Pitt Psychiatry
@psychiatry.pitt.edu
Pitt Psychiatry provides superb behavioral health services, innovative research & outstanding training. Named a US News & World Report Best Psychiatry Program | psychiatry.pitt.edu
Congratulations to Max Joffe, PhD, who has been promoted to Associate Professor! Dr. Joffe investigates the relationship between prefrontal cortex functions and behaviors related to alcohol and substance use disorders. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/max-joffe-ph...
Congratulations to Thomas Karikari, PhD, who has received the Millennium Excellence Award, which recognizes extraordinary individuals of African heritage and those who have rendered outstanding service to Africa and the global African community. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/thomas-karik...
Congratulations to Holly Swartz, MD, who received the ISIPT Klerman and Weissman Award for Excellence in Outreach, Teaching, and Dissemination! Dr. Swartz is an expert in optimizing psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments for mood disorders. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/holly-swartz...
Welcome to three new clinical faculty members, Morgan Ball, MD; Christopher Hensler, MD; and Alexis McCathern, MD! Meet them here: www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/introducing-...
Congrats to Brian Thoma, PhD, who has been promoted to Associate Professor! Dr. Thoma focuses on the mental health of sexual minority populations, with emphasis on issues such as disparities in suicidality and factors contributing to suicidal behavior. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/university-p...
Recent review articles from the Department of Psychiatry have examined the association between sleep and substance use and sex differences in affective disorders in adolescents. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/pitt-psychia...
Congratulations to Zachary Freyberg, MD, PhD, who has received the Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Award. The award recognizes innovative research projects that advance our understanding of Parkinson’s disease through groundbreaking or unconventional ideas. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/zachary-frey...
Recent research published in Alzheimer's & Dementia from Anne Cohen, PhD, and Victor Villemagne, MD, advance our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease pathology and progression. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/recent-resea...
Congratulations to Meredith Wallace, PhD, who has been promoted to professor! Dr. Wallace is an exceptionally innovative biostatistician, as well as a leader in the field of multidimensional sleep health. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/university-p...
Congratulations to Stephanie Stepp, PhD, who has received conferral of tenure from the University of Pittsburgh! Dr. Stepp is an internationally recognized expert on the developmental psychopathology of borderline personality disorder. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/university-p...
A study recently published in Nature Communications reported findings that suggest that developmental changes in dopamine-related brain systems may help explain why some adolescents are more likely to experiment with substances. Read: www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/nature-commu...
Congrats to Melanie Grubisha, MD, PhD, who has been promoted! Dr. Grubisha investigates the molecular underpinnings of psychiatric and neurological disease by working to identify the molecular pathways responsible for development across adolescence. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/university-p...
Congratulations to David Lewis, MD, who has received the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN) Ariëns Kapper Medal. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the field of neuroscience and was presented by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Please join us in welcoming our new class of PGY1 residents in General Psychiatry, General and Child, Family Medicine and Psychiatry, and Triple Board tracks! www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/meet-our-202...
Congratulations to the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Resident and Fellow Class of 2026! www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/congratulati...
New Research in AJP analyzes the somatostatin and parvalbumin interneuron subtypes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/american-jou...
Congratulations to Priyanka Amin, MD, who has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry! Dr. Amin is a skilled emergency psychiatrist and a nationally recognized leader and expert in healthcare quality and safety. bit.ly/4ed8ZJk
Congrats to Julia Feldman, PhD; Rayan Mroué, MD; & Andréia Rocha, PhD, who received Best Poster Awards from the Pitt Postdoc Association. Congrats to Marina Scop Medeiros, MD, who received a People’s Choice Award & Kristine Wilckens, PhD, received the 2026 Postdoctoral Mentor Award! bit.ly/4unmWdy
Recent research in JAMA Pediatrics from Brant Hasler, PhD, and Meredith Wallace, PhD, advance our understanding of the association between sleep, circadian rhythm, and sleep outcomes in young people. bit.ly/4vBMhlf
Recent news from the Pascoal Lab (Principal Investigator: Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD) includes impactful new research published in The Lancet, membership with the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry A.E. Bennett Award. bit.ly/4xdfMvf
The STAR-Center is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program designed to combat the problem of child & adolescent suicide. The 2026 annual conference addressed the theme Artificial Intelligence + Human Connection. bit.ly/4flWkGa
Congratulations to Akiko Mizuno, PhD, who has been promoted to Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry! Dr. Mizuno’s research is aimed at identifying mental processes and neural mechanisms underlying cognitive decline. bit.ly/4tPkbli
Pitt Psychiatry investigators have recently published papers in Neuropsychopharmacology reporting findings on biomarkers for suicidal behavior, as well as on harm avoidance in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder: bit.ly/43htgs2
Congratulations to Heather Joseph, DO, who has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry! Dr. Joseph’s research focuses on the identification of early cognitive, behavioral, and neural indicators of ADHD risk in infancy and early childhood. bit.ly/49wBW1i
In a paper published in JAMA Psychiatry, investigators reported that a randomized clinical trial provided causal evidence that intermittent TBS over the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex enhanced the translation of expectancies into mood. bit.ly/49OTZjj
At #SOBP2026, Pitt Psychiatry picked up a few awards! Congratulations to Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD (A.E. Bennett Clinical/Translational Research Award); and Manan Arora, MD; Thomas Kraynak, PhD; Manivel Rengasamy, MD; and Cecilia Westbrook, MD, PhD, who received travel awards! bit.ly/4trZFqs
Congratulations to Marie Anne Gebara, MD, who has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry! Dr. Gebara is an expert in geriatric and interventional psychiatry and serves as medical director of ketamine services at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. bit.ly/4eBfgk0
Congratulations to Sarah Pedersen, PhD, who has recently been selected for the prestigious Research Society on Alcohol Dora Goldstein Distinguished in the Sciences Award, as well as a 2026 Pitt Scientist Well-being Award! bit.ly/4cRHeXq
