Faculty

Kadiamada N Chengappa, MD

Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Assistant
Joan Spinogatti
spinogattij@upmc.edu

Education & Training

MD
University of Mysore, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Multidisciplinary, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Canada
Psychiatry, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom
Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India
Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, India
Clinical Research in Schizophrenia, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Geriatric Psychiatry)

Current Appointments

Chief, Comprehensive Recovery Service

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology
Member, International Society for Bipolar Disorders
Member, Canadian Psychiatric Association

Selected Honors & Awards

Paul Wender Best Paper Award, American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Outstanding Academician Award, Indo American Psychiatric Association
President's Award, Pennsylvania Community Providers Association
Young Investigators Award, National Institutes of Mental Health, New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit
Rev. C. Leroy Hacker Ambassador Award, Mayview State Hospital

Research Interests

Herbal adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia; Smoking cessation in the mentally ill; Music therapy & negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Gannon JM, Brar JS, Rai A, Chengappa KNR. Effects of a standardized extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on depression and anxiety symptoms in persons with schizophrenia participating in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry. 2019;31(2):123-129.
  2. Schooler NR, Marder SR, Chengappa KNR, Petrides G, Ames D, Wirshing WC, McMeniman M, Baker RW, Parepally H, Umbricht D, Kane JM. Clozapine and Risperidone in Moderately Refractory Schizophrenia: a Six-month Double-blind comparison. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016;77(5):628-634. PubMed PMID: 27035871
  3. Chengappa KNR, Perkins KA, Brar JS, Schlicht PJ, Turkin SR, Hetrick ML, Levine MD, George TP. Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Bipolar Disorder: A double-blind, random assignment, placebo controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014; 75:765-772. PMID: 25006684
  4. Chengappa KNR, Bowie CR, Schlicht PJ, Fleet D, Brar JS, Jindal R. Randomized Placebo-Controlled Adjunctive Study of an Extract of Withania Somnifera for Cognitive Dysfunction in Bipolar Disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2013; 74:1076- 1083. PMID:24330893
  5. Chengappa KNR, Turkin SR, DeSanti S, Bowie CR, Brar JS, Schlicht PJ, Murphy SL, Hetrick ML, Bilder R, Fleet D. A preliminary, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of L-carnosine to improve cognition in schizophrenia, Schizophr. Res. 2012; 142:145-152. PMID: 23099060

Clinical Interests

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments; Smoking cessation in the mentally ill; Deprescription of medications
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Abdulkader Alam, KNR Chengappa, Frank Ghinassi, Screening for obstructive sleep apnea among individuals with severe mental illness at a primary care clinic. General Hospital Psychiatry 2012; 34(6):660-664. PMID: 22832135
  2. Perkins KA, Lerman C, Stitzer ML, Fonte CA, Briski JL, Scott JA, Chengappa KNR. Development of Procedures for Early Human Screening of Smoking Cessation Medications. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2008; 84(2): 216221. PMID: 18388880
  3. Chengappa KNR, Ebeling T, Kang JS, Levine J, Parepally H. Clozapine reduces severe self-mutilation and aggression in psychotic patients with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1999 60:477-484. PMID 10453803
  4. Chengappa KNR, Schwarzman L, Hulihan JF, Xiang J, Rosenthal NR, for the CAPSS-168 Investigators. Adjunctive topiramate therapy in patients receiving a mood stabilizer for bipolar I disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2006; 67:1698-1706. PMID: 17196048
  5. Chengappa KNR, Gopalani A, Haught MK, McChesney K, Baker RW, Schooler N. The treatment of clozapine-associated agranulocytosis with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 1996; 32(1):111-121.

Education Interests

Mentoring residents and junior faculty; Review of psychiatric medications & trends
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. A QI project for de-prescription: Lupu AM, Clinebell K, Gannon JM, Ellison JC, Chengappa KNR. (in press) Reducing anticholinergic medication burden in patients with psychotic or bipolar disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
  2. Nash K, Ghinassi F, Brar JS, Alam A, Bohan MC, Gopalan K, Carter A, Chengappa KNR. The Development and Implementation of an Electronic Health Record Tool for Monitoring Metabolic Syndrome Indices in Patients with Serious Mental Illness. Clin Schizophr Relat Psychoses. 2016; 10(3):145-153. PMID 24275635
  3. Alam, A., Chengappa, KNR Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Schizophrenia: A Primer for Psychiatrists. Acta Neuropsychiatrica 2011; 23:201-209.
  4. Conference Director 2008-Current, Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference. Sponsored by Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. Held at Sheraton Station Square Pittsburgh, PA
  5. Water Intoxication in Psychiatric Patients. State Hospital Video Conference Series. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic; Mayview State Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA January 27, 2005.

The 39th Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

The annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference, now in its 39th year, presents the latest clinical and research findings to an audience of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, service coordinators, researchers, and mental health policy administrators, as well as to patients and families. K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), leads UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH)’s Comprehensive...

Award-Winning Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacy

Ana Lupa 2022 AACP Winokur Award Quote

We are pleased to announce that Ana Lupu, PharmD, has received the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists 2022 Annals of Clinical Psychiatry Winokur Award for her article, “Less is more: Deprescribing anticholinergic medications in persons with severe mental illness.” K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), is Dr. Lupu’s mentor, and is a corresponding author on the paper. The team of scientists...

New Research on the Effects of Clozapine on Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

Dr. Deepak Sarpal

Deepak Sarpal, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), conducts research on the neurobiology of psychosis, focusing on schizophrenia. With a particular interest in treatment outcomes in psychotic disorders, Dr. Sarpal recently published two papers examining the effects of clozapine on treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Clozapine is an antipsychotic medication that exhibits superior efficacy for psychotic symptoms...

Behavioral Health Clinicians, Researchers, Patients and Families Gather Virtually for the 38th Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

Behavioral Health Clinicians, Researchers, Patients and Families Gather Virtually for the 38th Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

The annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference, now in its 38th year, presents the latest clinical and research findings to an audience of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, service coordinators, researchers, and mental health policy administrators, as well as to patients and families. Conference course director K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry) leads UPMC Western Psychiatric...