, Bruce D Miller, Beatrice L Wood. (2022) An application of the Biobehavioral Family Model: Examining the impact of maternal depression on child asthma mediated by insecure attachment and child depression. Fam Process (Jan) doi:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35075639/
- Hsu CY, Lehman HK, Wood BL, Benipal J, Humayun Q, Miller BD. (2020) Comorbid Obesity and Depressive Symptoms in Childhood Asthma: A Harmful Synergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract (Sep), 8(8): 2689-2697.
- Wood BL, Brown ES, Lehman HK, Khan DA, Lee MJ, Miller BD. (2018) The effects of caregiver depression on childhood asthma: Pathways and mechanisms. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol (Oct), 121(4): 421-427.
- Wood BL, Miller BD, Lehman HK. (2015) Review of family relational stress and pediatric asthma: the value of biopsychosocial systemic models. Fam Process (Jun), 54(2): 376-389.
- Sherk Y, Smith BA, Miller BD. (2011) Liquid melatonin via gastrostomy as an alternative hypnotic in a child with pervasive developmental disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol (Jun), 21(3): 291-293.
- Lim J, Wood BL, Miller BD, Simmens SJ. (2011) Effects of paternal and maternal depressive symptoms on child internalizing symptoms and asthma disease activity: mediation by interparental negativity and parenting. J Fam Psychol (Feb), 25(1): 137-146.
- Brown ES, Gan V, Jeffress J, Wood BL, Miller BD, Khan DA. (2008) Antidepressant treatment of caregivers of children with asthma. Psychosomatics (Sep), 49(5): 420-425.
- Lim J, Wood BL, Miller BD. (2008) Maternal depression and parenting in relation to child internalizing symptoms and asthma disease activity. J Fam Psychol (Apr), 22(2): 264-273.
- Wood BL, Lim J, Miller BD, Cheah P, Zwetsch T, Ramesh S, Simmens S. (2008) Testing the Biobehavioral Family Model in pediatric asthma: pathways of effect. Fam Process (Mar), 47(1): 21-40.
- Wood BL, Cheah PA, Lim J, Ritz T, Miller BD, Stern T, Ballow M. (2007) Reliability and validity of the Asthma Trigger Inventory applied to a pediatric population. J Pediatr Psychol (Jun), 32(5): 552-560.
- Wood BL, Lim J, Miller BD, Cheah PA, Simmens S, Stern T, Waxmonsky J, Ballow M. (2007) Family emotional climate, depression, emotional triggering of asthma, and disease severity in pediatric asthma: examination of pathways of effect. J Pediatr Psychol (Jun), 32(5): 542-551.
- Lozano DL, Norman G, Knox D, Wood BL, Miller BD, Emery CF, Berntson GG. (2007) Where to B in dZ/dt. Psychophysiology (Jan), 44(1): 113-119.
- Brown ES, Gan V, Jeffress J, Mullen-Gingrich K, Khan DA, Wood BL, Miller BD, Gruchalla R, Rush AJ. (2006) Psychiatric symptomatology and disorders in caregivers of children with asthma. Pediatrics (Dec), 118(6): 1715-1720.
- Wood BL, Haque S, Weinstock A, Miller BD. (2004) Pediatric stress-related seizures: conceptualization, evaluation, and treatment of nonepileptic seizures in children and adolescents. Curr Opin Pediatr (Oct), 16(5): 523-531.
- Cummings MR, Miller BD. (2004) Pharmacologic management of behavioral instability in medically ill pediatric patients. Curr Opin Pediatr (Oct), 16(5): 516-522.
- Williams TP, Miller BD. (2003) Pharmacologic management of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Curr Opin Pediatr (Oct), 15(5): 483-490.
- Bleil ME, Ramesh S, Miller BD, Wood BL. (2000) The influence of parent-child relatedness on depressive symptoms in children with asthma: tests of moderator and mediator models. J Pediatr Psychol (Oct), 25(7): 481-491.
