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The Department of Psychiatry Welcomes Laurie Compère, PhD, and Lauren DePoy, PhD, to the Faculty

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to two new faculty members:

Laurie Compère, PhD (Research Instructor in Psychiatry)

Dr. Compère earned her PhD in Psychology and completed two years of postdoctoral research training at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. In 2018, she joined the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral scholar under the mentorship of Kymberly Young, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), in the Biological Affect Modulation lab. Her current research with Dr. Young focuses on improving the psychometrics of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and investigating the therapeutic potential of real-time fMRI amygdala neurofeedback in depression while recalling positive autobiographical memories. Dr. Compère’s research has yielded multiple peer-reviewed papers, including a 2021 Translational Psychiatry article discussing the importance of test-retest reliability for promoting fMRI-based screening and interventions in major depressive disorder. Dr. Compère also studies how biological and social factors can explain the prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders between men and women, and how to enhance treatment efficacy. 

Lauren DePoy, PhD (Research Instructor in Psychiatry)

Dr. DePoy earned her PhD in neuroscience from Emory University. She then joined the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral scholar under the mentorship of Colleen McClung, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translation Science).  Her current research with Dr. McClung focuses on investigating how circadian rhythm disruption affects substance use and mood-related behavior during development. Dr. DePoy has published multiple first-author papers in journals including Biological Psychiatry and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She is a recipient of a NARSAD Young Investigator Award examining the long-term effects of adolescent circadian disruption on substance use-related outcomes. She additionally leads a National Institute on Drug Abuse K99 career transition award investigating the long-term effects of prenatal circadian rhythm disruption on substance use-related disorders. 

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Compère and Dr. DePoy!