Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Cheryl Cobb, MD

Cheryl

Cobb

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Executive Medical Director, Outpatient Services

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Village at Vanderbilt

1500 21st Ave South, Suite 2200

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

cheryl.cobb@vumc.org

Dr. Cobb treats a wide variety of mental health concerns in Children and Adolescents, primarily in the outpatient setting. She is particularly interested in the treatment of adolescents with severe mood disorders, systems of mental healthcare, and the role of Health Informatics in Psychiatry. She supervises the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows in their Community Mental Health and School-Based Psychiatry Rotations.

Molly Butler, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Molly

Butler

MSN, PMHNP-BC

Assistant in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

APRN Lead

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Village at Vanderbilt

1500 21st Ave South, Suite 2200

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

molly.e.butler@vumc.org

Molly is a Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who has been with the department since 2007 and joined the faculty in 2009. She received both her Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt. She practices at our Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic, is a member of the pediatric consultation-liaison team at Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital and serves as the program director for the statewide Psychotropic Medication Oversight Program and as a consulting psychiatric provider at the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence for children in state custody.

Margaret Benningfield, MD, MSc

Margaret

Benningfield

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Director

Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Village at Vanderbilt

1500 21st Ave South, Suite 2200

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

Dr. Benningfield is a Child Psychiatrist whose primary interest lies in early intervention and prevention of mental illness including substance use disorders.

This work has used functional MRI to examine neurobiological factors related to vulnerability for addiction including impulsivity, risk taking and reward processing. Impulsivity and risk taking are both determinants and consequences of persistent substance use. Reward mechanisms are fundamental to facilitating the learning processes that mediate drug dependence. Understanding the neurobiology related to reward processing, impulsivity, and risk taking in adolescents and how these factors relate to one another is essential for informing prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

Dr. Benningfield is also interested in how early interventions, like those implemented in our school based mental health program, impact substance use trajectories in youth with psychiatric illness.

margaret.m.benningfield@vumc.org

Acute care for children and adolescents including inpatient, partial hospital, and emergency settings; integration of behavioral health in pediatric primary care; impact of developmental trauma on family systems

Dr. Meg Benningfield is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Human Development in Peabody College. She serves as Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Benningfield is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and pursued clinical training in psychiatry at Harvard where she completed residency in General Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospitals and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital. In 2008, she joined the faculty at Vanderbilt where she has pursued an academic career balanced between research, education, and clinical practice with a focus in prevention of addiction.

Mariah Smith, MD

Mariah

Smith

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Director of the Executive Wellness and Concierge Medicine-Behavioral Health Practice

Physician-lead, Dual Diagnosis Intensive Outpatient Program

Division of Addiction Psychiatry

Dr. Mariah Smith completed her General Psychiatry training at New York Medical College and received her Addiction Psychiatry fellowship training at New York University School of Medicine. She has been on faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center since 2019 as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Smith is the Director of the Executive Wellness and Concierge Medicine-Behavioral Health Practice. In addition, she is the Physician-Lead for the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Co-Occurring Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), as well as provides clinical services at the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital’s outpatient psychiatry dual diagnosis clinic services and teaching clinics. She is passionate about integrating substance use treatment and fully assessing mental health symptoms to provide complete treatment for an integrated approach to care. Dr. Smith is from California and New York City, enjoys spending her free time outdoors, traveling and cooking. She has two pets, a cat named Sergeant Pepper and an Irish Wolfhound named Major Muffin.

Education

MD, St. George University Medical School

BA, University of Arizona

Postgraduate Training

Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry, New York University

Residency in General Psychiatry, New York Medical College

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

mariah.smith@vumc.org

David Marcovitz, MD

David

Marcovitz

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Division of Addiction Psychiatry

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

Select publications

Marcovitz D, McHugh RK, Roos C, West J, Kelly J. Overlapping Mechanisms of Recovery between Professional Psychotherapies and Alcoholics Anonymous: A review. Journal of Addiction Medicine. Feb 2020.

Marcovitz D, Sullivan W, Cobb C. The Need for Biochemical Testing for Alcohol in Integrated Addiction Treatment Settings During the Opioid Epidemic. Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2020.

Marcovitz D, Pettapiece-Phillips, M, Kast K, White K, Himeloch H, Audet C. Implementation of a Hub-and-Spoke Partnership for Opioid Use Disorder in a Medicaid Non-Expansion State. Psychiatric Services. 2021.

Marcovitz D, Suzuki, J. Comfort in Setting Limits with Controlled Substances – the Role of Motivational Interviewing Skills. JAMA Psychiatry. February 2022.

Marcovitz D, Kast K. More Effective Communication in Inpatient Addiction Treatment. Substance Abuse Journal. February 2023.

Marcovitz D, Dear ML, Donald R, Edwards D, Kast K, Le T, et al. Effect of a Co-Located Bridging Recovery Initiative on Hospital Length of Stay Among Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: The BRIDGE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. February 2024.

