Our mission is to conduct research that deepens our understanding of the development, pathophysiology, and prevention of psychiatric illness; offer comprehensive treatment and care to our patients, their families and the community; and provide outstanding mental health education and multidisciplinary training to the next generation of health care providers and investigators.
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Editor Robert S. Benchley
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Dear Friends
I am delighted to present the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences’ Annual Report for 2023 and FY 2024 (ending May 31, 2024). Our department has continued to be in the forefront of evolving clinical care and cutting-edge research related to mental health, and I am proud to lead a department that has earned world-wide respect for its forward-looking achievements. We offer a sample of them in this Annual Report.
l We continued our ground-breaking work on Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia. A study by Drs. David Loewenstein and James E. Galvin answered an important question about Alzheimer’s: Which comes first — blood loss or brain loss? Dr. Galvin is also investigating Alzheimer’s in indigenous populations and is leading a multicenter study of Lewy Body Dementia. And four of our researchers — Dr. Loewenstein and Drs. Rosie Curiel Cid, Elizabeth Crocco and Philip D. Harvey — received a large combination of federal and state grants to pursue a variety of approaches to the research and clinical challenges of Alzheimer’s
l Mental health has an interrelationship with many other diseases and conditions. Dr. Deborah Jones Weiss is part of an interdisciplinary team studying oral and mental health in women with HIV. Drs. Claes Wahlestedt, Zane Zeier and Luis Tuesta are investigating epigenetic mechanisms in alcohol addiction. Dr. Ingrid Barrera directs an emotional wellness clinic for cancer survivors, and Dr. Joycelyn M. Lee offered coping strategies at a conference for cancer survivors experiencing fear of recurrence
l Our work in the community shows that wherever you find need, you will find us. Dr. Claude-Henry Volmar became assistant director of the University of Miami’s SURF program, which offers a summer session for students interested in becoming the next generation of biomedical researchers and physicianscientists. Dr. Judite Blanc’s Holistic Families Program trains minority mentees to make a difference in marginalized communities. Dr. Zelde Espinel ran webinar sessions for residents — and caregivers —
in the Bahamas’ Abacos Islands who were experiencing mental health issues in the wake of Hurricane Dorian
l And sleep — who knew it had such a close and dramatic relationship with physical and mental health? Well, Dr. Azizi Seixas does, and he told Miller School Dean Henri R. Ford during a podcast that sleep is a social justice issue. He is not alone. Dr. Girardin Jean-Louis and a group of Miller School faculty and students captivated attendees at the world’s premier sleep conference with 15 poster sessions and five oral presentations.
l Several of our faculty members received honors and recognitions: Dr. Judite Blanc was named a 2023 Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar. Dr. Girardin Jean-Louis was given the rank of Distinguished Professor by the University of Miami. Dr. Daniel Jimenez received the Dr. Iqbal “Ike” Ahmed Diversity Award from the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Philip D. Harvey received the Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. And I was proud to be named to the 2023 Top Doctors list by Castle Connolly.
l Our researchers published nearly 200 articles in peerreviewed, high-impact journals. This demonstrates both the high level of activity and the high quality of the studies and commentary generated by our worldclass faculty scholars.
l And finally, I was deeply honored to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Tourette Association of America for my work with Tourette Syndrome and tic disorders. My ability to help affected patients has been extremely rewarding, and to be recognized for it by my peers is both satisfying and humbling.
I hope you enjoy reading about these recent achievements of my esteemed colleagues. But although this publication is looking back, our department is always looking forward. The joy in our work comes from the knowledge that the best is yet to come.
Sincerely,
Barbara J. Coffey, M.D., M.S.
For The Record
Dr. Barbara Coffey
Honored by Tourette Association of America
The advocacy and fundraising organization cited her years of work on behalf of patients with Tourette Syndrome and tic disorders
Barbara Coffey, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and division chief for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, was honored by the Tourette Association of America (TAA) for her work on behalf of people with Tourette Syndrome and tic disorders.
The honor was bestowed at the association’s annual gala on November 1, 2023.
International Expertise in Tourette Syndrome
An internationally recognized specialist in Tourette Syndrome and related disorders, Dr. Coffey established and has led the UHealth Tics, OCD and Related Problems Program since 2017. The program received TAA designation as a Center of Excellence in 2019 in recognition of the program:
l Offering the highest level of care for Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders
l Conducting groundbreaking research in the field
l Training the next generation of clinicians and specialists
l Providing outstanding advocacy and outreach
In bestowing the organization’s highest honor, TAA pointed to Dr. Coffey’s long history of clinical and research excellence, which includes considerable work with two TAA boards.
