Our 22nd annual Research Day was the most highly attended RD ever, with 544 attendees presenting 173 posters, as well as Speed Dat(a)ing, Life (and Science) Happens! plenary sessions, and lots more! Read Part I here bit.ly/3VU2rHB and scroll down for the link to Part II.

Congratulations to Kristine Wilckens, PhD, who has been promoted to Associate Professor! Dr. Wilckens’s research incorporates her expertise in both sleep health and geriatric psychiatry & she employs a combination of observational & experimental methods. bit.ly/3W0VuEQ

Congratulations to Helmet Karim, PhD, who has received the Organization for Human Brain Mapping 2024 Replication Award! bit.ly/3zIOmUB

Meet Our 2024-2025 PGY1 Psychiatry Residents and Chief Residents! bit.ly/4cWipGP

Pitt Psychiatry extends a warm welcome to two new faculty members Daniel Wonjae Chung, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Matthew Geramita, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)! bit.ly/3zNU1sH

Mary Ganguli, MD, MPH, recently published 2 papers reporting on effective strategies to recruit diverse study participants, as well as potentially modifiable risk factors assoc w mild cognitive impairment in different ethnoracial groups bit.ly/3LHLNVz

Congratulations to Bruna Bellaver Pascoal Lab on receiving Publication of the Year Award in the biofluid biomarkers category from the Alzheimer's Association for this work!

NIDA has recently awarded Pitt Psychiatry a T32 postdoc training grant in substance use disorder research! SMART is led by Colleen McClung, PhD & Mary Torregrossa, PhD. See more: bit.ly/3ycgYW5

Investigators led by Susanne Ahmari, MD, PhD, have published data suggesting that indirect pathway neurons in the striatum may play an important role in compulsive behavior disorders-- work that could lead to new treatment approaches for OCD. bit.ly/3WVCCrn

We are pleased to announce that Erika Forbes, PhD, has been elected to the BBRF Scientific Council! Dr. Forbes is an expert on the role of neural reward circuitry in the development of depression during adolescence and young adulthood. bit.ly/3YxpmKt

Daniel Buysse, MD, is an internationally recognized sleep expert, specializing in insomnia. We spoke with Dr. Buysse about understanding and treating insomnia, including the use of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. bit.ly/46V8qQe

In a paper published in Biological Psychiatry, investigators reported that an EEG waveform derivative accurately tracked real-time Ca2+melanin-concentrating hormone in rats. bit.ly/3Z0VXIN

JOIN US: Your involvement increases awareness, funds scientific research, and provides resources and aid to those impacted by suicide. For more information about the walk, and to register for our team, UPMC Western Behavioral Health, click here: bit.ly/3WTxp1S

Despite established sex differences in the presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about cellular/synaptic mechanisms guiding these differences. A new study describe sex differences in mechanisms that regulate top-down control over drinking. bit.ly/3X6z306

We are delighted to announce that Oliver Lindhiem, PhD, has received tenure! Dr. Lindhiem is recognized in the field of child psychiatry for the development of parenting-based interventions to prevent and treat childhood disruptive behavior disorders. bit.ly/477brwT

In PNAS, Timothy Allen, PhD & colleagues report findings that suggest the default network plays a critical role in monitoring our social experience and helping us to adjust our strategy toward others. bit.ly/3ZwmP3Z

Nadine Melhem, PhD, has been promoted to Professor! She studies the risk for psychiatric disorders in children with trauma/prolonged grief and familial/genetic contributors to suicide risk. bit.ly/3z77rAa

Rebecca Thurston, PhD, & colleagues recently published a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia underscoring the importance of endogenous reproductive hormones, particularly estrone and FSH, to women's cerebrovascular health in late midlife. bit.ly/3AXJCvb

Welcome, Mark Beuger, MD, and Andrea Montilla, MD! Dr. Beuger provides clinical service with the Community Treatment Team, and Dr. Montilla sees patients on the Eating Disorders unit and General Adult unit at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. bit.ly/47n2ShE

We're thrilled to be joined by our brand-new clinical psychology interns! Meet them here: bit.ly/3Bio8sU