The Pascoal Lab (Principal Investigator: Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD; Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology) focuses on the quantification of brain pathophysiology in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as in the validation of therapies capable of modifying the course of these diseases. Dr. Pascoal is a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease biomarker research, particularly through...

Established in 1986, the Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of child and adolescent suicide. The STAR-Center annual conference presents best practices in clinical care incorporated into practical guidelines, and this year addressed the theme Artificial Intelligence + Human...

We are pleased to announce that Akiko Mizuno, PhD, has been promoted to Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Mizuno earned her PhD in cognitive psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. She joined the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral scholar in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Clinical and Translational Research Training...

Plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, alone or in ratio with p-tau217, show strong potential as Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. While immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) is the preferred method for plasma Aβ quantification, current assays are resource- and time-intensive. Investigators from Pitt Psychiatry including Yijun Chen, PhD (prior graduate student, Karikari Lab); Chaeryon Kang, PhD (Associate Professor...

Pitt Psychiatry investigators have recently published papers in Neuropsychopharmacology reporting findings on biomarkers for suicidal behavior, as well as on harm avoidance in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hair Cortisol Concentrations as a Putative Biomarker for Suicidal Behavior Suicide is a leading cause of death for young adults in the United States, but predicting who will attempt suicide is a...

We are pleased to announce that Heather Joseph, DO, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Joseph earned her DO from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and she came to Pittsburgh to complete residency training in Psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She next undertook a clinical fellowship in child and adolescent...

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that antidepressant placebo medications are not merely control conditions in clinical trials. Rather, the expectations and learning processes engaged with use of placebo actively shape mood outcomes through neural and molecular mechanisms. These effects recruit circuits involved in valuation, interoception, and affective regulation, and engage neurochemical pathways known to...

At the 2026 Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) Annual Meeting in New York City, Pitt Psychiatry faculty and trainees gathered for a program focused on Building Better Brains: From Synapses to Cities. Department members presented and learned more about recent research, networked with friends and colleagues, and picked up a few awards! A.E. Bennett Clinical/Translational Research Award Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD...

We are pleased to announce that Marie Anne Gebara, MD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Gebara earned her MD from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), then came to the United States for psychiatry residency training at Washington University in St. Louis Barnes Jewish Hospital. Upon completing her residency, she undertook a...

Congratulations to Sarah Pedersen, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, and Psychology), who has recently been recognized with both national and University honors. Dr. Pedersen was selected for the prestigious Research Society on Alcohol Dora Goldstein Distinguished in the Sciences Award. This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence and creativity in...