Jenna Rudo-Stern, PhD, is a staff psychologist who serves primarily the Gender Support Program and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinic.

As a psychologist in the Gender Support Program, she meets with families to support young people in their exploration and consolidation of their gender identity. She offers information about various gender-affirming services and practices and provides consultation to those seeking gender-affirming medical care. Dr. Rudo-Stern helps gender-diverse young people and their families navigate their gender transition and buffer them against minority stress.

In the IBD Clinic, Dr. Rudo-Stern meets with patients during their visits in the multidisciplinary clinic. She supports communication between families and the care team. She provides consultation regarding adjusting to and managing chronic illness, keeping up with medications, using cognitive and behavioral strategies to ease discomfort, and increasing confidence with pokes and procedures. She also helps patients and their families plan ahead for the eventual transfer to adult care.

Dr. Rudo-Stern approaches her work with young people and their families with empathy and expertise. She collaborates with her patients to build on their existing strengths. With Dr. Rudo-Stern, young people learn to advocate for themselves, and parents learn skills to support their children.

Dr. Rudo-Stern earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Arizona State University. Following a pre-doctoral internship in child and adolescent psychology at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, she returned to Arizona to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in pain psychology at Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's. Her research focuses on ways to expand access to high quality mental and physical healthcare.

When she's not working, Dr. Rudo-Stern enjoys cooking, reading and exploring Arizona's natural beauty.