- Bleil ME, Ramesh S, Miller BD, Wood BL. (2000) The influence of parent-child relatedness on depressive symptoms in children with asthma: tests of moderator and mediator models. J Pediatr Psychol (Jan), 25(7): 481-491.
- Wood BL, Klebba KB, Miller BD. (2000) Evolving the biobehavioral family model: the fit of attachment. Fam Process (Jan), 39(3): 319-344.
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (1997) Influence of specific emotional states on autonomic reactivity and pulmonary function in asthmatic children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (May), 36(5): 669-677.
- Weingart SN, Hamlett F, Miller BD. (1996) Acute mental status changes following intrapleural instillation of quinacrine for traumatic pneumothorax. Psychosomatics (Jan), 37(1): 74-78.
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (1994) Psychophysiologic reactivity in asthmatic children: a cholinergically mediated confluence of pathways. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (Nov), 33(9): 1236-1245.
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (1994) Psychophysiologic reactivity in asthmatic children: a cholinergically mediated confluence of pathways. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (Jan), 33(9): 1236-1245.
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (1991) Childhood asthma in interaction with family, school, and peer systems: a developmental model for primary care. J Asthma (Jan), 28(6): 405-414.
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (1991) Childhood asthma in interaction with family, school, and peer systems: a developmental model for primary care. J Asthma (Jan), 28(6): 405-414.
- Miller BD, Strunk RC. (1989) Circumstances surrounding the deaths of children due to asthma. A case-control study. Am J Dis Child (Nov), 143(11): 1294-1299.
- Boxer GH, Bauer AM, Miller BD. (1988) Obesity-hypoventilation in childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (Sep), 27(5): 552-558.
- Boxer GH, Carson J, Miller BD. (1988) Neglect contributing to tertiary hospitalization in childhood asthma. Child Abuse Negl (Jan), 12(4): 491-501.
- Miller BD. (1987) Depression and asthma: a potentially lethal mixture. J Allergy Clin Immunol (Sep), 80(3 Pt): 481-486.
- Boxer GH, Miller BD. (1987) Treatment of a 7-year-old boy with obesity-hypoventilation (Pickwickian syndrome) on a psychosomatic inpatient unit. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (Sep), 26(5): 798-805.
- Miller BD, Hollingsworth E, Sander LW. (1985) Assessment of infant-caregiver interaction using cardiac, respiratory, and behavioral monitoring: conceptual and technical issues in a new methodology. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry (May), 24(3): 286-297.
- Ferrante FL, Miller BD. (1971) Respiratory insensitivity to blood gases in nutrias (Myocastor coypus). J Appl Physiol (Aug), 31(2): 175-177.
Books and Book Chapters:
- Miller BD, Wood BL, Smith BA. (2010) Textbook of Pediatric Psychosomatic Medicine: Consultation on Physically Ill Children. In: Psychosomatic Considerations in Childhood Respiratory Ilness: Textbook of Pediatric Psychosomatic Medicine: Consultation on Physically Ill Children. American Psychiatric Publishing
- Miller BD, Wood BL. (2003) Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine. In: Emotions and family factors in childhood asthma: psychobiologic mechanisms and pathways of effect: Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine. , 131-160.