Select Presentations

Best Practices in Addiction Psychiatry Education. Workshop Presenter. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Annual Meeting. 2016.

Outcome Measures in Addiction Psychiatry. Workshop Presenter and Chair. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Annual Meeting. 2019-2021

Value-Based Care in Addiction Psychiatry. Workshop Presenter. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Annual Meeting. 2022.

A full list of publications and presentations is available upon request.

david.marcovitz@vumc.org

Dr. David Marcovitz is a board-certified general and addiction psychiatrist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he is an Associate Profession of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He helped launch the Vanderbilt University Hospital Addiction Consult Service and transitional outpatient Bridge Clinic at VUMC. He also serves as the Principal Investigator for the state-funded Middle TN Opioid Addiction Treatment Hub at Vanderbilt. While completing his addiction psychiatry fellowship at Partners Healthcare / Harvard Medical School, he also worked as a staff psychiatrist receiving additional mentored training in collaborative care in the IMPACT Model at Partners Healthcare in Boston, MA. He is an experienced educator, delivering formal and informal didactics on various addiction-related topics to medical students, residents, fellows and colleagues. He has served as the senior trainer for Tennessee supporting the federally-funded Opioid Response Network to help build addiction treatment capacity across TN. Dr. Marcovitz’ teaching at the regional and national level has focused on models of collaborative care with internal medicine and other specialties and disciplines in addiction treatment in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. He has also presented at national meetings on novel teaching methods and outcome measures in addiction psychiatry. He has published on addiction education methods as well as research at the intersection of treatment of opioid addiction and community mutual help. Dr. Marcovitz serves on the board of directors for the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP).

In addition to being board-certified in general and addiction psychiatry, Dr. Marcovitz has received additional training in couples and family interventions for patients affected by addiction and other co-occurring disorders. Specifically, he has been trained in the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) model pioneered by Dr. Robert Meyers and in Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) based on the work of Sue Johnston. He also employs eclectic methods in his interventions informed by training in psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral interventions, 12-Step related modalities, and cognitive therapies. He believes strongly in the importance of integration of the patient’s network into the treatment program and understands there are multiple paths to recovery.

Dr. Marcovitz has served as an expert witness and provided forensic consultation in numerous civil and criminal legal proceedings.

Education

M.D., Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

B.A., Princeton University

Postgraduate Training

-Intern in Internal Medicine, Newton Wellesley Hospital

-Resident in Adult Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital / McLean Psychiatry Residency at Harvard Medical School

-Fellow in Addiction Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital / McLean / Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Partners Integrated Fellowship at Harvard Medical School)

Research interests

Collaborative care for addiction, addiction education, addiction pharmacotherapy, 12-Step facilitation

Sachin Patel, MD, PhD

Sachin

Patel

MD, PhD

Adjoint Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

sachin.patel@vumc.org

Follow @SachinPatelLab

Research Description

Psychosocial stress is a key trigger for the development and exacerbation of a variety of psychiatric disorders including depression, addiction, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. By understanding the molecular, structural, and physiological adaptations in endocannabinoid signaling that occur in response to stress, we hope uncover novel bio-markers and pharmacological targets for drug development. In addition, we hope these investigations will provide insight into the pathophysiology of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. We use a variety of techniques including electrophysiology, mass spectrometry, protein biochemistry, genetic models, and functional anatomical studies, to understand the role of endocannabinoids in the brain's response to stress.

Clinical Interest

My clinical work focuses on acute inpatient care of patients with dual mood/anxiety disorders and addiction.

Selected Publications

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. Biol. Psychiatry [print-electronic]. 2017 Mar 3/15/2017; PMID: 28438413, PII: S0006-3223(17)31357-4, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.03.002, ISSN: 1873-2402.

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. Nat Commun. 2017 Mar 3/28/2017; 8: 14782. PMID: 28348378, PMCID: PMC5379055, PII: ncomms14782, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14782, ISSN: 2041-1723.

Patel S, Hill MN, Cheer JF, Wotjak CT, Holmes A. The endocannabinoid system as a target for novel anxiolytic drugs. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 May; 76(Pt A): 56-66. PMID: 28434588, PMCID: PMC5407316, PII: S0149-7634(16)30469-9, DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.033, ISSN: 1873-7528.

Patel S, Williams JW, Wallace RB. What We Do (and Don't) Know About the Health Effects of Cannabis and Whether Marijuana Is Medicine. Ann. Intern. Med [print-electronic]. 2017 May 5/16/2017; 166(10): 747-8. PMID: 28384665, PII: 2615815, DOI: 10.7326/M17-0501, ISSN: 1539-3704.

