The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry has presented Mary Ganguli, MBBS (MD), MPH, Professor of Psychiatry, Epidemiology, and Neurology, with the 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award during its annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on March 1st. Dr. Ganguli received the award in recognition of her many years of significant contributions to the field and her mentorship of successful junior researchers in the...

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a highly heritable mental illness in which affected individuals experience alternating periods of mania and depression. For more than 15 years, Pitt Department of Psychiatry researchers have been conducting longitudinal assessments of families with BD aimed at identifying the earliest signs of the disorder. The latest analysis of this neuroimaging data, recently published in the journal...

The University of Pittsburgh has presented Mary Phillips, MD, MD (CANTAB) with the 2019 Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award in honor of her outstanding record of research and academic activities in the field of psychiatric neuroscience. The University announced Dr. Phillips’ selection for the award at its annual Honors Convocation on February 22, 2019. As part of the award, Dr. Phillips will receive a cash...

Antipsychotic drugs are effective for psychotic symptoms but of limited utility for negative symptoms and general psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress). Some patients with schizophrenia are thought to experience an exacerbation of symptoms caused by an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and elevated levels of inflammatory proteins. These immune-inflammatory alterations may adversely...

The American College of Psychiatrists has presented Robert Sweet, MD with the Award for Research in Geriatric Psychiatry for his major contributions to the field. Dr. Sweet, UPMC Endowed Professor in Psychiatric Neuroscience and Professor of Neurology and Clinical and Translational Science, is recognized internationally for his investigation of the mechanisms which lead to the generation of psychotic symptoms that...

Adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior have shown dramatic increases in the past decade, making suicide the second leading cause of death in this age group. The standard practice is to hospitalize adolescents at highest imminent risk for a suicide attempt, but the risk for suicidal behavior is highest within the first three weeks after discharge. Currently there are no interventions designed to decrease the risk...

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics Abigail Schlesinger, MD, has dedicated her career to providing behavioral health services to children and adolescents. A gifted clinician educator and administrator, Dr. Schlesinger is currently Medical Director of Ambulatory Integrated Behavioral Health Service at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She is also Chief of the Behavioral Science Division and Children’s...

Schizophrenia is a challenging mental illness characterized by psychosis, cognitive deficits and other symptoms such as disorganized speech, difficulty showing emotion, and lack of motivation. People with schizophrenia, including those suffering their first psychotic break, known as a first episode of psychosis (FEP), also frequently experience sleep disturbances such as having a hard time falling and staying...

Why do adolescents engage in risky behavior? Scientists believe that the reason may stem from brain changes that occur during this period, including increased activity in certain regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system. The mesolimbic system connects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens, forming a reward pathway that enhances motivation in adolescents. In adolescent rodents and humans...

Early exposure to cutting-edge research and hands-on experiences in laboratories is crucial to preparing the next generation of physician-scientists for successful careers in psychiatric neuroscience research. It also can lead to transformative discoveries that ultimately improve the lives of individuals with mental illness. The Department of Psychiatry is an international leader in helping young scientists learn...