Department

“During the whole of my training, I had only one female mentor,” remembers Mary Phillips, MD MD (Cantab) (Pittsburgh Foundation-Emmerling Endowed Chair in Psychotic Disorders and Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science). “If you never see a woman as a leader, you risk internalizing the belief that women can’t succeed in that role.” Dr. Phillips counts herself among the Neurochicks, an...

Save the date! On Thursday, June 4, 2020, the Department of Psychiatry will host our 20th annual Research Day. This annual event provides the opportunity to highlight diverse research projects conducted by Pitt Psychiatry’s talented faculty, postdoctoral scholars, trainees and staff. Research Day also offers plenty of opportunities for networking, building new collaborations, and reconnecting with colleagues (and...

For Department of Psychiatry clinical faculty and trainees, one of the most rewarding aspects of providing behavioral health care at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) is the opportunity to develop innovative clinical interventions. Two projects, recently funded by The Beckwith Institute’s Frontline Innovation Program, aim to help young people experiencing psychiatric disorders. Phone-based Intervention for...

On a recent morning at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH), a staff member was greeted by a WPH safety officer. Following a quick exchange about elevator service, the officer said, “Hey, you have an awesome day!” WPH safety officers are visible throughout the hospital, maintaining a regular presence on the inpatient units and responding to calls for assistance with challenging patient encounters. They are the...

“There was a time when electroconvulsive therapy—known as ECT—was considered a last resort for difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders,” says LalithKumar K. Solai, MD, Medical Director, Center for Interventional Psychiatry (CIP) at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). “But a lot has changed in the last decade with ECT. This treatment is now much safer, and it can be life-saving for some patients when it is...

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) has a brand-new space for emergency psychiatric care and evaluation. The renovated Western Psychiatric Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services (WPES) division enhances the comfort of WPH visitors with a bright, inviting layout. The new WPES was designed with careful attention to detail to optimize the visitor experience, including: An expanded space that provides greater...