Lisa Bonar serves as a senior systems analyst in the Department of Psychiatry’s Phillips Mood and Brain Lab and Center for Research in Translational and Developmental Affective Neuroscience. The Phillips Lab and Center, led by Mary Phillips, MD, MD (Cantab) (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, and Bioengineering, and Pittsburgh Foundation-Emmerling Endowed Chair in Psychotic...

We are delighted to announce that Victor Villemagne, MD, has received conferral of tenure at the rank of professor by the University of Pittsburgh. Among the most highly regarded experts in Alzheimer's disease biomarkers worldwide, Dr. Villemagne is extremely accomplished in in-vivo imaging of brain pathology in aging and neurodegenerative disorders. He specializes in using positron emission tomography (PET)...

We are pleased to announce that Tina Goldstein, PhD, has been promoted to Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Goldstein earned her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, having completed her predoctoral clinical internship at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). She joined the Pitt Department of Psychiatry as a postdoctoral scholar...

Neuropsychiatric symptoms including irritability, nighttime disturbances, and agitation are highly prevalent in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Although neuropsychiatric symptoms are clinically well characterized in individuals with Alzheimer’s, scientists have more to learn regarding these symptoms’ neurobiological underpinnings. Investigators including Cristiano Schaffer Aguzzoli, MD (former Pitt...

We are pleased to announce that Sarah Stahl, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Clinical and Translational Science), has been elected a fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research (ABMR). The ABMR’s mission is to advance the field of behavioral medicine by creating and disseminating knowledge, cultivating discourse, and inspiring change that culminates in better health for...

We are delighted to announce that Judith Morgan, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology) has been selected into the highly competitive Transforming Biomedical Research and Academic Faculty Through Leadership Opportunities, Training, and Mentorship (TRANSFORM) Program. TRANSFORM is a national leadership development program, funded by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, with the goal...

We are pleased to announce that Deepak Sarpal, MD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Sarpal received his MD from St. George’s University School of Medicine, then completed psychiatry residency training at Zucker Hillside Hospital at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Sarpal joined the Pitt Department of Psychiatry as assistant professor, and...

Anxiety disorders are prevalent in late life, with symptoms including severe (uncontrollable) worry and rumination. Late-life anxiety, worry, and rumination in the context of the aging brain can be associated with differences in volume and thickness of gray matter regions in the brain, as well as altered functional connectivity in the networks involved in emotion generation and regulation, but these changes may...

Up to 50% of youth with bipolar spectrum disorder attempt suicide, and of all psychiatric diagnoses, bipolar spectrum disorder imparts the greatest risk of death by suicide in adolescents. Although multiple psychosocial interventions are effective for mood stabilization and for decreasing the risk of mood episode recurrence, no treatment specifically targets suicidal behavior in youth with bipolar spectrum disorder...

We are pleased to announce that Holly Swartz, MD (Professor of Psychiatry) has been elected President of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD). The ISBD fosters international collaboration in education, research, and clinical care to improve the lives of those with bipolar disorder and related conditions. Dr. Swartz is an internationally recognized expert in optimizing psychosocial and...