“We recognize and celebrate Barbara’s years of volunteerism, including but not limited to, co-chairing our Medical Advisory Board, serving as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, leading the TAA Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and previously at the TAA Center of Excellence at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and her advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill,” TAA said in a statement.
It was the causal blend of nature and nurture that fueled Dr. Coffey’s passion and set a course for her career.
“There’s an interaction between the genetic vulnerability and environmental precipitants,” she said. “We know that Tourette disorder has a genetic origin. But there is also a whole range of neuropsychiatric disorders that are present with this syndrome, including ADHD, OCD, and anxiety and mood disorders.”
“I’ve worked with the TAA for years, so I know f irsthand the importance of their commitment to individuals with Tourette Syndrome and their families,” Dr. Coffey said. “I am incredibly appreciative of this honor and look forward to continuing with our mutual mission to find viable solutions for people with Tourette Syndrome.”
Barbara Coffey, M.D., M.S., speaking at the Tourette Association of America gala.
For The Record
Transforming Lives for Low-income Families, Women and Children
An innovative program trains minority mentees to make a difference in marginalized communities
The Holistic Families Program, the brainchild of Judite Blanc, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, brings researchers together to study intersectional stressors such as racial trauma and gender discrimination.
“We want to investigate those stressors and tackle their effect among marginalized families, women, and
Cancer Symposium Focuses on Patient Support
Dr. Joycelyn M. Lee offered advice
for coping with fear of recurrence
At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s 2023 Cancer Survivorship Symposium, Joycelyn M. Lee, Ph.D., M.B.A., assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences, offered advice for dealing with the fear of recurrence of cancer. Noting that such fear can peak in advance of
children,” said Dr. Blanc. “Our goal is to tie in education, training, community and advocacy.”
Many of the program’s collaborators are Black and/or of Caribbean descent and aspire to be in the medical, public health, or STEM fields. The experience levels of the members range from those with little experience to those with professional expertise, all with similar backgrounds, who are deeply invested in marginalized communities.
“They didn’t all have prior research training,” said Dr. Blanc of her undergraduate and post-baccalaureate mentees. “They are learning what it feels like to be a minority in academia, and why their presence is important, why we need them to stay, why we need them to keep dreaming — because our community suffered the most.”
Each mentee creates their own research project. “They are already learning how to leverage national datasets to submit abstracts to conferences about sleep, health equity, women’s health, and family health,” said Dr. Blanc. “They have a dream to become medical professionals. They are minorities, but it’s not the metrics that matter to me; it’s their dreams.”
follow-up scans or visits, she offered several suggestions:
l Check the facts and know the level of risk
l Understand treatment options if the cancer returns
l Know the most important physical signs of recurrence
l Stay in communication with the health care team and keep up with regular appointments
“Use your imagination to rehearse what you might experience and how you can effectively cope during an upcoming exam,” Dr. Lee said. “Then, practice relaxing afterward. Think about dropping a mental anchor,
so you can stay engaged with what you’re doing right now, rather than giving all your attention to your fear.”
Judite Blanc, Ph.D.
Understanding the emotional aspects of cancer is important for both patients and caregivers.
For The Record
$3 Million Grant Spurs Research into Alzheimer’s Disease in Indigenous Populations
Dr. James E. Galvin looks to understand Alzheimer’s disease in American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations
The National Institute of Aging awarded a $3.3 million center grant to the Miller School of Medicine to lead a research consortium and advance the understanding of
Decentralized Clinical Trials Could Boost Diversity in Research
Dr. Azizi Seixas is stu dying how technology can affect clinical trial participation
A mobile app developed in part at the Miller School of Medicine significantly increased key drivers of participating in a clinical trial among 100 people at risk for diabetes and hypertension enrolled in a randomized trial, said Azizi Seixas, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department of Informatics
Alzheimer’s disease in American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations.
The funding will enable James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and his collaborators to provide an inclusion research training curriculum to a diverse cohort of 12 scientists pursuing social-behavioral research on aging in Native people.