Patel S. Cannabis for Pain and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: More Consensus Than Controversy or Vice Versa?. Ann. Intern. Med [print-electronic]. 2017 Aug 8/15/2017; PMID: 28806789, PII: 2648597, DOI: 10.7326/M17-1713, ISSN: 1539-3704.
Morena M, Patel S, Bains JS, Hill MN. Neurobiological Interactions Between Stress and the Endocannabinoid System. Neuropsychopharmacology [print-electronic]. 2016 Jan; 41(1): 80-102. PMID: 26068727, PMCID: PMC4677118, PII: npp2015166, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.166, ISSN: 1740-634X.

Hartley ND, Gunduz-Cinar O, Halladay L, Bukalo O, Holmes A, Patel S. 2-arachidonoylglycerol signaling impairs short-term fear extinction. Transl Psychiatry. 2016 Mar 3/1/2016; 6: e749. PMID: 26926885, PMCID: PMC4872450, PII: tp201626, DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.26, ISSN: 2158-3188.

Gray JM, Wilson CD, Lee TT, Pittman QJ, Deussing JM, Hillard CJ, McEwen BS, Schulkin J, Karatsoreos IN, Patel S, Hill MN. Sustained glucocorticoid exposure recruits cortico-limbic CRH signaling to modulate endocannabinoid function. Psychoneuroendocrinology [print-electronic]. 2016 Apr; 66: 151-8. PMID: 26821211, PMCID: PMC4788523, PII: S0306-4530(16)30003-8, DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.004, ISSN: 1873-3360.

Báldi R, Ghosh D, Grueter BA, Patel S. Electrophysiological Measurement of Cannabinoid-Mediated Synaptic Modulation in Acute Mouse Brain Slices. Curr Protoc Neurosci. 2016 Apr 4/8/2016; 75: 6.29.1-6.29.19. PMID: 27063786, PMCID: PMC4866814, DOI: 10.1002/cpns.8, ISSN: 1934-8576.

Gunduz-Cinar O, Flynn S, Brockway E, Kaugars K, Baldi R, Ramikie TS, Cinar R, Kunos G, Patel S, Holmes A. Fluoxetine Facilitates Fear Extinction Through Amygdala Endocannabinoids. Neuropsychopharmacology [print-electronic]. 2016 May; 41(6): 1598-609. PMID: 26514583, PMCID: PMC4832021, PII: npp2015318, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.318, ISSN: 1740-634X.

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 May 5/10/2016; 5: PMID: 27162170, PMCID: PMC4862754, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.14137, ISSN: 2050-084X.

Patel S, Shonesy BC, Bluett RJ, Winder DG, Colbran RJ. The Anxiolytic Actions of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol: Converging Evidence From Two Recent Genetic Endocannabinoid Deficiency Models [letter]. Biol. Psychiatry [print-electronic]. 2016 May 5/15/2016; 79(10): e78-9. PMID: 26212898, PII: S0006-3223(15)00532-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.04.028, ISSN: 1873-2402.

Reddy IA, Pino JA, Weikop P, Osses N, Sørensen G, Bering T, Valle C, Bluett RJ, Erreger K, Wortwein G, Reyes JG, Graham D, Stanwood GD, Hackett TA, Patel S, Fink-Jensen A, Torres GE, Galli A. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor activation regulates cocaine actions and dopamine homeostasis in the lateral septum by decreasing arachidonic acid levels. Transl Psychiatry. 2016 May 5/17/2016; 6: e809. PMID: 27187231, PMCID: PMC5070047, PII: tp201686, DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.86, ISSN: 2158-3188.

Holleran KM, Wilson HH, Fetterly TL, Bluett RJ, Centanni SW, Gilfarb RA, Rocco LE, Patel S, Winder DG. Ketamine and MAG Lipase Inhibitor-Dependent Reversal of Evolving Depressive-Like Behavior During Forced Abstinence From Alcohol Drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology [print-electronic]. 2016 Jul; 41(8): 2062-71. PMID: 26751284, PMCID: PMC4908652, PII: npp20163, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.3, ISSN: 1740-634X.

Foster DJ, Wilson JM, Remke DH, Mahmood MS, Uddin MJ, Wess J, Patel S, Marnett LJ, Niswender CM, Jones CK, Xiang Z, Lindsley CW, Rook JM, Conn PJ. Antipsychotic-like Effects of M4 Positive Allosteric Modulators Are Mediated by CB2 Receptor-Dependent Inhibition of Dopamine Release. Neuron [print-electronic]. 2016 Sep 9/21/2016; 91(6): 1244-52. PMID: 27618677, PMCID: PMC5033724, PII: S0896-6273(16)30509-8, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.08.017, ISSN: 1097-4199.
Gray JM, Vecchiarelli HA, Morena M, Lee TT, Hermanson DJ, Kim AB, McLaughlin RJ, Hassan KI, Kühne C, Wotjak CT, Deussing JM, Patel S, Hill MN. Corticotropin-releasing hormone drives anandamide hydrolysis in the amygdala to promote anxiety. J. Neurosci. 2015 Mar 3/4/2015; 35(9): 3879-92. PMID: 25740517, PMCID: PMC4348185, PII: 35/9/3879, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2737-14.2015, ISSN: 1529-2401.

