Theoretical models of neural mechanisms underlying cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for major depressive disorder propose that psychotherapy changes neural functioning of prefrontal cortical regions associated with cognitive-control processes, as well as brain regions involved in threat- or salience-related reactivity. However, individuals with major depressive disorder can be vulnerable to recurrence of depression...

We are delighted to announce that Layla Banihashemi, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Banihashemi earned her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh. She then joined the Department of Psychiatry as a postdoctoral scholar in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute T32 training program in cardiovascular behavioral...

Determining how disrupted neural activity gives rise to compulsive behaviors is vital for understanding obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is commonly thought that compulsive behaviors and cognitive rigidity share a pathological neural substrate owing to an association between compulsive behavior and abnormal performance and reaction times during reversal learning tasks in OCD. However, it is unknown whether...

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to two new faculty members: Claire Becker, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) Dr. Becker earned her MD from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, then completed her general psychiatry residency training at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) in the Academic Administrator Clinician Educator track. Following residency training, Dr. Becker undertook a clinical fellowship...

In treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is use of stimulant medication associated with subsequent use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or other drugs? Investigators including Brooke Molina, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Pediatrics), and Traci Kennedy, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), from Pitt Psychiatry, conducted a cohort study of 579 children ages 7...

Sleep and rest-activity-rhythm abnormalities are commonly reported in schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients. However, an in-depth characterization of sleep and rest-activity-rhythm alterations in schizophrenia spectrum disorder, including patients in different treatment settings, and the relationship between these alterations and schizophrenia spectrum disorder clinical features, is lacking. Characterization of...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with substantial psychosocial impairment, increased risk for suicide, and morbidity. As a first-line treatment for MDD, many patients receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), interventions that have been typically delivered face-to-face. Despite the ubiquity of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about...

Complex and coordinated brain development progresses rapidly within the first year of a baby’s life, and infant white matter development is associated with future cognitive processes and behavioral problems. Elucidating the neural basis of infant emotional behaviors can identify biomarkers of pathophysiological risk for subsequent behavioral and emotional problems. In Biological Psychiatry, investigators including...

We are proud to introduce our new class of PGY1 residents entering our General Psychiatry, General and Child, Family Medicine and Psychiatry, and Triple Board tracks. Please join us in welcoming this group of outstanding physicians as they embark on the next phase of their academic and clinical careers! In addition, the Office of Residency Training is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Chief Residents: Chief...

Congratulations to Bruna Bellaver, PhD, and Safaa Eldeeb, PhD, who received Best Poster Presentation Awards at the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association (UPPDA) 2023 Postdoctoral Data & Dine Symposium. Dr. Bellaver earned her PhD in biochemistry from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). She is a postdoctoral associate focusing on investigating glial biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease in...