Faculty

Benjamin L Handen, PhD

Benjamin L Handen, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology and Instruction and Learning (Education)

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Website
Merck Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic
Assistant
Sara McAuliffe-Bellin
mcausj@upmc.edu

Education & Training

PhD
Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts
MEd
Special Education, Boston College, School of Education
Clinical Psychology, Brown University
Psychology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Research Interests

Down syndrome and dementia; ADHD in autism spectrum disorder; Parent training in autism spectrum disorder
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Handen BL, Aman MG, Arnold LE, Hyman SL, Tumuluru MV, Lecavalier L, Corbett-Dick P, Pan X, Hollway JA, Buchan-Page KA, Silverman LB, Brown NV, Rice Jr, RR, Hellings J, Mruzek DW, McAuliffe-Bellin S, Hurt EA, Ryan MM, Levato L, Smith T. Atomoxetine, parent training, and their combination in children with autism spectrum and ADHD. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2015, 54, 905-915.
  2. Bearss K, Johnson C, Smith T, Lecavalier L, Swiezy N, Aman M, McAdam DB, Butter E, Stillitano C, Minshawi N, Sukhodolsky D, Mruzek DW, Turner K, Neal T, Hallett V, Mulick JA, Green B, Handen B, Deng Y, Dziura J, Scahill L. Effect of parent training versus parent education on behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015, 313,1524-1533.
  3. Anagnostou E, Aman MG, Handen BL, Sanders KB, Shui A, Hollway JA, Brian J, Arnold LE, Capano L, Hellings JA, Butter E, Mankad D, Tumuluru R, Kettel J, Newsom CR, Peleg N, Odrobina D, McAuliffe-Bellin S, Zakroysky P, Marler S, Wagner A, Wong T, Macklin EA, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. A randomized, placebo controlled trial of metformin for the treatment of overweight induced by antipsychotic medication in young people with ASD. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016, 73(9), 928-937.
  4. Hartley SL, Handen BL, Devenny DA, , Hardison R, Mihaila I, Price JC, Cohen AD, Klunk WE, Mailick MR, Johnson SC, Bradley T. Christian. Cognitive functioning in relation to the accumulation of brain -amyloid in healthy adults with Down syndrome. Brain, 2014, 137, 2556-2563. PMID:24993958.
  5. Handen B, Cohen A, Umapathy C, Bulova P, Cannon SA, Cohen WI, Mathis CA, Price JC, Klunk WE. Imaging brain amyloid in non-demented young adults with Down syndrome using PiB-PET. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2012, 8, 496-501.

Clinical Interests

ADHD; Autism; Parent training

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Clinical supervision

University of Pittsburgh Awards Tenure to Benjamin Handen, PhD

Benjamin Handen, PhD

We are delighted to announce that Benjamin Handen, PhD, has received conferral of tenure at the rank of professor by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Handen is an internationally recognized leader in the study of autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. His early work focused on investigating the safety and efficacy of stimulant medication to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder...

Benjamin Handen, PhD, Receives American Psychological Association Division 33 Edgar A. Doll Award

Dr. Benjamin Handen

Please join us in congratulating Benjamin Handen, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry), who has received the 2023 American Psychological Association (APA) Division 33 Edgar A. Doll Award. Division 33 of the APA is dedicated to advancing psychological research, professional education, and clinical services that increase quality of life in individuals with intellectual & developmental disabilities/autism spectrum disorder...

Meet the Pitt Psychiatry Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Leadership & Advisory Council

Pitt Psychiatry Suite 200

The Department of Psychiatry Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) Leadership Council represents the recent step in a continued journey to enhance DEI in our community ( learn more about this work here). Composed of nine Department of Psychiatry faculty members, the Council provides continuity and dynamism to our DEI-related efforts, so that we can continue to engage our academic community in a way that matches...

Pitt Psychiatry Awarded $11.5M National Institute of Mental Health Center Grant Focused on Investigating Emotional and Mental Health in Autistic Adults

ACE Center Grant Investigators

The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry an Autism Center of Excellence (P50) grant to fund “Mental Health in Autistic Adults: An RDoC Approach.” The University of Pittsburgh Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) will be led by Carla Mazefsky, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical and Translational Science). The University of Pittsburgh...

The Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center 2021 Conference: “Preventing Suicide in Children and Youth: Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity”

Preventing Suicide in Children and Youth: Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity

The Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center, part of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH)’s Child and Adolescent Services, is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of child and adolescent suicide. The annual STAR-Center conference presents best practices in clinical care, incorporated into practical guidelines for...