Patel S, Cone RD. Neuroscience: a cellular basis for the munchies. Nature [print-electronic]. 2015 Mar 3/5/2015; 519(7541): 38-40. PMID: 25707800, PII: nature14206, DOI: 10.1038/nature14206, ISSN: 1476-4687.

Bukalo O, Pinard CR, Silverstein S, Brehm C, Hartley ND, Whittle N, Colacicco G, Busch E, Patel S, Singewald N, Holmes A. Prefrontal inputs to the amygdala instruct fear extinction memory formation. Sci Adv [print-electronic]. 2015 Jul; 1(6): PMID: 26504902, PMCID: PMC4618669, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500251, ISSN: 2375-2548.

Brown JA, Ramikie TS, Schmidt MJ, Báldi R, Garbett K, Everheart MG, Warren LE, Gellért L, Horváth S, Patel S, Mirnics K. Inhibition of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons results in complex behavioral changes. Mol. Psychiatry [print-electronic]. 2015 Dec; 20(12): 1499-507. PMID: 25623945, PMCID: PMC4516717, PII: mp2014192, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.192, ISSN: 1476-5578.
Bluett RJ, Gamble-George JC, Hermanson DJ, Hartley ND, Marnett LJ, Patel S. Central anandamide deficiency predicts stress-induced anxiety: behavioral reversal through endocannabinoid augmentation. Transl Psychiatry. 2014; 4: e408. PMID: 25004388, PMCID: PMC4119220, PII: tp201453, DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.53, ISSN: 2158-3188.

Ramikie TS, Nyilas R, Bluett RJ, Gamble-George JC, Hartley ND, Mackie K, Watanabe M, Katona I, Patel S. Multiple mechanistically distinct modes of endocannabinoid mobilization at central amygdala glutamatergic synapses. Neuron. 2014 Mar 3/5/2014; 81(5): 1111-25. PMID: 24607231, PMCID: PMC3955008, PII: S0896-6273(14)00017-8, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.012, ISSN: 1097-4199.

Hermanson DJ, Gamble-George JC, Marnett LJ, Patel S. Substrate-selective COX-2 inhibition as a novel strategy for therapeutic endocannabinoid augmentation. Trends Pharmacol. Sci [print-electronic]. 2014 Jul; 35(7): 358-67. PMID: 24845457, PMCID: PMC4074568, PII: S0165-6147(14)00068-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2014.04.006, ISSN: 1873-3735.

Tchantchou F, Tucker LB, Fu AH, Bluett RJ, McCabe JT, Patel S, Zhang Y. The fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor PF-3845 promotes neuronal survival, attenuates inflammation and improves functional recovery in mice with traumatic brain injury. Neuropharmacology [print-electronic]. 2014 Oct; 85: 427-39. PMID: 24937045, PMCID: PMC4437642, PII: S0028-3908(14)00228-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.06.006, ISSN: 1873-7064.

Shonesy BC, Bluett RJ, Ramikie TS, Báldi R, Hermanson DJ, Kingsley PJ, Marnett LJ, Winder DG, Colbran RJ, Patel S. Genetic disruption of 2-arachidonoylglycerol synthesis reveals a key role for endocannabinoid signaling in anxiety modulation. Cell Rep [print-electronic]. 2014 Dec 12/11/2014; 9(5): 1644-53. PMID: 25466252, PMCID: PMC4268380, PII: S2211-1247(14)00955-3, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.11.001, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Shonesy BC, Wang X, Rose KL, Ramikie TS, Cavener VS, Rentz T, Baucum AJ, Jalan-Sakrikar N, Mackie K, Winder DG, Patel S, Colbran RJ. CaMKII regulates diacylglycerol lipase-a and striatal endocannabinoid signaling. Nat. Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2013 Apr; 16(4): 456-63. PMID: 23502535, PMCID: PMC3636998, PII: nn.3353, DOI: 10.1038/nn.3353, ISSN: 1546-1726.

Gamble-George JC, Conger JR, Hartley ND, Gupta P, Sumislawski JJ, Patel S. Dissociable effects of CB1 receptor blockade on anxiety-like and consummatory behaviors in the novelty-induced hypophagia test in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl.) [print-electronic]. 2013 Aug; 228(3): 401-9. PMID: 23483200, PMCID: PMC3707973, DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3042-8, ISSN: 1432-2072.

