This Clinical Grand Rounds will feature three of the Department's leading experts in the field of smoking cessation research and will address how mental health care providers can help their patients kick the habit and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Kadiamada “Roy” Chengappa, MD has conducted clinical trials of anti-psychotic, anti-convulsant, and smoking cessation agents for persons with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder for the past 30 years. The research of Cynthia Conklin, PhD involves applying a translational perspective to the investigation of subjective, physiological, and behavioral reactivity to drug-related cues in adult smokers, and on identifying the types of cues and other environmental contexts that have the greatest impact on smoking maintenance and cessation. Since 1986, the laboratory of Kenneth Perkins, PhD has examined effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking in adults, as well as methods to treat tobacco dependence. The research included in this presentation is an addition to his earlier clinical projects aimed at developing and testing cognitive-behavioral counseling treatment for smoking cessation, including with weight-concerned women, which he co-wrote with Dr. Conklin and Michele Levine, PhD.

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. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Auditorium 

For More Information. Please contact Frances Patrick at patrickfm@upmc.edu or at 412-246-6787. 

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to:

1. Review the rates of smoking in persons with serious mental illness in the USA compared to the general population. 

2. Review the efficacy and safety data for pharmacological treatments that aid smoking cessation among smokers with serious mental illness.

3. Assess effective counseling methods to augment pharmacologic cessation medication for smokers with serious mental illness.

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.