Faculty

On March 24, 2022, Pitt Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital residents and fellows gathered virtually for the Department’s 10th Annual Clinician-Educator Showcase. Department Chair David Lewis, MD, joked that given the hope for a return to in-person events, “ next year we will hold a second 10th Showcase!” The Clinician-Educator Showcase is an annual opportunity for clinician...

Congratulations to Alex Israel, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry); Antoine Douaihy, MD (Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine); Julie Kmiec, DO (Associate Professor of Psychiatry); and Jessica Kettel, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), who have been honored for excellence in education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Curriculum Colloquium. Each year, the Pitt School of Medicine...

(Pictured L-R: Justin Shuster, MD, Laima Spokas, MD, Camila Aponte, MD, Jessica Kettel, MD, PhD) We are delighted to recognize the achievements of the clinician-educator faculty members below, who have recently been appointed to medical director roles at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). Camila Aponte, MD (Medical Director: UPMC Center for Eating Disorders) Dr. Aponte joined the Department of Psychiatry...

Disruptive behaviors, including aggression, tantrums, and self-injury, are estimated to occur in 20% to 50% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Atypical antipsychotic medications are one of the most common pharmacologic treatments for such behaviors in the ASD population, but significant increases in weight are frequently reported. There also is evidence of an increased risk of diabetes in children...