Three studies are featured below as Pitt Psychiatry “game changers” for their contributions to research on visualizing the human brain. Longitudinal Changes in Brain Activation during Anticipation of Monetary Loss in Bipolar Disorder Investigators including Anna Manelis, PhD, and Mary Phillips, MD, have, for the first time, examined longitudinal changes in brain activation during win and loss anticipation to...

On a recent morning at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH), a staff member was greeted by a WPH safety officer. Following a quick exchange about elevator service, the officer said, “Hey, you have an awesome day!” WPH safety officers are visible throughout the hospital, maintaining a regular presence on the inpatient units and responding to calls for assistance with challenging patient encounters. They are the...

“There was a time when electroconvulsive therapy—known as ECT—was considered a last resort for difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders,” says LalithKumar K. Solai, MD, Medical Director, Center for Interventional Psychiatry (CIP) at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). “But a lot has changed in the last decade with ECT. This treatment is now much safer, and it can be life-saving for some patients when it is...

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) has a brand-new space for emergency psychiatric care and evaluation. The renovated Western Psychiatric Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services (WPES) division enhances the comfort of WPH visitors with a bright, inviting layout. The new WPES was designed with careful attention to detail to optimize the visitor experience, including: An expanded space that provides greater...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by cognitive and behavioral deficits that typically emerge before the age of three. While this distinctive developmental trajectory and the selective degradation of particular abilities suggest that ASD arises from impaired developmental processes affecting the maturation of specific neural circuits, the developmental stage at which circuit dysfunction associated with...

We are delighted to announce that Ann Cohen, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Cohen completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. She then joined Pitt Psychiatry as a postdoctoral fellow working with William Klunk, MD, PhD, an international expert in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease. Upon completion of her...

The Department of Psychiatry is delighted to announce that Meredith Spada, MD, has joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Spada earned her MD from Penn State University in 2014. She completed a residency in adult psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) in the Academic Administrator Clinician Educator (AACE) Track and the Reproductive Psychiatry and Women's Mental Health Area of...

The paper described below was selected as a SLEEP Editor’s Choice. Sleep can play an important role in overall mental and physical health. A multidimensional sleep health score assesses sleep through six dimensions: sleep duration, timing, regularity, efficiency and quality, and daytime alertness. Although this score helps scientists create a nuanced sleep health profile, which is critical to analyzing sleep...

As cannabis use increases, questions remain about its impact on users’ cognitive function. Studies have shown that among adolescents, the use of cannabis—specifically its primary psychoactive ingredient, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—can be associated with susceptibility to cognitive impairment. Previous research has examined the effects of THC on working memory and other cognitive processes in adolescence, but...

We are delighted to announce that Camellia Herisko, DNP, MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC, CRNP has been named chair-elect of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders, an organization that supports the professional development of nurse leaders through collaboration, advocacy and education. Dr. Herisko is Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President, Operations and Patient Care Services at UPMC Western Psychiatric...