Hermanson DJ, Hartley ND, Gamble-George J, Brown N, Shonesy BC, Kingsley PJ, Colbran RJ, Reese J, Marnett LJ, Patel S. Substrate-selective COX-2 inhibition decreases anxiety via endocannabinoid activation. Nat. Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2013 Sep; 16(9): 1291-8. PMID: 23912944, PMCID: PMC3788575, PII: nn.3480, DOI: 10.1038/nn.3480, ISSN: 1546-1726.
Ramikie TS, Patel S. Endocannabinoid signaling in the amygdala: anatomy, synaptic signaling, behavior, and adaptations to stress. Neuroscience [print-electronic]. 2012 Mar 3/1/2012; 204: 38-52. PMID: 21884761, PMCID: PMC3236282, PII: S0306-4522(11)00979-1, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.08.037, ISSN: 1873-7544.
Sumislawski JJ, Ramikie TS, Patel S. Reversible gating of endocannabinoid plasticity in the amygdala by chronic stress: a potential role for monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition in the prevention of stress-induced behavioral adaptation. Neuropsychopharmacology [print-electronic]. 2011 Dec; 36(13): 2750-61. PMID: 21849983, PMCID: PMC3230498, PII: npp2011166, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.166, ISSN: 1740-634X.
McElligott ZA, Klug JR, Nobis WP, Patel S, Grueter BA, Kash TL, Winder DG. Distinct forms of Gq-receptor-dependent plasticity of excitatory transmission in the BNST are differentially affected by stress. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2010 Feb 2/2/2010; 107(5): 2271-6. PMID: 20133871, PMCID: PMC2836642, PII: 0905568107, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0905568107, ISSN: 1091-6490.

Ho WS, Patel S, Thompson JR, Roberts CJ, Stuhr KL, Hillard CJ. Endocannabinoid modulation of hyperaemia evoked by physiologically relevant stimuli in the rat primary somatosensory cortex. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2010 Jun; 160(3): 736-46. PMID: 20590576, PMCID: PMC2931572, PII: BPH772, DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00772.x, ISSN: 1476-5381.
Hill MN, Hillard CJ, Bambico FR, Patel S, Gorzalka BB, Gobbi G. The therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system for the development of a novel class of antidepressants. Trends Pharmacol. Sci [print-electronic]. 2009 Sep; 30(9): 484-93. PMID: 19732971, PII: S0165-6147(09)00121-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2009.06.006, ISSN: 1873-3735.

Patel S, Kingsley PJ, Mackie K, Marnett LJ, Winder DG. Repeated homotypic stress elevates 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels and enhances short-term endocannabinoid signaling at inhibitory synapses in basolateral amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology [print-electronic]. 2009 Dec; 34(13): 2699-709. PMID: 19675536, PMCID: PMC2881681, PII: npp2009101, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2009.101, ISSN: 1740-634X.
Hill MN, Carrier EJ, Ho WS, Shi L, Patel S, Gorzalka BB, Hillard CJ. Prolonged glucocorticoid treatment decreases cannabinoid CB1 receptor density in the hippocampus. Hippocampus. 2008; 18(2): 221-6. PMID: 18058925, DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20386, ISSN: 1098-1063.

Patel S, Hillard CJ. Adaptations in endocannabinoid signaling in response to repeated homotypic stress: a novel mechanism for stress habituation. Eur. J. Neurosci. 2008 Jun; 27(11): 2821-9. PMID: 18588527, PMCID: PMC2593941, PII: EJN6266, DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06266.x, ISSN: 1460-9568.
Patel S, Hillard CJ. Pharmacological evaluation of cannabinoid receptor ligands in a mouse model of anxiety: further evidence for an anxiolytic role for endogenous cannabinoid signaling. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther [print-electronic]. 2006 Jul; 318(1): 304-11. PMID: 16569753, PII: jpet.106.101287, DOI: 10.1124/jpet.106.101287, ISSN: 0022-3565.
Patel S, Roelke CT, Rademacher DJ, Hillard CJ. Inhibition of restraint stress-induced neural and behavioural activation by endogenous cannabinoid signalling. Eur. J. Neurosci. 2005 Feb; 21(4): 1057-69. PMID: 15787710, PII: EJN3916, DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.03916.x, ISSN: 0953-816X.

Patel S, Carrier EJ, Ho WS, Rademacher DJ, Cunningham S, Reddy DS, Falck JR, Cravatt BF, Hillard CJ. The postmortal accumulation of brain N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide) is dependent upon fatty acid amide hydrolase activity. J. Lipid Res [print-electronic]. 2005 Feb; 46(2): 342-9. PMID: 15576840, PII: M400377-JLR200, DOI: 10.1194/jlr.M400377-JLR200, ISSN: 0022-2275.

Patel S, Cravatt BF, Hillard CJ. Synergistic interactions between cannabinoids and environmental stress in the activation of the central amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Mar; 30(3): 497-507. PMID: 15280883, PII: 1300535, DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300535, ISSN: 0893-133X.

