In the News

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

Tens of thousands of people arrive at the United States border each year seeking refuge from violence, torture and trafficking, but they often have

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has received a $10 million endowed gift to fund translational research, support clinical programs and create an endowed chair within the department.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Carissa Cascio, Ph.D., recently received national news coverage for her work on affective touch and autism. The story, titled "'I will feel actual rage.’ Unusual responses to kind touches could help explain autism traits," was originally covered in Spectrum News and picked up by Science Magazine. The article discusses findings from her lab and others.

Meghan Riddle, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and Bill Petrie, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, were invited to take part in Vanderbilt University's Alumni Speaker Series, themed "Looking in the Rearview Mirror." The two will present their talk, "Happiness in Life and Work: Reflections from Two Psychiatrists," on Sunday, Apr. 7, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Commons Center 235. Click here for more information on the lecture.