Congratulations to Daniel Buysse, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science, and UPMC Endowed Chair in Sleep Medicine), who recently received the University of Oxford Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Academic Medal. Dr. Buysse’s research focuses on sleep assessment and patient-reported outcomes; evaluation and treatment of insomnia; and sleep in aging. He...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by inattention and/or impulsivity/hyperactivity, can include emotional dysregulation (such as affect lability), especially when symptoms persist into adulthood. Some individuals with ADHD have trouble with modulating attention in the context of goal-directed behavior. They may perform significantly worse on cognitive tasks, relative to those without...

Please join us in congratulating H. Nur Eken, MD (PGY2 psychiatry resident) who has been selected as one of six recipients of the Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award/“Little Apple” Award from the Pitt School of Medicine! The Little Apple awards recognize outstanding residents who have demonstrated excellence in student teaching, team leadership, fund of knowledge, compassionate and humanistic...

We are delighted to congratulate Tiffany Lach (Associate IT Project Manager), who has received a 2023 UPMC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES) for her outstanding work in the Department’s Project Management Office. The prestigious ACES award, received by less than 1% of UPMC staff annually, honors individuals who routinely go above and beyond. Tiffany’s nominators note that she brings “the highest...

We are delighted to congratulate Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), who has received a 2023 UMPC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES) for her outstanding achievement in increasing inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ people at UPMC. The prestigious ACES award, received by less than 1% of UPMC staff annually, honors individuals who routinely go above and beyond. Dr. Eckstrand is...

It’s time (right now!) to register for the Department of Psychiatry Annual Research Day! Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024 Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Location: All activities will take place at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall on the University of Pittsburgh Oakland campus. This full-day event provides an excellent opportunity to meet investigators, learn more about their work, and share expertise and interests with...

Organisms face a difficult dilemma between exploiting options that are known to be good and exploring alternative options that might be even better. This explore-exploit dilemma becomes especially hard when we move rapidly through a changing environment. As our primate ancestors adapted to hunting and foraging on swinging tree branches, they evolved dynamic maps of their environment in the dorsal or “where”...

Congratulations to Amy Hartman, PhD, who has received a Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation Fellowship! The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation awards fellowship grants annually to outstanding postdoctoral scholars who are investigating the causes, prevention, and treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression. Dr. Hartman is a postdoctoral scholar...

Adolescents with manic or hypomanic episodes—key features of bipolar disorder (BD)—may experience delayed correct diagnosis or inappropriate treatment because some symptoms of BD are also seen in other disorders (such as unipolar depressive disorders and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder). A team of scientists from the University of Pittsburgh including Michele Bertocci, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)...

We are delighted to announce that Benjamin Handen, PhD, has received conferral of tenure at the rank of professor by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Handen is an internationally recognized leader in the study of autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. His early work focused on investigating the safety and efficacy of stimulant medication to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder...