Faculty

Alexandre Y Dombrovski, MD

Alexandre Y Dombrovski, MD

Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Professor in Brain and Mind Research and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213

Education & Training

MD
Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy
Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Geriatric Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC

Research Interests

Decision-making in psychopathology; Reinforcement learning
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Dombrovski AY, Luna B, Hallquist MN. Differential reinforcement encoding along the hippocampal long axis helps resolve the explore-exploit dilemma. Nature Communications, 2020 26;11(1):5407
  2. Szanto, K., Galfalvy, H., Kenneally, L., Almasi, R., Dombrovski, A.Y. Predictors of serious suicidal behavior in late-life depression. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2020, 0Volume 40, 85-98.
  3. Dombrovski AY*, Hallquist MN, Brown VM, Wilson J, Szanto K. Value-based choice, contingency learning, and suicidal behavior in mid- and late-life depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Mar 15;85(6):506516. PMCID: PMC6380943
  4. Chase HW, Kumar P, Eickhoff S, Dombrovski AY. Reinforcement learning models and their neural correlates: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 2015 Jun;15(2):435459. PMCID: PMC4437864.
  5. Dombrovski AY, Szanto K., Clark L, Reynolds 3rd CF, Siegle, GJ. Reward signals, impulsivity, and attempted suicide in late-life depression. JAMA Psychiatry, 2013 Aug 7

Clinical Interests

Late-life suicide; Late-life depression
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Dombrovski AY, Cyranowski JM, Mulsant BH, Houck PR, Buysse DJ, Andreescu C, Thase ME, Mallinger AG, Frank E. Which symptoms predict recurrence of depression in women treated with maintenance interpersonal psychotherapy? Depress Anxiety 2008;25(12):1060-1066
  2. Dombrovski AY, Lenze EJ, Dew MA, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Houck PR, Reynolds CF. Maintenance treatment for old-age depression preserves health-related quality of life: a randomized controlled trial of paroxetine and interpersonal psychotherapy. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Sep;55(9):1325-1332.
  3. Dombrovski AY, Mulsant BH, Houck PR, Mazumdar S, Lenze EJ, Andreescu C, Cyranowski JM, Reynolds CF. Residual symptoms and recurrence during maintenance treatment of late-life depression. J Affect Disord. 2007 Nov;103(1-3):77-82
  4. Dombrovski AY, Blakesley-Ball RE, Mulsant BH, Mazumdar S, Houck PR, Szanto K, Reynolds, CF. Speed of improvement in sleep disturbance and anxiety compared to core mood symptoms during acute treatment of depression in old age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;14(6):550-554
  5. Dombrovski AY, Mulsant BH, Haskett RF, Prudic J, Begley A, Sackeim H. Predictors of remission after ECT in unipolar major depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005 Aug;66(8):1043-1049.

Education Interests

Research mentorship
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Dombrovski AY, Hallquist MN. Search for solutions, learning, simulation, and choice processes in suicidal behavior. WIREs Cognitive Science. 2021; e1561
  2. Dombrovski AY, Rosenstock J. Bridging general medicine and psychiatry: providing general medical and preventive care for the severely mentally ill. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 17(6):523-529, November 2004.
  3. Dombrovski AY, Hallquist MN. The Decision Neuroscience Perspective on Suicidal Behavior: Evidence and Hypotheses. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, October 14, 2016.
  4. Dombrovski AY, Mulsant BH. ECT: the preferred treatment for severe depression in late life. International Psychogeriatrics 19(1):10-14, Published online by Cambridge University Press 13 Dec 2006.
  5. Dombrovski AY, Szanto K. Prevention of suicide in the elderly. Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging; 13(11), 2005