Faculty

We are delighted to announce that Zachary Freyberg, MD, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Freyberg received his MD, and his PhD in Developmental & Molecular Biology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At New York Presbyterian Hospital, he completed his internship in internal medicine, neurology, and psychiatry, and residency in...

We are pleased to announce that Cecile Ladouceur, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology), has been elected to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) Scientific Council. The BBRF is the top non-governmental funder of mental health research grants. The Scientific Council reviews and selects the most promising research proposals with the greatest potential to lead to breakthroughs in mental health...

It is our great pleasure to announce that Boris Birmaher, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Endowed Chair in Early Onset Bipolar Disease), has been honored with two major prizes in the field of psychiatry: the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research, and the Institute of Living’s 2022 C. Charles Burlingame Award. The Ruane...

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to three new research faculty members: Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) Dr. Biernesser earned her PhD from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, then joined the Pitt Department of Psychiatry as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department’s National Institute of Mental...

We are delighted to announce that Priyanka Amin, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Claudia Chapa, MD (Medical Director, Behavioral Health, UPMC Northwest), Caroline Franke, MD (PGY3), Darcy Moschenross, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Joseph Pierri, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), were honored at the 2022 Dr. Loren Roth Quality and Patient Safety Awards Celebration. Dr. Amin and Dr...

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to three new faculty members: Ashley Parr, PhD (Research Instructor in Psychiatry) Dr. Parr earned her PhD in neuroscience, with a focus on neuroeconomics, from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. She then came to the University of Pittsburgh for postdoctoral research training under the mentorship of Bea Luna, PhD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and...