University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Promotes Brian Thoma, PhD, to Associate Professor of Psychiatry
We are pleased to announce that Brian Thoma, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Thoma graduated from the University of Utah with his PhD in clinical psychology, having completed a clinical internship at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). He remained in Pittsburgh for postdoctoral research training with the Department’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded T32 program in child and adolescent mental health research. Dr. Thoma joined the Pitt faculty in 2019 as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry.
Dr. Thoma’s research has focused on the mental and behavioral health of sexual minority populations, with emphasis on issues such as disparities in suicidality and factors contributing to suicidal behavior among sexual minority youth, and the ways that gender, sexual orientation, racial, and ethnic identities in combination are related to mental health inequities. Dr. Thoma uses a methodologically sophisticated research approach that includes techniques from fields including clinical neuroscience, developmental psychopathology, child and adolescent psychiatry, and epidemiology.
Dr. Thoma leads a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities R01 grant focused on psychosocial predictors of risk for suicidal behavior among gender minority adolescents, a longitudinal study intended to provide critical evidence to more accurately predict which gender minority adolescents have high risk for suicidal behavior as well as to identify novel intervention targets to reduce high rates of suicidal behavior among this population. In addition, Dr. Thoma is the principal investigator of an NIMH R21 grant investigating gender nonconformity and early risk for suicidal behavior in pre-adolescents. He also collaborates as co-investigator on grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Thoma’s previous grant support includes an NIMH K01 career development award, an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Young Investigator Innovation Grant, and a research award from The Pittsburgh Foundation. He has published his research in top journals, has been invited to present his work across the University of Pittsburgh and at multiple external organizations and institutions, and has reviewed grants for the NIH. Dr. Thoma additionally served as a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration consultant for a guidebook for treatment of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts among youth.
Dr. Thoma has taught medical students, postdoctoral scholars, clinical psychology interns, residents, and graduate students, and has provided lectures in the Departments of Psychology, Epidemiology, and at the School of Public Health. He has served as a clinical supervisor, research mentor, comprehensive exam committee member, dissertation committee member, and honors thesis committee member. Dr. Thoma serves on the training committees of the Department’s T32 training program in child and adolescent psychiatry, and the Clinical Psychology Internship Program. A superb research mentor and clinical supervisor, he is one of the Internship Program’s most highly sought-after longitudinal clinical supervisors.
“Dr. Thoma is an outstanding clinical psychological scientist and thought leader who has demonstrated his unwavering dedication to enhancing mental health among underserved populations who face exceptionally high rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. He has built a distinctive, rigorous, and methodologically sophisticated research program, is an outstanding teacher and clinical supervisor, as well as a highly valued mentor and an exemplary citizen of the scientific community,” said David Lewis, MD (Chair, Department of Psychiatry).
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Thoma!