In the News

Kimberly Brown, Ph.D. ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, was recently invited to serve on the next term of the National American Psychological Association's Council of Specialties.  The appointment is from 2016 to 2019.   Brown also received board certification in Forensic Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

Jeffrey Stovall, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, was recently interviewed by Psychiatric News about his experience working with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) in New Orleans, LA, following Hurricane Katrina.  August 2015 marks 10 years since the Category-5 hurricane damaged and/or destroyed vast swaths of the coastal city.

Monicah Muhomba, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, recently received an American Psychological Association, Division 17, SCUCC 2015 Outstanding Contribution to Counseling Center Work Award due to the depth and breadth of her work as a counseling center professional and the cutting-edge nature of the data-driven Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) program at the Vanderbilt University Psychological & Counseling Center.

Michael G. Tramontana, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pediatrics, was recently awarded funding from Shire Pharmaceuticals for an investigator-initiated research proposal entitled, "Treatment Outcomes with Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate (Vyvanse) in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Attention Deficits."  It will be a two-year study that will extend and refine the work of a previous clinical  trial led by Dr. Tramontana that dealt primarily with adults (published in Brain Injury, 2014, 28 (11), 1461-1472).

A.J. Reid Finlayson, M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, was the lead author of a paper titled "Professional Sexual Misconduct: The Role of the Polygraph in Independent Comprehensive Evaluation," soon to be published by the Journal of Medical Regulation. Kimberly Brown, Ph.D., ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, is listed as second author of the paper.

Difficulty decoding sounds distinguishes children with autism from those with sensory processing disorder (SPD), a catch-all label for sensory abnormalities. The results, published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, suggest that among children with sensory problems, the exact nature of the sensory problem determines the diagnosis. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Carissa Cascio, who was not involved in the study, was interviewed.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Carissa Cascio, Ph.D., served as first author on a paper published in Brain Topography: A Journal of Cerebral Function & Dynamics. The paper, "Somatosensory Event-Related Potentials and Association with Tactile Behavioral Responsiveness Patterns in Children with ASD," refutes a popular (but untested) theory of sensory disturbances in autism, namely that behavioral hypo-responsiveness and hyper-responsiveness are both reactions to “overwhelming” sensory input.

Reduced sounds, brighter lights, and an opportunity to learn about the show ahead of time make plays a more pleasant experience for those with autism. But the most important thing is a non-judgmental environment. Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, is mentioned for her research on the effects of a theater-based form of therapy for children with autism.

Michael G. Tramontana, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pediatrics, recently had research published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease. Tramontana was lead author on the research report "Neuropsychological Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation in Subjects with Early Stage Parkinson's Disease in a Randomized Clinical Trial." The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of DBS on neuropsychological functioning in subjects with early stage Parkinson's disease.