Although reproductive hormones are implicated in cerebral small vessel disease in women, few studies consider measured hormones in relation to white matter hyperintensity volume, a key indicator of cerebral small vessel disease linked to future risk for stroke, dementia, and mortality. Studies of hormones and the brain in women typically focus on estradiol, the main ovarian estrogen. However, hallmark changes of...

We are pleased to announce that Nadine Melhem, PhD, has been promoted to Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Melhem earned her PhD in psychiatric epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She has dedicated her research career to improving our understanding of the risk for psychiatric disorders in children who have experienced trauma or...

A new study published in PNAS by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers describes how two personality traits, callousness and exploitativeness, are related to the way humans learn to cooperate in interpersonal relationships, and how this learning unfolds in the brain. The study represents an important step toward understanding whether differences in the way we learn from others impact the types of...

We are delighted to announce that Oliver Lindhiem, PhD, has received conferral of tenure at the rank of associate professor by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Lindhiem is nationally and internationally recognized in the field of child psychiatry for the development of parenting-based interventions to prevent and treat childhood disruptive behavior disorders. He employs advanced technological and statistical...

Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. Proper function of the prefrontal cortex is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. The activity of the prefrontal cortex is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, a...

We are pleased to announce that Adriane Soehner, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Soehner earned her PhD in clinical science from the University of California, Berkeley, having completed a clinical psychology internship at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She then conducted postdoctoral research training in the Department’s...

Identifying biomarkers that can predict future drug use may open new avenues for individualized medicine in preventing and treating substance use disorders. Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neuron activity is an integral component of rapid eye movement sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep powerfully regulates the formation and modification of emotional memories. Following cocaine self-administration and...

Daniel Buysse, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science, and UPMC Endowed Chair in Sleep Medicine), is an internationally recognized expert in sleep medicine research, specializing in the diagnosis, assessment, pathophysiology, and treatment of insomnia. In a recent Clinical Practice article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Buysse reviewed the...

We are pleased to announce that Erika Forbes, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology), has been elected to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) Scientific Council. The BBRF is the top non-governmental funder of mental health research grants. The Scientific Council reviews and selects the most promising research proposals with the greatest potential to lead to breakthroughs in mental...

Compulsive behaviors are a hallmark symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Striatal hyperactivity has been linked to compulsive behavior generation in humans and rodents. However, the contribution of the two distinct striatal output populations to the generation and treatment of compulsive behavior is unknown. These populations of direct and indirect pathway-projecting spiny projection neurons have...