Disruptions of the circadian clock can contribute to or exacerbate vulnerability to substance use disorder in some populations. The laboratory of Dr. Colleen McClung (Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science) investigates the mechanisms by which circadian genes that regulate mood and impulsivity are involved in the risk for substance abuse. In a recent study published in the Journal of...

Congratulations to Department of Psychiatry postdoctoral fellows Laurie Compere, PhD, and Irene Tung, PhD, who have received Best Poster awards from the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association. Dr. Compere was honored for her poster entitled “Sex Differences During Real-Time fMRI Amygdala Neurofeedback for Major Depressive Orders.” Her mentor is Kymberly Young, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. Dr...

Robert Hudak, MD, primarily works with adults with obsessive compulsive disorder at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH), but during the last four years he has also treated patients through WPH’s telepsychiatry program, which averages 10,000 visits annually. Recently, Dr. Hudak traveled to the rural outpatient clinic that serves the patients he treats via telepsychiatry. The trip provided Dr. Hudak with the...

Compulsive behaviors are some of the most debilitating symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Unfortunately, these behaviors are notoriously resistant to current treatments. A recent study by Pitt Department of Psychiatry researchers is the first to identify abnormal connectivity between two brain regions, secondary motor area and striatum, as a possible cause of compulsive behavior, potentially opening...

For people living with bipolar disorder, challenging family relations can both result from and aggravate the disorder’s symptoms. Existing studies that examine the family environment of young people with familial risk for bipolar disorder have not distinguished whether stressors—such as high rates of conflict—are uniquely related to this disorder or are similarly experienced by families affected by other, non...

This summer marks the 10th year of the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, funded by the NIMH Conte Center for Translational Mental Health Research. The competitive 10-week summer program provides undergraduate students studying neuroscience, biology and psychology, among other fields, the opportunity to conduct hands-on, cutting-edge neuroscience research under the mentorship of clinical and basic...

The Department of Psychiatry is delighted to announce that Heather Joseph, DO, has joined the faculty at the rank of assistant professor. Dr. Joseph received her medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University in 2011. She then completed her residency in general psychiatry, as well as a child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship, at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. In 2016, she joined the...

Congratulations to Mary Amanda Dew, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical and Translational Science! Dr. Dew has been awarded the 2019 Bud Orgel Award for Distinguished Achievement in Research from the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions of psychologists to the advancement of research and...

Non-prescribed use of stimulant medications, such as Adderall®, by young adults is a growing problem, particularly among college students. It is often fueled by drug diversion, or the transfer of a legally prescribed medication to another person for illicit use. Among college students, stimulant use is frequently motivated by a desire to enhance academic performance or to use the drug recreationally. A team of...

Congratulations to Dr. Neeta Shenai, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, who was recently appointed Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship offered to medical students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The Psychiatry Clerkship provides third- and fourth-year medical students with the opportunity to work with patients in inpatient and ambulatory settings to develop and refine their skills in...