“This grant allows us to address Alzheimer’s disease in a very understudied group of individuals, while also increasing the diversity of scientists conducting research in Native populations in the United States,” said Dr. Galvin.
“The University of Miami has really been a trailblazer in addressing brain
and Health Data Science and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Everything is done remotely to make the whole process easier and simpler.
health and health care disparities,” Dr. Galvin said. “A lot of our projects focus on populations that live here in Florida, like African American, Caribbean and Hispanic populations.
“We’ve extended that mission now to include other groups. We can only help all people by studying all people and being able to translate research findings into clinical care.”
“That way we can remove barriers that get in the way of participating in research, particularly for historically underrepresented groups,” Dr. Seixas said. The approach was well accepted by participants, he added, with only two people not completing the study.
The study also revealed that greater awareness of clinical trials benefits increased the desire to participate.
“What we found was, if you increase the knowledge of the health condition and how to prevent this disease, people are more likely participate,” Dr. Seixas said. “It was not only about willingness to participate in the study, but we also found that people are more altruistic in wanting to be part of a solution in tackling a disease.”
Many indigenous populations face lifelong health disparities and comorbid health conditions that may make Alzheimer’s disease present earlier.
Feedback from a smart watch helped engage participants in the study.
For The Record
Hurricane Cleanup Includes Mental Health Seminar Training
The people of the Bahamas’ Abacos Islands, including health care providers, suffered anxiety, depression and grief following Hurricane Dorian.
Four years after Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas’ Abacos Islands, serious mental health issues remained Residents and health workers alike suffered anxiety, depression and grief.
In 2023, the Miller School’s Global Institute for Community Health and Development, with participation from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, launched a webinar series to train health care providers throughout the archipelago’s network of clinics in how to diagnose and treat patients suffering from post-disaster mental disorders.
With the Bahamas often in the crosshairs of hurricanes, and with climate change fueling more powerful storms, the webinar series was badly needed, said Assistant Professor Zelde Espinel, M.D., who led some of the webinar sessions.
“We know that people who have lived through the dangerous impacts of a hurricane or some other natural disaster and had to deal with life-changing adversities during the recovery process are often at risk of experiencing negative mental health consequences,” she explained.
Marsh Harbour in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian’s Category 5 winds.
For The Record
SURF Program Graduates 30 Fellows
Dr. Claude-Henry
Volmar is welcomed as assistant director
The Miller School of Medicine’s innovative SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) program immerses students from diverse backgrounds in hands-on, innovative biomedical lab research. It graduated 30 fellows — its sixth cohort — in August of 2023.
The SURF program offers participants the inspiration and training to become the next generation of biomedical
researchers and physicianscientists. A five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute and funds from the University of Miami Office of Graduate Studies support the program, which graduates fellows who follow pathways toward medical and/or doctoral degrees at the Miller School and other universities nationwide.
SURF attracts students interested in exploring research careers in 12 medical specialties, spanning bioinformatics and computational biology to cancer biology, microbiology and immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology and public health. During the program’s final week, SURFers showcase their research in poster and oral presentation formats.
In 2023, the SURF team also welcomed Claude-Henry Volmar, Ph.D., as assistant program director. Dr. Volmar, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Miller School, is a researcher focusing on drug discovery. He has been involved with SURF as a mentor and reviewer.
SURF is evolving to meet diverse students’ needs and reflect medicine’s changing clinical and research landscape, Dr. Volmar said.
“I’m excited to bring my perspective and vision to helping SURF continue its innovative programming and its mission of helping train the next generation of accomplished physician-scientists.”
The 2023 cohort included 30 students from colleges and universities nationwide.
For The Record
Brain Goes with the Flow
A
study shows lower cerebral blood flow precedes brain tissue loss in the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease
Investigators from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences participated in a multidisciplinary study to determine whether loss of blood flow or brain tissue happens first in the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professors David Loewenstein, Ph.D., who co-directed the study, and James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., who provided input to the article reporting the findings that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, collaborated with other researchers from the Miller School of Medicine and the College of Engineering.
The objective was to assess the predictive value of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and volumes of specific brain structures for identification of early phase of Alzheimer’s disease. To meet their objective, the researchers assessed both CBF and volumes of memory-critical brain regions in study subjects with normal or pre-clinical phases of Alzheimer’s disease.
