Missy DeVito serves as Research Project Coordinator for the Department of Psychiatry Research Review Committee (RRC), the internal grant review committee that helps to ensure Departmental research proposals meet the highest scientific and ethical standards. We would like to express gratitude for Missy’s invaluable contributions to the RRC. Missy coordinates the submissions, reviews, and approvals of all grant...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists in older age and may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study published in Molecular Psychiatry aimed to determine whether genetic liability for ADHD, as measured by a well-validated ADHD polygenic risk score, is associated with cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology in cognitively...

Congratulations to Rachel Vaughn-Coaxum, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), who has been named a Rising Star in the Association for Psychological Science (APS)! Dr. Vaughn-Coaxum studies how childhood adversity can influence depression treatment response. Her research has shown that for some adolescents, childhood adversity can be associated with the employment of ineffective stress-management strategies...

Identifying the neural markers of pathophysiological processes underlying depression severity can provide targets to guide treatment choice for individuals with subsyndromal or syndromal-level depression. This approach is particularly important for young adults with depression due to the high incidence of affective disorders during this age range, and because the effectiveness of interventions can be maximized...

Just after the New Year, UPMC Western Behavioral Health (WBH) opened a new location for child and adolescent services on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side, improving access for young patients and their families. Services at the East Carson Street location include: Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders (CADD), providing specialized behavioral health care for children with autism spectrum disorder...

We are delighted to announce that Piper Carroll, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), has received a University of Pittsburgh Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum. The award is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the University Center for Teaching and Learning to showcase excellence in creating a learning environment for Pitt students that recognizes diversity and is inclusive of all. Since her...

Lab staff members are integral to the Department of Psychiatry’s research mission. In recognition of their many, varied, and valuable contributions to this effort, and in particular to research on late-life mood disorders led by Ariel Gildengers, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), we would like to express gratitude for the following individuals who contribute to the efforts of the LATTICE Research Group:*...

Congratulations to Eric Golden, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Justin Shuster, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Ellen Whyte, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation), who have been selected to participate in the UPMC Physician Leadership Essentials program. Leadership Essentials is part of a multi-year comprehensive approach to physician leadership...

A group of Alzheimer’s and dementia investigators have published a study in Brain reporting the development and the analytical and clinical validation of a novel biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease. Led by Thomas Karikari, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)—and including senior scientists Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, and Kaj Blennow, MD, PhD, internationally renowned leaders in blood biomarker discovery at...

Congratulations to David Brent, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Epidemiology, and Clinical and Translational Science and Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies), who has received the Eric Taylor Translational Research into Practice Award from the UK-based Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The award recognizes sustained contribution to translating research into practice and a...