Faculty

Kadiamada N Chengappa, MD

Kadiamada N Chengappa, MD

Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Assistant
Joan Spinogatti
spinogattij@upmc.edu

Education & Training

MD
University of Mysore, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Multidisciplinary, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Canada
Psychiatry, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom
Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India
Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, India
Clinical Research in Schizophrenia, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Current Appointments

Chief, Comprehensive Recovery Service

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology
Member, International Society for Bipolar Disorders
Member, Canadian Psychiatric Association

Selected Honors & Awards

Paul Wender Best Paper Award, American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Outstanding Academician Award, Indo American Psychiatric Association
President's Award, Pennsylvania Community Providers Association
Young Investigators Award, National Institutes of Mental Health, New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit
Rev. C. Leroy Hacker Ambassador Award, Mayview State Hospital

Research Interests

Ashwagandha for schizophrenia; Negative symptoms & cognition; Insulin resistance & mental illness
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Calkin CV, Chengappa KNR, Cairns K, Cookey J, Gannon JM, Alda M, ODonovan C, Reardon C, Sanches M, Ruzickova M. Treating insulin-resistance with metformin as a strategy to improve clinical outcomes in treatment-resistant bipolar depression: A randomized, quadruple-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial (The TRIO-BD Study). J Clin Psychiatry 2022;83(2):m14022. PMID: 35120288. (Awarded the Paul Wender Best Paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology)
  2. Lupu AM, MacCamy K, Gannon J, Brar J, Chengappa KNR. Less is more: Deprescribing anticholinergic medications in persons with severe mental illness. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 1;33(1):e1-e13. doi: 10.12788/acp.0019. PMID: 33529289. (Awarded the George Winokur Clinical Research Paper Award by American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists)
  3. Chengappa KNR, Brar JS, Gannon JM, Schlicht PJ. Adjunctive use of a standardized extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) to treat symptom exacerbation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry 2018;79(5):43-51. PMID: 29995356
  4. Chengappa KNR, Perkins KA, Brar JS, Schlicht PJ, Turkin SR, Hetrick ML, Levine MD, George TP. Varenicline for smoking cessation in bipolar disorder: A double-blind, random assignment, placebo controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014; 75:765-772. PMID: 25006684 (Awarded the Paul Wender Best Paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology)
  5. United States Patent - Methods and Compositions for Treating Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Disorders No.: US 11,219,659, B2 Chengappa et al. January 11, 2022 https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11219659

Clinical Interests

Treatment of serious mental illness; Quality improvement projects; Deprescription of medications
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Gershon S, Chengappa KNR. Contemporary diagnosis and management of bipolar disorders. 2009. Handbooks in Health Care Co., Newtown, PA, USA.
  2. Goldberg JF, Chengappa KNR. Identifying and treating cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders. 2009;11(2): 123-137. PMID: 19538691
  3. Chengappa KNR, Schwarzman L, Hulihan JF, Xiang J, Rosenthal NR, for the CAPSS-168 Investigators. Adjunctive topiramate therapy in patients receiving a mood stabilizer for bipolar I disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2006; 67:1698-1706. PMID: 17196048
  4. Chengappa KNR, Kupfer DJ, Frank E, Houck PR, Grochocinski VJ, Cluss PA, Stapf DA. The effect of birth cohort on the early age at onset of the first episode of illness in a bipolar disorder case registry. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2003; 160:1636-1642. PMID: 12944339
  5. Chengappa KNR, Ebeling T, Kang JS, Levine J, Parepally H. Clozapine reduces severe self-mutilation and aggression in psychotic patients with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1999 60:477-484. PMID 10453803

Education Interests

Mentoring residents & junior faculty; Shared decision making; Continuing education
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Curriculum development: Clozapine curriculum for residents, fellows & attending psychiatrists
  2. Patient educational materials using Clozapine, COVID-19 and Paxlovid as a model
  3. Alam, A., Chengappa, KNR Obstructive sleep apnea and schizophrenia: A primer for psychiatrists. Acta Neuropsychiatrica 2011; 23:201-209.
  4. Less is More: Reducing the anticholinergic medication burden in patients receiving antipsychotics (Enduring Material - Video with Jessica Gannon, MD & Ana Lupu, PharmD) February 22, 2023

Pitt Psychiatry at the 2023 Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting

ACLP 2023

Pitt Psychiatry consultation-liaison (C-L) faculty and trainees attended the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) annual meeting and presented 9 symposia/workshops, 11 posters, and 5 oral papers. Travel Award Congratulations to Isaiah Crum, MD (PGY3) who received an ACLP trainee travel award. Presentations Twenty-five Department of Psychiatry presentations covered a range of topics including trauma...

The 39th Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

The annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference, now in its 39th year, presents the latest clinical and research findings to an audience of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, service coordinators, researchers, and mental health policy administrators, as well as to patients and families. K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), leads UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH)’s Comprehensive...

Award-Winning Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacy

Ana Lupa 2022 AACP Winokur Award Quote

We are pleased to announce that Ana Lupu, PharmD, has received the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists 2022 Annals of Clinical Psychiatry Winokur Award for her article, “Less is more: Deprescribing anticholinergic medications in persons with severe mental illness.” K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), is Dr. Lupu’s mentor, and is a corresponding author on the paper. The team of scientists...