Abstracts:
- Bruce D. Miller MD, Michael Adragna MD, Beatrice L. Wood PhD. (2025) "A Case Study of Child Paralysis Diagnosed as AMPS: Psychodynamic Reconceptualization and Therapeutic Intervention”. Conference Proceedings; ACLP 2025 Annual Meeting; Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, (Nov) Oral
- Bruce D. Miller MD, Beatrice L. Wood PhD. (2025) A Two-Pronged Experimental Approach to Examine Vagal/Cholinergic Mediation of the Impact of Depression on Airway Function in Asthma. Published in the Conference Proceedings of the International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology, The Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology, Reykjavík, Iceland, 10-11th July, 2025. (Nov) Oral
- Miller, Bruce D.,; Wood, Beatrice L.; Brown, E. Sherwood; Lehman, Heather K. (2023) Evidence that Family Relations May Affect Child Asthma Through Psychophysiologic Pathways. Biological Psychology, (Oct)
Professional Memberships:
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Life Fellow; Committee on Psychiatric Illness of Physically Ill Children, Founding Member (1986 to present); Program Committee Co-Chairman, “Psychosocial Assessment in Physically Ill Children”, (1989-1990); Committee on Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (2023–present)
- International Society for Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology (1995–2025)
- Society of Psychophysiologic Research (1995–2000)
- American Psychosomatic Society (1992–2009)
- Society of Professors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1991–2023)
- Western New York Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists (1990–1996)
- Behavioral Immunology Research Group; University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO (1985–1990)
- The Third World Congress on Infant Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, Stockholm, Sweden; Program Planning Committee, invited representative (August 3-7, 1986) (1985–1986)
- Colorado Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society, Denver, CO; Assistant Program Committee Chairman, appointed position (1985-1987) Executive Committee, elected representative (1984-1990) Legislative Committee Chairman, elected representative (1985-1986) Program Committee, Chairman, elected position (1987-1988) (1982–1990)
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Committee on Psychiatric Illness of Physically Ill Children, Founding Member (1986 to present) Program Committee Co-Chairman, “Psychosocial Assessment in Physically Ill Children”, (1989-1990) (1981–2023)
- National Center for Clinical Infant Programs; Washington, DC (1981–1990)
- Developmental Psychobiology Research Group (DPRG); University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Program Planning Committee (1984-1990) (1979–1990)
Presentations:
- "Oral Paper titled “A Case Study of Child Paralysis Diagnosed as AMPS: Psychodynamic Reconceptualization and Therapeutic Intervention” for the in San Antonio, TX taking place November 19-22, 2025 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort." ACLP 2025 Annual Meeting; Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (2025)
- "Invited Presenter, A Two-Pronged Experimental Approach to Examine Vagal/Cholinergic Mediation of the Impact of Depression on Airway Function in Asthma" The Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology, Reykjavík, Iceland, 10-11th July, 2025 (2025)
Service Activities:
- ; Ad hoc reviewer (2025)
- Biomedical Research Advisory Panel: a standing committee supporting strategic developments, operations, improvement of research infrastructure, thinking about tech integration, financial planning, evaluation of cores, thinking of collaborations we can take advantage of.; Member (2025–present)
- Psychiatry Annual Conference Planning Committee; Member (2025–present)
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Curriculum Planning Committee; Member (2025–present)
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Education Curriculum Committee; Member (2025–present)
- IFR Research Advisory Committee; Member (2025–present)
- Dean’s Committee for Promotion and Tenure Review, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Buffalo; Committee Member (2023–present)
- Recruitment Committee for Clinical Trials faculty position, Department of Psychiatry; Member (2023–present)
- Board of Directors, International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology.; Board Member at Large (2022–present)
- National Committee on Asthma and Toxic Stress (NCATS) Center for Youth Wellness and the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Sponsored by Stanford University and the Kaiser Family Foundation.; Invited Member and Consultant (2021–present)
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; Ad hoc reviewer (2010–present)
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice; Ad hoc reviewer (2009–present)
- Archives of General Psychiatry; Ad hoc reviewer (2005–present)
- Department of Psychiatry Academic Affairs Committee State University of New York at Buffalo; Member (2004–present)
- Graduate Medical Education Committee Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo; Member (2004–present)
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics; Ad hoc reviewer (1998–present)
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; Ad hoc reviewer (1997–2000)
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics; Ad hoc reviewer (1997–present)
- Psychosomatic Medicine; Ad hoc reviewer (1995–present)
- Psychosomatics; Ad hoc reviewer (1995–present)
- Journal of Asthma; Ad hoc reviewer (1992–present)