A total of 74 participants in their late 60s were classified into two groups, with 50 participants being cognitively normal and 24 with early amnestic mild cognitive impairment. In addition to conventional brain imaging, the team measured the participants’ CBF using a velocityencoding MRI technique that can be easily implemented in most MRI scanners and takes less than two minutes to scan. In addition, assessment of performance levels of several cognitive domains was also evaluated.
Awards and Honors
Judite Blanc, Ph.D. Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar 2023 National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Barbara J. Coffey, M.D., M.S.
Top Doctors 2023 Castle Connolly
Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Miller School of Medicine
Total CBF was significantly reduced in the subjects who were at the early phase of cognitive impairment, while the volumes of the cognitively critical brain region were not. The findings imply that reduced total CBF is a stronger biomarker of the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease than volumes of AD-prone brain regions.
Daniel Jimenez, Ph.D. Dr. Iqbal “Ike” Ahmed Diversity Award American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D. Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
For The Record
Grants Awarded to Fund Innovative Alzheimer’s Research
The Center for Cognitive Neurosciences and Aging (CNSA) is working to address disparities in older minority participation in Alzheimer’s disease studies thanks to a series of federal and state grants totaling $9.7 million.
“The center has a distinguished track record in studying Alzheimer’s disease in diverse older adult populations,” said David Loewenstein, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the CNSA. “This new funding will support groundbreaking research on traditionally underserved ethnic and cultural groups, training the next generation of scientists and continuing our work in prevention and clinical care.”
Dr. Loewenstein and Rosie Curiel Cid, Psy.D., professor of clinical psychiatry and chief of cross-cultural neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience at the CNSA, will serve as co-principal investigators on a five-year, $7.6 million grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)for the study “Innovative Deep
Phenotyping of African Americans at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.”
At present, African Americans have twice the prevalence of AD compared to other groups, while their older demographic has an increased risk of diabetes, stroke, and renal function. Although there is growing evidence of modifiable risk factors that can prevent or delay cognitive decline in a person’s lifetime, the scarcity of data in the African American community complicates efforts to determine whether these factors apply to this population.
“This study will directly address well-documented barriers to participation in research with innovative approaches to recruiting and engaging older African American adults,” Dr. Curiel Cid said. “As a new model for conducting AD research, our methods promise to be informative for the field and to make clinical research more accessible.”
In addition to the NIH grant, the Florida Department of Health’s Ed and Ethel Moore Disease Research Program awarded four research grants totaling $2.1 million to Drs. Loewenstein and Curiel Cid; Elizabeth Crocco, M.D., professor of psychiatry and chief of the Division
of Geriatric Psychiatry; and Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D., professor, vice chair for research and chief of the Division of Psychology.
Dr. Crocco will focus on expanding an extensive African American community registry and conducting additional bloodwork to study the contributory effects on AD of renal disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The grant awarded to Dr. Harvey will fund a postdoctoral fellow at the CNSA to be mentored on cognitive neuroscience and brain research.
Dr. Curiel Cid’s grant will support the infrastructure, community connections and pilot work to set up the in-home assessments for the federal grant with African American elders. Dr. Loewenstein will use his portion of the grant for new and improved cognitive challenge tests to detect very early-stage AD and biomarkers in Hispanic and non-Hispanic older adults.
“Though we are all working in different areas of research, our efforts and studies are all interconnected toward a larger purpose: to have all minority groups become better represented and receive the benefits of cuttingedge AD research,”Dr. Curiel Cid said.
Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Crocco, M.D.
Rosie Curiel Cid, Psy.D.
David Loewenstein, Ph.D.
For The Record
Miller School Shines for Its Health Equity Research
at National SLEEP Conference
Presenters shared research on cardiovascular disease and brain injury as they relate to sleep
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine faculty and students presented 15 poster sessions and five oral presentations at SLEEP 2023, the world’s premier clinical and scientific meeting for sleep medicine, sleep and circadian research, and sleep health.
Social Justice Extends to the Bedroom
Dr. Azizi Seixas discussed the importance of sleep on Dean Ford’s podcast
Sleep specialist Azizi Seixas, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was the guest on Miller School Dean Henri R. Ford’s “Inside U Miami Medicine” podcast on April 12, 2023. While the study of sleep is a relatively new field, researchers over the past two decades have revealed the powerful effects of sleep — or the lack of it — on overall health and well-being.