Hill MN, Patel S, Carrier EJ, Rademacher DJ, Ormerod BK, Hillard CJ, Gorzalka BB. Downregulation of endocannabinoid signaling in the hippocampus following chronic unpredictable stress. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Mar; 30(3): 508-15. PMID: 15525997, PII: 1300601, DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300601, ISSN: 0893-133X.

Rademacher DJ, Patel S, Ho WS, Savoie AM, Rusch NJ, Gauthier KM, Hillard CJ. U-46619 but not serotonin increases endocannabinoid content in middle cerebral artery: evidence for functional relevance. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2005 Jun; 288(6): H2694-701. PMID: 15695564, PII: 00978.2004, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00978.2004, ISSN: 0363-6135.

Carrier EJ, Patel S, Hillard CJ. Endocannabinoids in neuroimmunology and stress. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord. 2005 Dec; 4(6): 657-65. PMID: 16375683, ISSN: 1568-007X.
Seagard JL, Dean C, Patel S, Rademacher DJ, Hopp FA, Schmeling WT, Hillard CJ. Anandamide content and interaction of endocannabinoid/GABA modulatory effects in the NTS on baroreflex-evoked sympathoinhibition. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2004 Mar; 286(3): H992-1000. PMID: 14615281, PII: 00870.2003, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00870.2003, ISSN: 0363-6135.

Rademacher DJ, Kearn CS, Carrier EJ, Patel S, Delgado MA, Barkmeier A, Klick DE, Breese NM, Pfister SL, Nithipatikom K, Campbell WB, Hillard CJ. Production of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids and prostaglandins by a novel rat microglial cell line. J. Neuroimmunol. 2004 Apr; 149(1-2): 130-41. PMID: 15020073, PII: S0165572804000074, DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2003.12.022, ISSN: 0165-5728.

Lu H, Patel S, Luo F, Li SJ, Hillard CJ, Ward BD, Hyde JS. Spatial correlations of laminar BOLD and CBV responses to rat whisker stimulation with neuronal activity localized by Fos expression. Magn Reson Med. 2004 Nov; 52(5): 1060-8. PMID: 15508149, DOI: 10.1002/mrm.20265, ISSN: 0740-3194.

Patel S, Roelke CT, Rademacher DJ, Cullinan WE, Hillard CJ. Endocannabinoid signaling negatively modulates stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Endocrinology [print-electronic]. 2004 Dec; 145(12): 5431-8. PMID: 15331569, PII: en.2004-0638, DOI: 10.1210/en.2004-0638, ISSN: 0013-7227.
Patel S, Hillard CJ. Cannabinoid-induced Fos expression within A10 dopaminergic neurons. Brain Res. 2003 Feb 2/14/2003; 963(1-2): 15-25. PMID: 12560108, PII: S0006899302037976, ISSN: 0006-8993.

Rademacher DJ, Patel S, Hopp FA, Dean C, Hillard CJ, Seagard JL. Microinjection of a cannabinoid receptor antagonist into the NTS increases baroreflex duration in dogs. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2003 May; 284(5): H1570-6. PMID: 12521935, PII: 00772.2002, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00772.2002, ISSN: 0363-6135.

Patel S, Wohlfeil ER, Rademacher DJ, Carrier EJ, Perry LJ, Kundu A, Falck JR, Nithipatikom K, Campbell WB, Hillard CJ. The general anesthetic propofol increases brain N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide) content and inhibits fatty acid amide hydrolase. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2003 Jul; 139(5): 1005-13. PMID: 12839875, PMCID: PMC1573928, DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705334, ISSN: 0007-1188.

Patel S, Rademacher DJ, Hillard CJ. Differential regulation of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol within the limbic forebrain by dopamine receptor activity. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther [print-electronic]. 2003 Sep; 306(3): 880-8. PMID: 12808005, PII: jpet.103.054270, DOI: 10.1124/jpet.103.054270, ISSN: 0022-3565.
Patel S, Gerrits R, Muthian S, Greene AS, Hillard CJ. The CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 enhances stimulus-induced activation of the primary somatosensory cortex of the rat. Neurosci. Lett. 2002 Dec 12/25/2002; 335(2): 95-8. PMID: 12459507, PII: S0304394002011709, ISSN: 0304-3940.
Scruggs JL, Patel S, Bubser M, Deutch AY. DOI-Induced activation of the cortex: dependence on 5-HT2A heteroceptors on thalamocortical glutamatergic neurons. J. Neurosci. 2000 Dec 12/1/2000; 20(23): 8846-52. PMID: 11102493, PII: 20/23/8846, ISSN: 1529-2401.

Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD

Ronald

Cowan

MD, PhD

Adjoint Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Suite 3057

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

Our lab uses neuroimaging and complementary methods to explore the neurobiology of addiction and its consequences in humans. Studies include those of drug use and reward function, the role of mood and monoamines in drug use and reward dysfunction, drug-induced toxicity, and neural mechanisms of overeating and obesity.Specific research topics include:

1. MDMA (Ecstasy) Toxicity
These projects attempt to characterize the long-term consequences of recreational MDMA use in humans. We used multimodal MRI and MRS approaches to examine MDMA effects on brain structure, function, and chemical composition. We use PET to characterize persistent MDMA effects on brain serotonergic receptors. We also examine the relationship between brain activation and behavioral performance, personality, psychiatric symptoms, and genetic effects.

2. Pain processing aging, dementia, and cancer

Working closely with collaborator Todd Monroe PhD at the Ohio State University, these projects examine the impact of aging, dementia, and cancer on individual sensitivity to and response to pain. In addition, we examine the neural correlates of altered pain processing in these conditions using structural and functional MRI.

3. Neurobiology of Obesity
These projects explore the neurobiology of obesity from an addiction perspective examining food salience in obesity. fMRI studies examine the neural bases of brain responding to food cues of varying palatability and caloric density. Effects of satiety and hunger are assayed. Eye-tracking studies examine for altered attentional or incentive salience for food cues in obesity. Because altered food salience may be a major mechanism for relapse in obesity when attempting to regulate food intake, exploring the effects of caloric content, palatability, hunger and satiety on attentional salience is an essential step toward documenting the role of these mechanisms in obesity.

4. Serotonin genetics
Our studies of serotonin genetics and brain function have examined the relationship between common functional allelic variations in genes encoding serotonin receptors and the serotonin reuptake transporter and brain structure, function, receptor expression, and personality.

ronald.l.cowan@vumc.org

Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD has been a member of the faculty since 2002. Dr. Cowan is a graduate of the Weill Cornell Medical School. He completed his internship in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and a residency in adult psychiatry at The McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He completed his PhD at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with a focus on in vivo intracellular neurophysiology of neocortex. Dr. Cowan is the Director of the Adult Residency Training program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Radiology and Radiological Sciences, and Psychology. Prior to his current roles, Dr. Cowan served as a course co-director for the first year medical school's neuroscience course (Brain and Behavior), as the third year psychiatry clerkship director and as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Cowan's clinical interests include psychosomatic medicine, depression, substance use, obesity and LGBTQI mental health.

A.J. Reid Finlayson, MD, MMHC, DLFAPA, FASAM

A. J. Reid

Finlayson

Professor

of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Director, Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program

Division of Addiction Psychiatry

https://www.vanderbilthealth.com/v-cap/

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

reid.finlayson@vumc.org

Education

M.D., University of Western Ontario (Medicine)
University of Western Ontario MD 1969

Postgraduate Training

Internship Toronto Western Hospital 1970
Psychiatry Residency McMaster University 1977
Addiction Medicine Homewood - McMaster 1994
Master of Management in Health Care Vanderbilt Owen 2014

Dr. Reid Finlayson has been a member of the faculty since 2001. He is Medical Director of the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program for professionals. His clinical interests reside in the areas of Dual Disorders, Physician Health, and Sexual Behavior.

He is also Medical Director of Faculty and Physician Wellness Program at VUMC.

Please visit the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program (VCAP) website at the following address to learn more about the services VCAP provides.
https://www.vanderbilthealth.com/v-cap/

Neil Woodward, PhD

Neil

Woodward

PhD

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Charlotte and Donald Test, Jr. Chair in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Division of Psychology

I am engaged in research, clinical service, education, and administration. Most of my effort is dedicated to running an independent clinical research lab focused on the neural basis of psychotic disorders, primarily schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. My research is motivated by the premise that studying the brain will inform the etiology, heterogeneity, and treatment of psychotic disorders. I use several methods to study the brain, including multimodal neuroimaging, neuropsychological testing, and cognitive neuroscience techniques. These methods are applied to address the following related aims: 1) Identify brain abnormalities in psychotic disorders; 2) Inform the neural basis of clinical symptoms and associated features; and 3) Improve neural models of psychosis. I am especially interested in the thalamus and characterizing thalamic abnormalities in psychotic disorders. My work in psychotic disorders is embedded in a neurodevelopmental context and is complemented by research on characterizing brain development across the lifespan in healthy individuals, at-risk populations (e.g. psychosis spectrum youth), and people with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism). As a licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist, I perform neuropsychological evaluations on individuals with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Mentoring the next generation of researchers and clinician-scientists is a core component of my career. My research program and clinical service serve as a platform for mentoring trainees at all levels across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical science.

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Suite 3057

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

Neuropsychology, Neuroimaging, Psychotic disorders, Lifespan brain development, developmental disorders

Representative Publications

Huang AS, Kang K, Vandekar S, Rogers BP, Heckers S, Woodward ND. (2024) Lifespan development of thalamic nuclei and characterizing thalamic nuclei abnormalities in schizophrenia using normative modelling. Neuropsychopharmacology, 49:1518-1527.

