Faculty

Fabio Ferrarelli, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Website
PyNeL

Education & Training

MD
Catholic University of Sacred Heart, School of Medicine
PhD
Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart
Psychiatry, Western Psychiatry Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Current Appointments

Director, Sleep and Schizophrenia Program

Selected Honors & Awards

Outstanding Resident Award, National Institute of Mental Health
Rising Star Award, Pittsburgh Foundation

Research Interests

Biomarkers of schizophrenia & related disorders; Neuroimaging; Neuromodulations (i.e. TMS, TBS)
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Castelnovo A, D'Agostino A, Casetta C, Sarasso S, Ferrarelli F. Sleep Spindle Deficit in Schizophrenia: Contextualization of Recent Findings. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016 Aug; 18(8):72. PMID: 27299655
  2. Ferrarelli F, Riedner BA, Peterson MJ, Tononi G. Altered prefrontal activity and connectivity predict different cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp. 2015 Nov; 36(11):4539-52. PMID: 26288380
  3. Buchmann A, Dentico D, Peterson MJ, Riedner BA, Sarasso S, Massimini M, Tononi G, Ferrarelli F. Reduced mediodorsal thalamic volume and prefrontal cortical spindle activity in schizophrenia. Neuroimage. 2014 Nov 15; 102 Pt 2:540-7. PMID: 25139002
  4. Ferrarelli F, Sarasso S, Guller Y, Riedner BA, Peterson MJ, Bellesi M, Massimini M, Postle BR, Tononi G. Reduced natural oscillatory frequency of frontal thalamocortical circuits in schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 Aug; 69(8):766-74. PMID: 22474071
  5. Ferrarelli F, Peterson MJ, Sarasso S, Riedner BA, Murphy MJ, Benca RM, Bria P, Kalin NH, Tononi G. Thalamic dysfunction in schizophrenia suggested by whole-night deficits in slow and fast spindles. Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Nov; 167(11):1339-48. PMID: 20843876

Clinical Interests

Early course psychosis; Sleep disturbances in psychiatric disorders; Neuromodulations (i.e. TMS, TBS)
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Kaskie RE, Ferrarelli F. Investigating the neurobiology of schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Schizophr Res. 2017 May 3. PMID: 28478887
  2. Sprecher KE, Ferrarelli F, Benca RM. Sleep and plasticity in schizophrenia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015; 25: 433-58. PMID: 25608723
  3. Ferrarelli F. Endophenotypes and biological markers of schizophrenia: from biological signs of illness to novel treatment targets. Curr Pharm Des. 2013; 19(36):6462-79. PMID: 23432712
  4. Ferrarelli F & Benca RM (2010): Neurophysiology and neuroimaging of human sleep. In Winkelman & Plante (Eds.), Foundations of Psychiatric Sleep Medicine (chapter 3). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press
  5. Ferrarelli F (2009): The application of TMS in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenia disorders. In J. Mally (Ed.) The Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Central Nervous Diseases, (chapter 19). Budapest, Hu: Eurobridge Co

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Medical student & resident education

The 39th Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference

The annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference, now in its 39th year, presents the latest clinical and research findings to an audience of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, service coordinators, researchers, and mental health policy administrators, as well as to patients and families. K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), leads UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH)’s Comprehensive...

SLEEP: The Influence of Sleep Disruption, Trauma Exposure & Resilience on the Stability of Sleep Features

Ferrarelli & Colleagues SLEEP 2022

Sleep is influenced by individual differences in genetic and environmental factors, as well as differences in brain structure. Although some sleep parameters vary substantially from night to night, a number of specific sleep features remain highly stable. Within a single individual, the stability of certain sleep features can be considered trait-like, meaning stable sleep parameters remain so, even following...

The American Journal of Psychiatry: Experimental Manipulation of the Orbitofrontal Cortex Affects Short-Term Markers of Compulsive Behavior

Individuals with compulsive behavior disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), experience compulsions in which the ability to engage in flexible goal-directed behavior is impaired in favor of habitual behaviors. Research from both animal and human studies have indicated that alterations within the orbitofrontal cortex are a key factor in the onset of compulsive behaviors. However, questions remain...

Erika Forbes, PhD, & Fabio Ferrarelli MD, PhD, Receive a Laurel E. Zaks Memorial Fund Award for Novel Treatments for Depression 

Erika Forbes, PhD, & Fabio Ferrarelli MD, PhD, Receive a Laurel E. Zaks Memorial Fund Award 

We are delighted to announce that Erika Forbes, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology and Clinical and Translational Science), and Fabio Ferrarelli MD, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), have been selected to receive a Laurel E. Zaks Memorial Research Fund award for a collaborative research project focused on treating depression in young people. The Laurel Zaks Fund, established in March 2019...