The Department of Psychiatry is thrilled to congratulate Jim Jedlicka (Lead PC Consultant), who has received a 2021 UPMC ACES award for his outstanding work in the Office of Academic Computing (OAC) at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. The prestigious ACES award, received by fewer than 1% of UPMC staff annually, honors individuals who regularly go above and beyond. Jim has been working for PC Support in the OAC...

We are delighted to honor Lori Zippay (Department of Psychiatry Academic Administrator), as she celebrates her thirty-year career anniversary at UPMC. So thoroughly entrenched in the Department, many longtime faculty members still refer to Lori using her maiden name, although she has been married for more than 20 years. By the same token, Lori can sometimes be heard to remark about a senior member of the faculty,...

Beatriz Luna, PhD (Staunton Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Professor of Psychology), has been selected as a recipient of the 2022 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring. This award annually recognizes outstanding mentors who have had the greatest impact on students seeking research doctorate degrees. Dr. Luna is an internationally recognized developmental neuroscientist. She is a world...

David Brent, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Epidemiology, and Clinical and Translational Science and Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies), has received the 2022 Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, Senior Scholar category. This award honors a University of Pittsburgh faculty member with an outstanding record of research and academic activity. Dr. Brent is widely recognized as a global...

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to three new faculty members who have joined our Department: Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) Dr. Eckstrand earned her MD and her PhD in neuroscience from Vanderbilt University. She completed residency training in adult psychiatry and a fellowship in child psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She then joined the Pitt Department of...

The Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce that nine University of Pittsburgh medical students have matched into highly ranked psychiatry programs nationwide: Ololade Adebiyi (University of California San Francisco) Dominique Bertolini (Emory University School of Medicine) Gregory Gorraiz (University of Southern California) Tinsley Grimes Webster (Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center)...

On March 24, 2022, Pitt Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital residents and fellows gathered virtually for the Department’s 10th Annual Clinician-Educator Showcase. Department Chair David Lewis, MD, joked that given the hope for a return to in-person events, “ next year we will hold a second 10th Showcase!” The Clinician-Educator Showcase is an annual opportunity for clinician...

Julie Kmiec, DO (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), has been selected as a 2021 UPMC ACES recipient for her outstanding work at UPMC. ACES recipients are recognized for embodying UPMC’s core values, exhibiting excellence in and dedication to their work, and going above and beyond to serve patients and communities. Dr. Kmiec’s colleagues have described her as a compassionate and informed leader, a key organizer in...

The Department of Psychiatry is delighted to announce results of the 2022 Residency Match for the General Psychiatry, Child, Triple Board, and Family Medicine/Psychiatry tracks. “Every year we are excited and proud to welcome a new group of doctors into our work family and the training programs at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. We really want to thank everyone who has helped us to create and maintain this...

The Department of Psychiatry is now accepting abstracts for consideration for poster presentations for its Annual Research Day. If you would like to submit an abstract, click here to access the Call for Abstracts and Abstract Submission Form. The deadline for submission is April 15, 2022. Research Day will take place on Thursday, June 9, 2022, on the Oakland campus. This full-day event is an excellent opportunity...