Faculty

Garrett M Sparks, MD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara Street
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Phone 412-683-7103
Email

Education & Training

MD
University of Michigan Medical School
MS
Clinical Research, University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate School
General Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Selected Honors & Awards

Outstanding Medical Student Education Award, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Sarah Elizabeth Wolfe Teaching Award for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Golden Apple Teaching Award for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC

Research Interests

Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Sparks GM, Axelson DA, Yu, H, Ha W, Ballester J, Diler RS, Goldstein B, Goldstein T, Hickey MB, Ladouceur CD, Monk K, Sakolsky D, Birmaher B. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and chronic irritability in youth at familial risk for bipolar disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Apr;53(4):408-16. Pubmed PMID: 24655650.
  2. Ballester J, Goldstein B, Goldstein T, Yu H, Axelson D, Monk K, Hickey MB, Diler RS, Sakolsky D, Sparks G, Iyengar S, Kupfer DJ, Brent D, Birmaher B. Prospective longitudinal course of aggression among adults with Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2014 6(3):262-269 Pubmed PMID: 24372913.
  3. Perkins KA, Lerman C, Karelitz JL, Jao NC, Chengappa KN, Sparks GM. Sensitivity and specificity of a procedure for early human screening of novel smoking cessation medications. Addiction. 2013 Nov;108(11):1962-8. Pubmed PMID: 23773319.
  4. Sparks GM, Brailoiu E, Brailoiu C, Dun NJ, Tabor J, Cooper RL. Effects of m-CPP in altering neuronal function: blocking depolarization in invertebrate motor and sensory neurons but exciting rat dorsal horn neurons. Brain Res. 2003 Apr 18;969(1-2):14-26. Pubmed PMID: 12676360.
  5. Sparks GM, Dasari S, Cooper RL. Actions of MDMA at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions. Neurosci Res. 2004 Apr;48(4):431-8. Pubmed PMID: 15041196.

Clinical Interests

Childhood mood and disruptive behavior disorders; Adolescent substance use; Emergency child psychiatry
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Garrett M Sparks. Treatment of Marijuana Addiction: Clinical Assessment and Psychosocial and Pharmacological Interventions. In: Compton MT, editor. Marijuana and Mental Health. American Psychiatric Publishing; 2016. P. 171-198.
  2. Garrett M Sparks, David A Axelson. Lithium. In: Rosenberg D, Gershon S, editors. Pharmacotherapy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012. P. 221-260.

Education Interests

Resident and fellow teaching; Medical student teaching
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Rosenstock J, Sparks GM. Training physicians for the real world of medicine: administration-based learning. Med Educ. 2016 Dec;50(12):1189-91. Pubmed PMID: 27873411.

Congratulations to the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Resident and Fellow Class of 2021!

Resident & Fellow Graduation - Class of 2021

This year the Department of Psychiatry held a hybrid graduation for the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) resident and fellow class of 2021, with graduates gathering in person and friends and family celebrating through a virtual livestream. Michael Travis, MD (Senior Director for Postgraduate Physician Training) opened the ceremony with remarks on the challenges of COVID, as well as the heightened awareness...

Pitt Psychiatry Faculty Develop Innovations in Medical Training and Patient Care

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

Department of Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty devote their time, energy and passion to treating patients and training medical students and residents at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) . To fulfill WPH’s mission of providing the highest quality psychiatric care for our patients, they seek opportunities, on an ongoing basis, to refine and improve our services and treatments, as well as our medical...

Congratulations to the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Resident and Fellow Class of 2019!

2019 WPH Resident Graduation

Please join us in congratulating the 2019 graduates of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) Residency and Clinical Fellowship programs. At the graduation ceremony on June 14, 2019, residents, fellows, and their families and friends celebrated the achievement of this important milestone in medical training. Additionally, several residents received awards in recognition of their accomplishments in medical...

Psychiatry Faculty Receive Multiple Teaching Awards at Annual Pitt School of Medicine Curriculum Colloquium

Department of Psychiatry faculty were big winners at the annual Curriculum Colloquium hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine on January 24th. The annual event recognizes outstanding faculty contributions to medical education through several prestigious awards. Honorees are selected by the Award Review Committee and Dean based on student and faculty nominations. Department of Psychiatry faculty...

2018 Class of Resident and Fellow Graduates Celebrated at Ceremony Held June 2  

2018 Psychiatry Resident Graduation

Please join us in congratulating the 2018 graduates of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Residency and Clinical Fellowship programs. Residents, fellows, and their families and friends celebrated at the graduation ceremony held at the University Club on June 2. The event recognized the completion of an important component of the residents’ medical training and the outstanding contributions of Department...