The Department of Psychiatry is honored to welcome Joshua Gordon, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to Pittsburgh as our featured speaker for the Distinguished Scientist Lecture series.
As Director of the NIMH, Dr. Gordon oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and clinical research that seeks to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure. His own research focuses on the analysis of neural activity in mice carrying mutations of relevance to psychiatric disease. His lab studied genetic models of these diseases from an integrative neuroscience perspective, focused on understanding how a given disease mutation leads to a behavioral phenotype across multiple levels of analysis. To this end, he has employed a range of systems neuroscience techniques, including in vivo imaging, anesthetized and awake behavioral recordings, and optogenetics, which is the use of light to control neural activity. His research has direct relevance to schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and depression. Dr. Gordon’s work has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation – NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the Rising Star Award from the International Mental Health Research Organization, the A.E. Bennett Research Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry, and the Daniel H. Efron Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Dr. Gordon's lecture will explore the ways that the future of psychiatry will be shaped through emerging approaches and technologies on both basic and clinical levels. His presentation will highlight three of his highest scientific priorities as NIMH Director: Suicide Prevention, Neural Circuits, and Computation. In this era of unprecedented opportunity, Dr. Gordon will highlight the importance of cross-disciplinary, integrative approaches to address the vast complexities associated with mental illnesses as we move closer to our goal of finding effective treatments and therapies.
Learning Objectives. At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to:
Discuss the role of the NIMH in supporting neuroscience and psychiatry research.
Describe how neural circuit approaches hold promises for advancing understanding and novel treatments for mental illnesses.
Assess how computational approaches hold promises for advancing understanding and novel treatments for mental illnesses.
The entirety of this program will be a lecture by the speaker(s). All individuals able to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any proprietary entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients. Registration is not required for this event. This event is free and there will be no refunds. The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.
Location. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Auditorium.
For More Information. Please contact Frances Patrick (Telephone: 412-246-6787; Email: patrickfm@upmc.edu)
Continuing Education Credit: The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Other health care professionals are awarded .15 continuing education units (CEUs), which are equal to 1.5 contact hours. In accordance with Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interests (if any) will be included in materials which will be distributed at the time of the conference. WPIC is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. WPIC maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. This program is being offered for 1.5 continuing education credits.
The indicated number of clock hours of continuing education is provided through Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC’s Office of Educational Resources and Planning, a PA-approved provider of social work continuing education in accordance with all the applicable educational and professional standards of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapist. These clock hours satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT renewal. For more information, call (412) 204-9085.
