University of Pittsburgh        
      
INSIDE PITT PSYCHIATRY
This new NIMH grant funds a Conte Center for Translational Mental Health Research focused on the contribution of alterations in specific cortical cell types (image) to the pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
This new grant funds a Conte Center for Translational Mental Health Research focused on the contribution      of alterations in specific cortical cell types (image) to the pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Click here to read more about the new Center. 
        
Boris Birmaher, M.D. - 2013 Colvin Prizewinner in Mood Disorders Research 
Dr. Boris Birmaher's pioneering work in describing the course and treatment of childhood-onset bipolar disorder is recognized by the awarding of the Colvin Prize of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Click on the video link to the left to learn more or read about it on our website.
  
Clinician Educator Showcase    

The annual Clinician Educator Showcase event provides WPIC and the Department of Psychiatry with a great opportunity to share new information on clinical practice and teaching methods. In addition, it facilitates career advancement for individuals in the clinician-educator pathway and offers an important venue for networking. Read more.

 

Recent K Awardees at Pitt   

The Department of Psychiatry is a model of success for K awardees. The Department has had a high funding rate for federal career development (K) awards, with typically 30-40 funded K awards active at any given time. Read more.
 

 

Dr. Meredith Wallace    

A study by Dr. Meredith Wallace and colleagues, published in JAMA Psychiatry, demonstrates how the combination of multiple weak moderators can produce a clear and consistent algorithm for mental health practitioners to use when making treatment decisions. Read more.
 
  

Molecular Psychiatry publication

 
Using a quantitative, multi-label confocal microscopic approach recently developed by Dr. Ken Fish in the Translational Neuroscience Program, Drs. Jill Glausier, Ken Fish, and David Lewis perform the first analysis of a specific synapse in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia. The results of the study were published in Molecular Psychiatry. 

 

  

Martica Hall, PhD    
Only three projects each year are selected to receive the American Sleep Medicine Foundation's (ASMF) Strategic Research Award; Dr. Martica Hall's project is one of them. The project, Quantifying the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Utility of Wrist Actigraphy in Insomnia, will aid the diagnosis and management of insomnia.  Read more.

 

  
AMA Psychiatry paper by Dr. Alex Dombrovski    
Suicidal behavior is heterogeneous and we know little about the many pathways that lead to it.  In a recent article appearing in JAMA Psychiatry, Dr. Alex Dombrovski and his colleagues investigated changes in brain signals that may contribute to bad decisions in older suicidal patients. Read more.

 

Drs. Alex Fertig and Jamie Tew    
The Clinician Educator Faculty Development Program is designed to provide newer Department of Psychiatry physician faculty at the Assistant Professor-level who are clinicians, educators and/or administrators with the tools to build successful careers. 

 


Brent et al.

 

Depression is a major public health problem that affects nearly 25% of all adults in their lifetime. Preventing the onset of the disease during the adolescence may be more cost-effective. David Brent, MD, and colleagues assessed the enduring effects of a preventative program in a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. Read more.

 

 

Jennifer Wildes, PhD    

In recognition of their review article published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, Dr. Wildes and her co-author Dr. Marsha Marcus received the Outstanding Scientific Contribution Award from the Academy of Eating Disorders. Read more.

 

 
  
 

Aaron Koenig, MD    

The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) selected Aaron Koenig, MD, a PGY-4 resident, to receive a 2014 New Investigator Award. Dr. Koenig, who is pursuing a career as a physician-scientist in the field of geriatric psychiatry, has been recognized for his academic accomplishments throughout his career. Read More. 

Diego Pafundo, PhD Journal of Physiology Paper    

Cognitive functions, such as working memory, depend on the rhythmic activity of networks of neurons known as gamma oscillations. Using electrophysiology techniques, Drs. Diego Pafundo, Guillermo Gonzalez-Burgos and their colleagues examine how the cholinergic agonist carbachol can induce gamma oscillations in vitro. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Physiology. Read more.

 
  
 

Mary Amanda Dew, PhD    

One of the very few psychologists chosen to join the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, Dr. Mary Amanda Dew was inducted into the Academy in recognition of her exceptional work in advancing medical science, education, and healthcare for persons with comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. Read more.

 

 
  

Psychiatric Characteristics of Homicide Defendants    

A first of its kind study provides a view of the relationship between psychiatric disorders and homicide in a comprehensive US sample unaffected by referral bias. The study, conducted by Drs. Christine Martone, Edward Mulvey and colleagues, was published in the
American Journal of Psychiatry. Read more.

 

 
  
 

Mary Ganguli, MD    

In a recent study published in the journal Neurology, Dr. Mary Ganguli and her colleagues examined the incidence of mild cognitive impairment in previously normal older adults and the associations of several premorbid vascular risk factors with incident mild cognitive impairment. Read more.  
  

Jeremy Musher, MD    

In recognition of his work to educate APA members on the importance, use, and implementation of new CPT codes, Dr. Jeremy Musher and his colleagues were awarded the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT Panel's Educational Excellence Award. 

Read more.

 

 
  

Brant Hasler, PhD    

Individual preferences in sleep-wake timing, or morningness-eveningness, colloquially referred to as being an "early bird" or a "night owl," can be associated with mental and physical health outcomes.  Dr. Brant Hasler and his colleagues investigate the relationship between eveningness and post-traumatic symptoms in military veterans. The results of this study were published in Biological Psychiatry. Read more. 
 
  

David Lewis, MD

 

David Lewis, MD was selected to receive the Edward A. Strecker, MD Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of clinical psychiatry. The award was established in honor of Dr. Strecker, a clinician, teacher, researcher, and author, and is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Health system. Read more.

 

  
Pitt Well-Represented at the 2014 Society for Biological Psychiatry Annual Meeting
 
The wide range of research at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry was well-represented at the 69th Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) annual scientific meeting in New York City, May 8-10, 2014.

 

Pitt Psychiatry Faculty and Trainees at the 69th Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) Annual Meeting in New York City, May 8-10 2014         

 

STAR Conference    

 
Friday, May 16, 2014
 
In Search of Safe Space:  Helping Youth Face Stress & Terror. This program is appropriate for all clinical and educational personnel. See details. 

 

Department of Psychiatry Research Day    

 
Thursday, June 5, 2014
 
This event showcases the research being conducted by faculty, residents, postdoctoral fellows, students, and staff. See details. 

 

Clinician Educator Showcase    

2014 Clinician-Educator Showcase
 
Thursday, October 16, 2014
 
This annual event highlights examples of successful quality innovations in clinical care, and accomplishments of faculty on the Administrator-Clinician-Educator career path. 

 For a list of all events in Pitt's Department of Psychiatry, click here.
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3811 O'Hara Street
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