Alexandre Dombrovski, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry) is an expert in both geriatric psychiatry and suicide. Using the methods of decision neuroscience, he seeks to understand what disruptions in decision processes result in disadvantageous decisions, including the tragic decision to end one’s life. We spoke to Dr. Dombrovski about his work in elucidating the roles of learning and decision-making in...

We are delighted to announce that Matthew MacDonald, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. MacDonald earned his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Training in...

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, is characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that are inappropriate to the developmental stage and interfere with daily life. Two of these symptoms, hyperactivity and impulsivity, tend to decline with age. However, inattention symptoms more often persist into adulthood, even among adults...

For individuals with schizophrenia, impairment in the ability to selectively focus attention on some environmental stimuli while ignoring others is associated with worse symptoms and poor functional outcomes. Moreover, these cognitive impairments are largely resistant to treatment through medication. To improve understanding of how dysfunction in the neural selective attention system contributes to these cognitive...

We are delighted to announce that Kymberly Young, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Young earned her PhD in psychology from American University, then conducted postdoctoral research in clinical neuroscience at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. Dr. Young joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry at the rank...

Clinical trials intended to aid in the development of effective antidepressant medication has been hindered by antidepressant placebo effects. These effects may involve cortical and subcortical endogenous opioid signaling, yet the mechanism through which opioid release affects mood remains unclear. In a recent Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging paper, Pitt Psychiatry investigators...

Among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), substance use impacts medication adherence and treatment outcome. Research has shown that stimulants—with cocaine as one of the most commonly used in this population—are associated with the greater risk for poor medication adherence. Impairments in executive functioning are often seen in individuals with HIV who use cocaine, as both cocaine and HIV...

Congratulations to Jack Rozel, MD, MSL (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor of Law), who has received the Allegheny County Medical Society Ralph C. Wilde Leadership Award. The Award recognizes a physician who demonstrates exceptional skill in clinical care of patients and dedication to the ideals of the medical profession as a teacher or leader. Dr. Rozel is a recognized expert on emergency...

In late July, the University of Pittsburgh Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion hosted their 2021 Diversity Forum, “Dismantling Oppressive System: Building Just Communities.” The three-day Forum was designed to engage and equip participants with the knowledge, skills and resources to identify sources of systemic oppression, consider strategies for dismantling that oppression, and identify actions critical in...

Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder that affects movement, is characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in the midbrain. By contrast, the midbrain ventral tegmental area does not experience loss of dopaminergic neurons, though the explanation for the neurons’ resilience in this region has not been sufficiently studied. One possible explanation...