Publications

Suicide rates among adolescents have been increasing for more than 15 years. One strategy for reversing this disturbing trend is to screen for depression and suicidal risk in the pediatric primary care setting. The Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9), a self-report screen for depression in adults and adolescents during outpatient visits, has been shown to effectively detect major depression. In addition, item 9...

In schizophrenia, impaired working memory is associated with transcriptome alterations in layer 3 pyramidal neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Distinct subtypes of layer 3 pyramidal neurons that send axonal projections to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the opposite hemisphere (callosal projection neurons) or the parietal cortex in the same hemisphere (ipsilateral projection neurons) play critical...

In both children and animal models, adverse childhood experiences lead to cognitive and behavioral impairments that have profound influence on behavior and health throughout the lifespan. To improve our understanding of the long-lasting impact of early stress exposure, the specific brain circuits impacted by early stress, and the mechanisms underlying each aspect of the influence of stress exposure, investigators...

Over the past decade, rates of suicidal ideation and behavior in American adolescents have increased dramatically. One strategy for preventing suicide is to develop interventions for use during elevated risk periods, such as immediately following inpatient discharge for suicidal adolescents. The time during and immediately after hospital discharge offers a critical window to enhance vulnerable youths’ coping skills...

Poor sleep is prevalent in adolescents with bipolar disorder, precedes illness onset, and is associated with worse mood symptoms. Furthermore, adolescents with bipolar disorder are at a heightened risk for suicidal behavior. Because many risk factors for suicidal behavior (e.g., prior history of trauma, family history of bipolar disorder) are not modifiable, it is critical to identify novel risk factors for bipolar...