“I know exactly how the lack of sleep can have a deleterious effect on your health, your livelihood and
“We had multiple presenters depicting different aspects of our research, whether that be community-engagement research, laboratory-based research or research based on models using national datasets, such as the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, National Health Interview Survey and others,” said Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, and director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences.
every other facet,” said Dr. Seixas, who is also the interim chair of the Department of Informatics and Health Data Science and associate director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences.
Much of Dr. Seixas’ work focuses on disparities in health outcomes
between ethnic and socioeconomic groups —disparities that are correlated with differences in quantity and quality of sleep.
“People believe that sleep is a luxury,” he said. “We believe sleep is a social justice issue.”
Miller School faculty and students presented 15 poster sessions and five oral presentations at SLEEP 2023.
Dr. Azizi Seixas was Dean Henri R. Ford’s guest for an episode of his “Inside U Miami Medicine” podcast
For The Record
New Mental Health Clinic for Cancer Survivors Opens
The Fields Galley Cancer Survivorship Emotional Wellness Clinic helps people who are vulnerable to anxiety, depression and suicide
When cancer patients complete radiation or chemotherapy treatments, they are often hailed as heroes. This milestone is sometimes marked with a celebratory bell ring, or with nurses and doctors providing rounds of applause as patients leave the clinic.
But the end of these treatments rarely means the end of the emotional distress. Survivors must still cope with multiple life changes:
physical changes, financial difficulties, work or school interruptions, or changes in social roles or relationships.
“People think you’re done with cancer treatment, and you’re going to pick things up right where you left off,” said Ingrid Barrera, Psy.D., assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of clinical operations for cancer supportive services at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System.
“But you’re not the same person you used to be.”
Newly diagnosed cancer patients are seven times more likely to die by suicide within the first six months of their diagnosis than the general population, according to an American Cancer Society study. Those who suffer from cancers that carry longterm quality-of-life impairments also face increased risks of suicide.
That’s why Sylvester opened the Fields Galley Cancer Survivorship Emotional Wellness Clinic, funded by the Fields Galley Private Foundation, in September 2023. As director Dr. Barrera, who is also the director of UHealth’s Therapeutic Suicide Prevention Program, assembled an interdisciplinary team, including a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed social worker, music therapist and art therapist, who form the core of the clinic’s innovative programming.
The Fields Galley Cancer Survivorship Emotional Wellness Clinic operates through Dr. Barrera’s office at the Sylvester Medical Office Building and several of Sylvester’s satellite facilities, in addition to offering remote services. The team uses DBT and other psychotherapy programs, and is part of a broader initiative at Sylvester, and across the country, to holistically address all issues cancer patients face.
The clinic uses psychotherapy programs to holistically treat all issues cancer patients face.
For The Record
$21 Million Grant Funds Further Study into Drug Development for Lewy Body Dementia
Research leader
Dr. James E. Galvin calls it “the right study at the right time”
Based on some promising initial findings, and a new three-year, $21 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, researchers at the Miller School of Medicine are launching a Phase 2b study of neflamapimod for Lewy Body Dementia.
The multicenter study is a publicprivate partnership between the Miller School, EIP Pharmaceuticals — the company developing neflamapimod — and the Lewy Body Dementia Association, a non-profit that helps educate the public about the condition and will help promote the study.
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is a neurodegenerative condition affecting an estimated 1.6 million Americans. Neflamapimod holds potential as a neuroprotective medication if given early enough in the course of LBD, said principal investigator James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, the Alexandria and Bernard Endowed Chair in Memory Disorders, and
James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H.
founding director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the Miller School.
Dr. Galvin also is director and principal investigator for the University of Miami Lewy Body Dementia Research Center of Excellence — one of only 22 such centers in the country and the only one in South Florida.
Dr. Galvin and colleagues plan to randomly assign 160 people with mild-to-moderate LBD to either neflamapimod or a placebo to better understand how the agent works in this population. The investigators will use the Mini Mental State Examination score to help them identify people with mild-to-moderate LBD. They also intend to confirm the safety and efficacy demonstrated in earlier preclinical studies done with mice
and subsequent research done with human subjects.
“It seems to be clear from the earlier studies that the people who had the least robust response to the medicine likely were too far advanced in their stage of disease from a pathology perspective,” Dr. Galvin said. “You have to find the right drug for the right person at the right time.”
“We don’t know for sure whether a drug will or will not work,” Dr. