Psychiatry Grand Rounds 9/25 | Case Conference CAP Psychiatry
Sharee N. Light, PhD
Sharee
N.
Light
PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
sharee.light@vumc.org
Dr. Light received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed post-doctoral training in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Clinical Interests
Clinical neuropsychological and psychological evaluation of adults with an emphasis on changes in positive affectivity, social cognition, and executive function associated with neurological disorders (such as dementia, demyelinating diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury) and/or psychological disorders (such as Major Depressive Disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia); and improving the assessment of affective states during the course of the traditional clinical neuropsychological assessment.
Research Interests
Research interests: Affective neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology; particularly the role of the prefrontal cortex in modulating emotional experience with foci on positively valenced emotions such as joy and social-cognitive emotions such as empathy; study of anhedonia as a transdiagnostic symptom-as it cuts across several disorders including Major Depressive Disorder, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and some forms of dementia. Neuroimaging tools used to carry out this research include fMRI, rTMS, EEG, and EMG.
Recent Publications:
1. Mirabito, G., Taiwo, Z., Bezdek, M. & Light, S.N. (2019). Fronto-striatal activity predicts anhedonia and positive empathy subtypes. Brain Imaging and Behavior, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-019-00081-z.
2. Light, S.N., Bieliauskas, L.A., & Taylor, S. (2019). Measuring change in anhedonia using the "Happy Faces Task" pre- to post- rTMS treatment in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Translational Psychiatry, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-019-0549-8.
3. Light, S.N. (2019). The heterogeneity of empathy: Possible treatment for anhedonia? Frontiers Psychiatry, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00185.
4. Light, S.N., Moran, Z.D., Zahn-Waxler, C. & Davidson, R.J. (2019). The measurement of positive forms of empathy and their relation to hedonic capacity & other depressive symptomatology. Frontiers Psychology, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00815.
5. Taiwo, Z., Bezdek, M., Mirabito, G. & Light, S.N. (2020). Empathy for joy recruits a broader prefrontal network than empathy for sadness and is predicted by executive functioning. Neuropsychology, in press.
Sarah M. Szymkowicz, PhD, ABPP
Sarah
M.
Szymkowicz
PhD, ABPP
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Division of Psychology
Sarah M. Szymkowicz, PhD, ABPP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She earned her PhD in Clinical & Health Psychology from the University of Florida and completed her clinical psychology / neuropsychology internship at the Tampa VA and postdoctoral residency / fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Szymkowicz is board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology.
Dr. Szymkowicz is currently the faculty advisor for the Association of Neuropsychology Students in Training (ANST) Aging Focus Group and was a previous Early Career Psychologist Leadership Development Fellow for the Tennessee Psychological Association (TPA).
Dr. Szymkowicz investigates the underlying cognitive and neural correlates of emotion processing and neuropsychiatric symptoms in healthy aging and neuropsychiatric conditions (such as late-life depression and Parkinson's disease).
Her current work focuses on using non-pharmacological approaches to improve cognition in late-life depression. See www.vumc.org/laci/cog-d-study
For a list of publications, please see: www.researchgate.net/profile/Sarah_Szymkowicz
Representative Publications
Szymkowicz, S. M.*, Gerlach, A. R.*, Homiack, D., & Taylor, W. D. (2023). Biological factors influencing depression in later life: Role of aging processes and treatment implications. Translational Psychiatry, 13, 160. doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02464-9. *Denotes co-first authors.
Szymkowicz, S. M., Ryan, C., Elson, D. M., Kang, H., & Taylor, W. D. (2023). Cognitive phenotypes in late-life depression. International Psychogeriatrics, 35(4), 193-205. doi: 10.1017/S1041610222000515.
Szymkowicz, S. M., Taylor, W. D., & Woods, A. J. (2022). Augmenting cognitive training with bifrontal tDCS decreases subclinical depressive symptoms in older adults: Preliminary findings. Brain Stimulation, 15, 1037-1039. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.07.05.
Szymkowicz, S. M., Jones, J. D., Timblin, H., Ryczek, C. A., Taylor, W. D., & May, P. E. (2022). Apathy as a within-person mediator of depressive symptoms and cognition in Parkinson’s disease: Longitudinal mediation analyses. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(6), 664-674. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2021.11.007.
sarah.szymkowicz@vumc.org
Dr. Szymkowicz sees referrals for outpatient adult and geriatric neuropsychological evaluations for a range of neurological, psychiatric, and medical conditions. She has special interests in depression, memory and movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, and cognitive functioning in the context of complex medical conditions (including end-stage organ failure).
Christman, Taylor article published in Translational Psychiatry
Fourth-year resident in General Psychiatry Seth Christman, MD, and James G Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Warren Taylor, MD, MHSc, recently published the article "Accelerated brain aging predicts impaired cognitive performance and greater disability in geriatric but not midlife adult depression" in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Article on psychosis in youth published in American Journal of Psychiatry
Several Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty recently contributed to a new published article in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The article, "Thalamic Nuclei Volumes in Psychotic Disorders and in Youths with Psychosis Spectrum Disorders," was produced by Anna S. Huang, Ph.D., Baxter P. Rogers, Ph.D., Julia M. Sheffield, Ph.D., Maria E. Jalbrzikowski, Ph.D., Alan Anticevic, Ph.D., Jennifer Urbano Blackford, Ph.D., Stephan Heckers, M.D., and Neil D. Woodward, Ph.D.
McHugo heads paper on early psychosis published in Translational Psychiatry
Maureen McHugo, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, was lead author on a new article published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "Hippocampal volume in early psychosis: a 2-year longitudinal study" was created by Hugo as well as fellow Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty and staff members Kristan Armstrong, LMSW; Maxwell J. Roeske; Neil D. Woodward, Ph.D.; Jennifer Blackford, Ph.D.; and Stephan Heckers, M.D., MSc.
