An article published in Newsweek January 15, 2020, describes the work of study co-author Sachin Patel, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Division of General Psychiatry.  From the article: Scientists have identified a molecule the brain that may help to protect the body from anxiety, and could help explain people's use of marijuana in times of stress.

"Persisting gaps in M-OUD coverage at post-discharge recovery houses necessitate our continued advocacy" Abstract

Learned fear responses enable animals — including humans — to flee or freeze in the face of a perceived threat.

Predoctoral Psychology intern Jolene Jacquart, M.A., and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Sonia Matwin, Ph.D., worked together on an intern-lead effort to promote resident training in psychotherapy. Jaquart's presentation was ranked among the top five posters at this year's Health Professions Education Research Day. This poster highlights the use of technology and standardized measurement to promote resident learning and practice of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Are older adults with cancer and Alzheimer’s more sensitive to pain? Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and The Ohio State University have been awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging to study the impact of cancer and co-occurring Alzheimer’s disease on pain perception.

Giovanni Billings, Psy.D., IMH-E®, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, hosted and interviewed Christopher Watson, Ph.D., IMH-E® (IV) Co-Director of the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities for the Inaugural statewide conference for the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN). The conference focused on "Nurturing a Culture of Relationship & Reflection in Practice and Programs" for systems serving infant care at the Scarritt Bennett Center.

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder, with patients exhibiting diverse clinical manifestations. Identifying pre-morbid factors that account for variability in schizophrenia is of interest to improve the identification of predisposed individuals and to provide more personalized, effective treatment. New research suggests childhood inhibited temperament may be a pre-morbid difference to target in preventative interventions.

As the percentage of U.S. adults older than 65 years continues to grow, so too does the need for preventing mental illness among older adults as well as improving clinical services and outcomes for older patients with psychiatric disorders. Psychiatry's obligation to treat this population, and an agenda for research and enhancement of clinical services, is outlined by Warren D. Taylor, M.D., M.H.Sc., James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Division of General Psychiatry, and Charles F.

On Aug. 1, Vanderbilt University Medical Center celebrated the opening of the Charlotte and Donald Test Jr.

The abnormal accumulation of proteins in the brain is a biological marker for Alzheimer’s disease, but the ways in which these proteins spread may help explain why the pr