Faculty

Ariel G Gildengers, MD

Ariel G Gildengers, MD

Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

MD
Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School
Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Geriatric Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Geriatric Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC

Specialty Certifications

Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Geriatric Psychiatry)

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
Member, International Society for Bipolar Disorders

Selected Honors & Awards

Best Doctors in America, Best Doctors, Inc.
Best Paper Award from the International Society for Bipolar Disorder (2nd place),

Research Interests

Alzheimer's disease/related dementias; Lithium and neuroprotection; Bipolar disorder & aging
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Gildengers AG, Ibrahim TS, Zeng X, Aizenstein HJ, Alkhateeb SK, Anderson SJ, Chu C, Diaz JL, Emanuel JE, Karikari TK, Li J, Lopez OL, Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Sajewski AN, Santini T, Weinstein AM, Wu M, Butters MA. The LATTICE Study: Design of a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial of lithium to delay cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2025 Jun 11;11(2):e70112. doi: 10.1002/trc2.70112. PMID: 40501510; PMCID: PMC12152361
  2. Gildengers AG, Butters MA, Aizenstein HJ, Emanuel J, Ding T, Anderson SJ, Becker JT, Lopez O, Reynolds CF 3rd, Mulsant BH. A longitudinal study of the relationship among cognition, mood symptoms, and markers of brain health in older age bipolar disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2025 May 25:7067437251343295. doi: 10.1177/07067437251343295. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40415375; PMCID: PMC12106387
  3. Gildengers A, Weinstein AM, Gujral S, Zeng X, Diaz JL, Lafferty TK, Cowie M, Emanuel JE, Lopez O, Royse SK, Lopresti B, Karikari TK. Where do plasma biomarkers fit in with current Alzheimers disease detection? Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2025 Apr;33(4):428-437. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2024.09.015. Epub 2024 Oct 1. PMID: 39448295; PMCID: PMC11875946
  4. Young RC, Mulsant BH, Sajatovic M, Gildengers AG, Gyulai L, Al Jurdi RK, Beyer J, Evans J, Banerjee S, Greenberg R, Marino P, Kunik ME, Chen P, Barrett M, Schulberg HC, Bruce ML, Reynolds CF 3rd, Alexopoulos GS; GERI-BD Study Group. GERI-BD: A randomized double-blind controlled trial of lithium and divalproex in the treatment of mania in older patients with bipolar disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2017 Nov 1;174(11):1086-1093. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.15050657. Epub 2017 Aug 4. PubMed PMID: 29088928.
  5. Gildengers AG, Butters MA Aizenstein HJ, Marron MM, Emanuel J, Anderson SJ, Weissfeld, LA, Becker JT, Lopez OL, Mulsant BH, Reynolds CF III: Longer lithium exposure is associated with better white matter integrity in older adults with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2015; 17(3):248-56

Clinical Interests

Geriatric psychiatry; Alzheimer's disease/related dementias; Mood disorders

Education Interests

Medical student & resident education; Research mentoring

Recent Clinical Innovations in Perinatal and Geriatric Psychiatry

Pregnant Woman and African American Older Man

Recent papers from the Department of Psychiatry examine clinical initiatives around integration of behavioral health teams in OB-GYN clinics, fetal inflammatory response and risk for psychiatric disorders, and the association between benzodiazepine use and risk of cognitive impairment among older adults. Impact of colocated behavioral health on OB-GYN clinicians' rate of perinatal behavioral health diagnosis and...

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Promotes Ariel Gildengers, MD, to Professor of Psychiatry

Dr. Ariel Gildengers

We are delighted to announce that Ariel Gildengers, MD, has been promoted to Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Gildengers received his MD from the New Jersey Medical School and completed his psychiatry residency and a clinical fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, and a research fellowship at the Intervention Research Center for Late...

Staff Appreciation: Denise Sorisio Brecht, James Emanuel, Happy Fletcher & Lindy Kilby in the LATTICE Research Group

Staff Appreciation: Denise Sorisio Brecht, James Emanuel, Happy Fletcher & Lindy Kilby

Lab staff members are integral to the Department of Psychiatry’s research mission. In recognition of their many, varied, and valuable contributions to this effort, and in particular to research on late-life mood disorders led by Ariel Gildengers, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), we would like to express gratitude for the following individuals who contribute to the efforts of the LATTICE Research Group:*...