Introduction
The faculty in the Department of Psychiatry is conducting clinical and translational research in patients with mental illness as well as basic studies of human behavior and brain function.
Research Laboratories within Clinical Divisions:
The Division of General Psychiatry houses investigators studying Psychotic Disorders, Delirium, and stress-related disorder at the basic, translational and clinical levels.
The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry studies childhood disorders at the level of basic and translational science, with collaboration among clinicians and researchers.
The Division of Addiction Psychiatry brings together scientists and clinicians in an effort to study and treat patients with substance abuse.
The Division of Geriatric Psychiatry research programs focus on mood disorders, cognitive disorders, and translational medicine approaches aimed at improving mental health of older individuals.
The Division of Psychology studies human behavior and brain function across multiple psychiatric and developmental disorders.
Research within Psychiatry Programs and Centers:
The Early Psychosis Program research mission focuses on anxiety-psychosis interactions, hippocampal dysfunction in psychosis, and mechanisms subserving cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
The Center for Cognitive Medicine conducts research and clinical activities that focus on disorders of cognition (memory, thinking, and learning).
The Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program is a collaborative groups of scientists who use state-of-the art imaging technology to better understand the neural mechanisms of mental illness.
Research within Trans-Institutional Centers and Institutes:
The Vanderbilt Brain Institute is a trans-institutional institute bringing together neuroscientists across varied disciplines that contribute to the understanding of basic brain function, elucidation of the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches for mental illness.
The Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research is focused on research, educational, and outreach efforts in the area of substance use disorders.