Faculty

Susanne E Ahmari, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

450 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15219
Phone 412-624-3183
Email
Assistant
Margaret Carter
cartermp@upmc.edu

Education & Training

MD
Stanford University Medicine
PhD
Stanford University Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Columbia UniversityPsychiatry
Columbia UniversityAnxiety and Affective Disorders

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Professional Affiliations

Associate Member, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Member, Society for Neuroscience

Selected Honors & Awards

A.E. Bennett Research Award, Society of Biological Psychiatry
Fellowship Award in the Neurosciences, Klingenstein-Simons Foundation
Emerging Female Scientist Award, Carnegie Science Center
McKnight Scholar Award, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience
Rising Star Award, Pittsburgh Foundation
Career Award for Medical Scientists, Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Research Interests

Neural circuits underlying repetitive thoughts; Intersection of compulsive behaviors and anxiety; Novel tools for circuit dissection
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. I.D. Zike, M.O. Chohan, J.M. Kopelman, E. Krasnow, D. Flicker, K.M. Nautiyal, M. Bubser, C. Kellendonk, C.K. Jones, G.D. Stanwood, K.F. Tanaka, H. Moore, S.E. Ahmari, J. Veenstra-VanderWeele. (2017) OCD candidate gene SLC1A1/EAAT3 impacts basal ganglia-mediated activity and stereotypic behavior. PNAS. 114: 5719-5724. PMID: 28507136.
  2. J. Wood and S.E. Ahmari. A framework for understanding the emerging role of corticolimbic-ventral striatal networks in OCD-associated repetitive behaviors. (2015) Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. 9:171-83. PMID: 26733823.
  3. K.M. Nautiyal, K.F. Tanaka, M.M. Barr, L. Tritschler, Y.L. Dantec, D.J. David, A.M. Gardier, C. Blanco, R. Hen, and S.E. Ahmari. (2015) Distinct circuits underlie the effects of 5-HT1B receptors on aggression and impulsivity. Neuron. 86:813-826. PMID: 25892302.
  4. S.E. Ahmari, T. Eich, D. Cebenoyan, E.E. Smith, and H.B. Simpson. (2014) Assessing neurocognitive function in psychiatric disorders: a roadmap for enhancing consensus. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 115:10-20. PMID: 24994503.
  5. S.E. Ahmari, T. Spellman, N.L. Douglass, M.A. Kheirbek, H.B. Simpson, K. Deisseroth, J.A. Gordon, R. Hen. (2013) Repeated cortico-striatal stimulation generates persistent OCD-like behavior. Science. 340:1234-1239. PMID: 23744948.

Clinical Interests

Obsessive compulsive disorder; Anxiety disorders

Education Interests

Neuroscience in residency

Dr. Susanne Ahmari Receives One Mind Rising Star Award and Technology Grant to Investigate Brain Circuits Involved in Decision-Making

Dr. Susanne Ahmari

Susanne Ahmari, MD, PhD , Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, has been recognized by the One Mind organization for her groundbreaking research exploring the mechanisms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The honors were announced at the Scientific Symposium at the 24th Music Festival for Brain Health that took place September 15th in Rutherford, California. Dr. Ahmari was presented with the One Mind Rising Star...

Drs. Alexandre Dombrovski and Susanne Ahmari Elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigators

Alexandre Dombrovski, MD and Susanne E. Ahmari, MD, PhD have been elected to the membership of the American Society of Clinical Investigators (ASCI). The Society, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies, is comprised of young physician-scientists from all medical specialties. Members are elected for their outstanding records of scholarly achievement in biomedical research. Dr. Ahmari...

Department Faculty Members and Student Researcher Receive ACNP Travel Awards

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) selected three faculty members (Drs. Jay Fournier , Danella Hafeman and Judith Morgan ) and a Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student (Dr. Wonjae Chung) in the Department of Psychiatry to receive travel awards. ACNP annually selects distinguished young scientists in the field of neuropsychopharmacology to receive these awards, which offer an...

MindScapes Art Exhibit Aims to Reduce Mental Health Stigma

Mindscapes, an exhibit of artwork created by Pittsburgh brain researchers and people who have experienced mental illness, was held at The Image Box as part of the Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn monthly art crawl. Drs. Lizzie Manning and Micah Shelton, researchers from the Translational Neuroscience Program (working with Dr. Susanne Ahmari and Dr. Ryan Logan, respectively), held the event during national Mental...