Moussa-Tooks AB, Rogers BP, Huang AS, Sheffield JM, Stephan H, Woodward ND. (2022) Cerebellar structure and cognitive ability in psychosis. Biological Psychiatry, 92(5):385-395.

Huang AS, Rogers BP, Sheffield JM, Jalbrzikowski ME, Anticevic AA, Blackford JU, Heckers S, Woodward ND. (2020) Thalamic nuclei volumes in psychotic disorders and youth with psychosis spectrum symptoms. American Journal of Psychiatry, 177(12):1159-1167.

Sheffield JM, Rogers BP, Blackford JU, Heckers S, Woodward ND. (2019) Accelerated aging of functional brain networks supporting cognitive function in psychotic disorders. Biological Psychiatry, 86(3):240-248.

Giraldo-Chica M, Rogers BP, Damon SM, Landman BA, Woodward ND. (2018) Prefrontal-thalamic anatomical connectivity and executive cognitive function in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 83(6):509-517.

Woodward ND, Heckers S. (2016) Mapping thalamocortical functional connectivity in chronic and early stages of psychotic disorders. Biological Psychiatry, 79(12):1016-25.

Woodward ND, Heckers S. (2015) Brain structure in neuropsychologically defined sub-groups of schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 41(6):1349-59.

Woodward ND, Karbasforoushan H, Heckers S. (2012) Thalamocortical dysconnectivity in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(10): 1092-9.

Woodward ND, Rogers B, Heckers S. (2011) Functional resting-state networks are differentially affected in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 130(1-3): 86-93.

Woodward ND, Purdon SE, Meltzer HY, Zald DH. (2005) A meta-analysis of neuropsychological change to clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone in schizophrenia. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 8(3): 457-472.

neil.d.woodward@vumc.org

Neuropsychological assessment, Psychotic disorders, Geriatric neuropsychology, Neurology

Follow @woodwardlab

M.E. Wood, PhD, ABPP

M.E.

Wood

PhD, ABPP

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Forensic Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Director

Division of Psychology

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

1601 23rd Avenue South

Nashville

Tennessee

37212

Dr. Wood’s primary clinical and research interests fall at the interface of psychology and the law, with a particular emphasis on the appropriate identification, assessment, and treatment of individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) in forensic settings. She has provided trainings to various groups of professionals, including trainees, mental health providers, and lawyers, in addition to frequently serving as an expert witness in this area. Dr. Wood has presented her work at a variety of conference proceedings, and she has published her work in various academic and research journals. Currently, she is working on a systematic investigation of forensic services provided through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) for defendants diagnosed with ID.

Representative Publications

Wood, M. E., Anderson, J. L., & Glassmire, D. M. (2017). The MacCAT-CA in a forensic inpatient hospital: Interrater reliability, factor structure, and the relationship between subtest scores and clinician opinions of competence to stand trial. Psychological Assessment, 29, 776-785. doi:10.1037/pas0000368

Wood, M. E., Lawson, K. M., Anderson, J. L., Glassmire, D. M., Kinney, D. I., & Nitch, S. (2019). Meeting the Unique Needs of Defendants with Intellectual Disability Adjudicated Incompetent to Proceed: The Case for Reasonable Accommodations. The Journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Tansey, A., Brown, K. P., & Wood, M. E. (2021). Characteristics and outcomes for misdemeanants referred for court-ordered competency evaluations. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. http://doi.org/10.1037.ser0000535

Wood, M. E., Brown, K. P., Bitting, A. R., Slobogin, C., & Bowerman, B. (2021). Legal admissibility of the competence assessment for standing trial for defendants with mental retardation (CAST-MR). Journal of Personality Assessment. doi:10/1080/00223891.2021.1951742

Salekin, K. S., & Wood, M. E. (in press). Adults with developmental disabilities in the criminal justice system. In A. Redlich & J. Quas (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law.

mary.e.wood@vumc.org

Forensic assessment (i.e., competence to proceed, mental state at the time of the alleged offense, Miranda waiver); intelligence testing; intellectual disability (especially at intersection with criminal legal system)

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Wood is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Psychology and the Law from the University of Alabama, where she completed focused coursework, research, and clinical work in forensic psychology. She subsequently completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology at Patton State Hospital. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a certified outpatient forensic evaluator in the state of Tennessee. Dr. Wood is also board certified in Forensic Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

Dr. Wood is a member of the Vanderbilt Forensic Evaluation Team, which provides court-ordered forensic mental health evaluations for Davidson County’s criminal and juvenile justice systems. She also conducts forensic evaluations in her role as faculty in the Forensic Psychiatry Clinic, including evaluations of adjudicative competence, conservatorship, capacity to waive Miranda, mental state at the time of the alleged offense, sentencing mitigation, Atkins, etc.

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