Brian Leitzke, PhD | Morse Scholar Alumni – Waisman Center

Morse Scholar Alumni 2013–2016

Current Position

Health Psychology (Inpatient Hospitalist)
Pediatric Health Psychology (Inpatient Hospitalist)
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, WI

Contact

btleitzke@wisc.edu

About

Brian Leitzke, PhD, is a UW Health clinical and behavioral health psychologist and serves as the director of the UW Health Practicum Program.

Brian works with both adults and children who are in the hospital with acute (sudden) and chronic (ongoing) medical issues. Many of his patients face difficult diagnoses, such as cancer, heart disease or incurable medical conditions. He also sees patients who are recovering from traumatic injuries.

When talking with patients, Brian helps them discover ways to cope or adjust to their conditions. He supports patients as they make complex medical decisions that may change or impact their quality of life. Brian uses a strengths-based therapy approach, which focuses the conversation on the patient’s inner strength and determination.

During his free time, Brian enjoys being with his family, going outdoors and exploring the Madison area.

Education

2007	BS	Education	University of Wisconsin-Madison
2012	MS	Psychology	University of Wisconsin-Madison
2017	PhD	Developmental Psychopathology	University of Wisconsin-Madison
2013–2016	Morse Scholar	Major Professor: Seth Pollak, PhD	Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

In the News

Seth Pollak: A career dedicated to understanding child emotion
June 7, 2023

Research Links

	https://scholar.google.at/citations?user=oDzRZOEAAAAJ&hl=pl
	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Leitzke
	https://drbrianleitzke.com/

Videos

Who Am I Now?
Survivorship Series Part 1
Life following diagnosis and treatment, whatever the outcome, can feel uneasy and challenging. For some, it is a time to re-examine, reaffirm, or to change. Join Dr. Brian Leitzke, a clinical health psychologist from UW Health, as he discusses these challenges of image, identity, and purpose.

Selected Publications

Leitzke, B. T., Plate, R. C., & Pollak, S. D. (2022). Training reduces error in rating the intensity of emotions. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 22(3), 479–492. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000763
Smith, K. E., Leitzke, B. T., & Pollak, S. D. (2020). Youths’ processing of emotion information: Responses to chronic and video-based laboratory stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 122, 104873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104873
Hilt, L. M., Leitzke, B. T., & Pollak, S. D. (2017). Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You: Eye Tracking Reveals How Ruminating Young Adolescents Get Stuck. Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53, 46(6), 858–867. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2015.1121824
Leitzke BT, Pollak SD. (2016) Developmental changes in the primacy of facial cues for emotion recognition. Developmental Psychology. 52(4):572-81. doi: 10.1037/a0040067.
Leitzke BT, Hilt LM, Pollak SD. (2015) Maltreated youth display a blunted blood pressure response to an acute interpersonal stressor. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 44(2):305-13. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2013.848774.
Hilt, L. M., Leitzke, B. T., & Pollak, S. D. (2014). Cognitive Control and Rumination in Youth: The Importance of Emotion. Journal of experimental psychopathology, 5(3), 302–313. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.038113