Representative Publications from Addiction Division Faculty and Trainees
2019
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Centanni SW, Bedse G, Patel S, Winder DG. Driving the Downward Spiral: Alcohol-Induced Dysregulation of Extended Amygdala Circuits and Negative Affect. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research. 2019 Dec;43(43). 2000-2013. NIHMSID: NIHMS1045978.
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Bedse G, Centanni SW, Winder DG, Patel S. Endocannabinoid Signaling in the Central Amygdala and Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis: Implications for the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research. 2019 Dec;43(43). 2014-2027. NIHMSID: NIHMS1044327.
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Patrick SW, Buntin MB, Martin PR, Scott TA, Dupont W, Richards M, Cooper WO. Barriers to accessing treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorder in Appalachian states. Substance abuse. 40(40). 356-362.
2018
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Kaltenbach K, O'Grady KE, Heil SH, Salisbury AL, Coyle MG, Fischer G, Martin PR, Stine S, Jones HE. Prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine: Early childhood developmental outcomes. Drug and alcohol dependence. 2018 Dec 1;185(185). 40-49. NIHMSID: NIHMS939455.
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Cooper WO, Martinez W, Domenico HJ, Callahan ST, Kirkby BP, Finlayson AJR, Foster JJ, Johnson TM, Longo FM, Merrill DG, Jacobs ML, Pichert JW, Catron TF, Moore IN, Webb LE, Karrass J, Hickson GB. Unsolicited Patient Complaints Identify Physicians with Evidence of Neurocognitive Disorders. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2018 Dec;26(26). 927-936.
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Johnson S, Martin PR. Transitioning from methadone to buprenorphine maintenance in management of opioid use disorder during pregnancy. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. 44(44). 310-316.
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Hill MN, Campolongo P, Yehuda R, Patel S. Integrating Endocannabinoid Signaling and Cannabinoids into the Biology and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Jan;43(43). 80-102.
2017
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Gorodetzky CW, Walsh SL, Martin PR, Saxon AJ, Gullo KL, Biswas K. A phase III, randomized, multi-center, double blind, placebo controlled study of safety and efficacy of lofexidine for relief of symptoms in individuals undergoing inpatient opioid withdrawal. Drug and alcohol dependence. 2017 Dec 1;176(176). 79-88.
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Bluett RJ, Báldi R, Haymer A, Gaulden AD, Hartley ND, Parrish WP, Baechle J, Marcus DJ, Mardam-Bey R, Shonesy BC, Uddin MJ, Marnett LJ, Mackie K, Colbran RJ, Winder DG, Patel S. Endocannabinoid signalling modulates susceptibility to traumatic stress exposure. Nature communications. 2017 Dec;8(8). 14782 p.
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Patel S, Hill MN, Cheer JF, Wotjak CT, Holmes A. The endocannabinoid system as a target for novel anxiolytic drugs. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. 2017 Dec;76(76). 56-66. NIHMSID: NIHMS843439.
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Bedse G, Hartley ND, Neale E, Gaulden AD, Patrick TA, Kingsley PJ, Uddin MJ, Plath N, Marnett LJ, Patel S. Functional Redundancy Between Canonical Endocannabinoid Signaling Systems in the Modulation of Anxiety. Biological psychiatry. 2017 Oct 1;82(82). 488-499. NIHMSID: NIHMS860004.
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Patel S, Williams JW, Wallace RB. What We Do (and Don't) Know About the Health Effects of Cannabis and Whether Marijuana Is Medicine. Annals of internal medicine. 2017 May 16;166(166). 747-748.
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Piomelli D, Cooper Z, Abrams D, Grant I, Patel S. A Guide to the National Academy of Science Report on Cannabis: An Exclusive Discussion with Panel Members. Cannabis and cannabinoid research. 2(2). 155-159.
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Marcovitz D, Cristello JV, Kelly JF. Alcoholics Anonymous and other mutual help organizations: Impact of a 45-minute didactic for primary care and categorical internal medicine residents. Substance abuse. 38(38). 183-190.
2016
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Gamble-George JC, Baldi R, Halladay L, Kocharian A, Hartley N, Silva CG, Roberts H, Haymer A, Marnett LJ, Holmes A, Patel S. Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition reduces stress-induced affective pathology. ELife. 2016 Dec 10;5(5).
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Marcovitz DE, McHugh RK, Volpe J, Votaw V, Connery HS. Predictors of early dropout in outpatient buprenorphine/naloxone treatment. The American journal on addictions. 2016 Dec;25(25). 472-7. NIHMSID: NIHMS812898.
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Finlayson AJ, Iannelli RJ, Brown KP, Neufeld RE, DuPont RL, Campbell MD. Re: physician suicide and physician health programs. General hospital psychiatry. 40(40). 84-5.
2015
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Martin PR, Finlayson AJ. Opioid use disorder during pregnancy in Tennessee: expediency vs. science. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. 41(41). 367-70.
Margaret Achee
Margaret
Achee
PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Division of Psychology
margaret.achee@vumc.org
Graduate School: University of Tulsa
Post Doctorate Track: Psychotic Disorders Track
Clinical Interests: First episode psychosis, Promoting recovery and resilience in individuals with psychosis, Intersection of trauma, substance use, and psychosis.
Tyler Toledo
Tyler
Toledo
Ph.D.
Post-Doctorate Fellow
Graduate School: University of Tulsa
Internship: University of Washington, School of Medicine - Harborview Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Chronic Pain, Emotion Regulation, Coping with Chronic Illness