For people living with bipolar disorder, challenging family relations can both result from and aggravate the disorder’s symptoms. Existing studies that examine the family environment of young people with familial risk for bipolar disorder have not distinguished whether stressors—such as high rates of conflict—are uniquely related to this disorder or are similarly experienced by families affected by other, non...

This summer marks the 10th year of the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, funded by the NIMH Conte Center for Translational Mental Health Research. The competitive 10-week summer program provides undergraduate students studying neuroscience, biology and psychology, among other fields, the opportunity to conduct hands-on, cutting-edge neuroscience research under the mentorship of clinical and basic...

The Department of Psychiatry is delighted to announce that Heather Joseph, DO, has joined the faculty at the rank of assistant professor. Dr. Joseph received her medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University in 2011. She then completed her residency in general psychiatry, as well as a child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship, at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. In 2016, she joined the...

Congratulations to Mary Amanda Dew, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical and Translational Science! Dr. Dew has been awarded the 2019 Bud Orgel Award for Distinguished Achievement in Research from the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions of psychologists to the advancement of research and...

Non-prescribed use of stimulant medications, such as Adderall®, by young adults is a growing problem, particularly among college students. It is often fueled by drug diversion, or the transfer of a legally prescribed medication to another person for illicit use. Among college students, stimulant use is frequently motivated by a desire to enhance academic performance or to use the drug recreationally. A team of...

Congratulations to Dr. Neeta Shenai, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, who was recently appointed Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship offered to medical students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The Psychiatry Clerkship provides third- and fourth-year medical students with the opportunity to work with patients in inpatient and ambulatory settings to develop and refine their skills in...

The Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce a new, interdisciplinary predoctoral training program, supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. The Bioengineering in Psychiatry Training Program will prepare students with backgrounds in engineering and other quantitative sciences for careers in mental health research. The program, which capitalizes on existing University of Pittsburgh research...

Major psychiatric disorders often arise during childhood and adolescence, especially among children whose parents have a psychiatric illness. Sleep patterns also shift substantially during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Sleep disturbances, often associated with most forms of psychopathology, have been identified as a promising behavioral intervention target to help treat young people with psychiatric...

Congratulations to Dr. Greg Siegle, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical and Translational Studies, who was awarded the 2019 Frijda Chair in Cognitive Science at the University of Amsterdam. Dr. Siegle’s research focuses on examining the neurophysiological substrates of cognition and emotion in depression and anxiety using self-report, behavioral, physiological and neuroimaging (fMRI)...

Department of Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty devote their time, energy and passion to treating patients and training medical students and residents at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). To fulfill WPH’s mission of providing the highest quality psychiatric care for our patients, they seek opportunities, on an ongoing basis, to refine and improve our services and treatments, as well as our medical...