Faculty

Congratulations to Professor of Psychiatry Holly Swartz, MD, who has won the 2019 Gerald L. Klerman Senior Investigator Award, presented by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). The Gerald L. Klerman Award is the DBSA’s highest honor, recognizing researchers whose work advances knowledge of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder. Dr. Swartz’s research interests include...

Congratulations to Zach Freyberg, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Cell Biology, who has received the A.E. Bennett Research Award at the annual meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. The A.E. Bennett Award recognizes the achievements of young investigators in biological psychiatry. Dr. Freyberg’s research examines the biological underpinnings of schizophrenia and the clinical efficacy of the...

Congratulations to Dr. Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Genetics… and now, Associate Chief of Staff for Behavioral Health at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System! Dr. Nimgaonkar assumes his new role today, May 13, 2019. Dr. Nimgaonkar is the director of the Program for Genetics and Psychoses, where he seeks to identify genetic and environmental factors that can increase the risk for...

We are delighted to announce that Elizabeth Venditti, PhD, has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Venditti earned her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed her clinical psychology internship at New York University-Bellevue. After a successful early career in private practice, she joined the...

The Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce the promotion of Amy Byrd, PhD, to Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Byrd’s primary research interest is the neurobiological processes underlying the development and persistence of reactive aggression. She focuses on adolescence, a particularly vulnerable developmental window characterized by changes in neural circuitry associated with threat and...

It is our pleasure to announce that Pierre Azzam, MD, has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Azzam is a highly respected specialist in consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatry and is dually certified in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine. He earned his MD from Baylor College of Medicine in 2005 and completed his psychiatry residency...