Year in Review: 2022

A Note from Psychiatry Leadership

At the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry, we excel in our mission to:

Provide superb behavioral health services to our patients and their families;
Pursue the development of better diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions through innovative research;
Provide a stimulating learning environment for medical and graduate students, residents, psychology interns, and postdoctoral fellows.

Our success in each of these areas is dependent upon an interactive community of clinicians, scientists and educators who bring diversity in background, experience, expertise and perspective to our mission.

An essential partner in this work is UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, a national leader in innovative treatment of mental health and addiction disorders. Moreover, our preeminent academic faculty of more than 240 members trained in multiple basic and clinical science disciplines is at the heart of our success in providing superior behavioral health care and in training the next generation of innovative researchers and clinicians.

We hope that you will explore our “Year in Review 2022” to learn more about our outstanding faculty, education and training opportunities, research, and other programs and initiatives that are transforming the science and practice of psychiatry and hope you'll consider voting for UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in the upcoming U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" survey.

David A. Lewis, MD
Chair of the Department of Psychiatry
Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Thomas Detre Professor of Academic Psychiatry
Director of the Translational Neuroscience Program at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Director and Director of Research at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

Kenneth C. Nash, MD
Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Psychiatry
Professor of Pediatrics and Neurological Surgery

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Recognized as High Performing in Psychiatry

Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is proud to be nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report for excellence in psychiatry.

Research Highlights

Department News Highlights

Pitt Psychiatry was awarded a $16.2M National Institute of Mental Health Center grant focused on addressing adolescent suicide, with a focus on Black and Hispanic youth.
Pitt Psychiatry was awarded a $33.5M National Institute on Aging Program Project grant focused on the pathological and clinical progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Pitt Psychiatry was awarded a $11.5M National Institute of Mental Health Center grant focused on investigating emotional and mental health in autistic adults.
Martica Hall, PhD, and Daniel Buysse, MD, were honored by the American Psychosomatic Society.
Victor Villemagne, MD, was selected for the 2022 Aging Mind Foundation Award.
Robert Sweet, MD, was honored for Excellence in Mentorship by the American Psychiatric Association.
David Brent, MD, was honored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with the Lifetime Achievement Research Award.
Priya Gopalan, MD, received the 2022 Association for Academic Psychiatry Roberts Award for Mentorship.
Meredith Spada, MD, received the 2022 Association for Academic Psychiatry (AAP) Early Career Development Award, which recognizes promising early-career faculty and provides them with resources to further their academic teaching careers.

Boris Birmaher, MD, has been honored with two major prizes in the field of psychiatry: the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research, and the Institute of Living’s 2022 C. Charles Burlingame Award.

Conferences, Symposia, and Events

'Psychiatry Advances' Podcast Episodes

Psycho-Oncology Center for Counseling and Cancer Support
Robin Valpey, MD, and Elizabeth Hale, MD, discuss the mental health care available for cancer patients and their loved ones from the beginning of treatment onward. They also discuss the role of psychiatrists in the comprehensive cancer care that UPMC provides.
Treating Behavioral Manifestations Of Neurological Illness
Morgan Faeder MD, PhD, and Alex Israel, MD, describe the integrated care at UPMC and Pitt between the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology.
University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry Is Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sarah Pederson, PhD; Paul Pikonis, PhD; Piper Carroll, MD; and César Escobar-Viera, MD, PhD offer brief presentations and discuss the importance of DEI. They discuss linking the Department of Psychiatry to the Pittsburgh community, the psychiatry residency training curriculum, departmental surveys, and LGBTQ+ health matters.
Enhancing the Diagnosis for ADHD-Hyperactivity-By Mobile Sensing
Oliver Lindhiem, PhD, is an expert in childhood diagnosis of behavioral disorders. He discusses ADHD-Hyperactive presentation and the business development of this needed mobile device for potential wide distribution.
Circadian Rhythms, What are They? How Do These Affect Psychiatric and Other Diseases
Colleen McClung, PhD, discusses circadian rhythms and offers new approaches for effective treatment.

UPMC Physician Journal

Finding New Treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Meet the UPMC team behind the award-winning research investigating the link between molecular changes in the brain and psychiatric illness and learn about the discoveries that could lead to novel treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Continuing Medical Education Courses

Therapy for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia
In this CME presentation, Crystal White, MD, explains how to implement an appropriate medical and behavioral evaluation before prescribing for behavior symptoms of dementia.
Bedside Assessment of Executive Dysfunction
In this CME presentation, James Tew, MD, discusses frontal behavioral changes in patients with executive dysfunction and provides examples of applicable bedside assessment tools.
Monitoring for Clozapine Toxicity with a Focus on COVID-19 Infection
In this CME presentation, K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD, and Jane Thomas, BSN, RN-BC, discuss the effectiveness of clozapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and the importance of retaining patients who respond well to clozapine by managing expected side effects, drug-drug interactions, and the impact of infections including COVID-19.

Year in Review: 2022

A Note from Psychiatry Leadership

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Recognized as High Performing in Psychiatry

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Year in Review: 2022

A Note from Psychiatry Leadership

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Recognized as High Performing in Psychiatry

Stay Connected

Follow Us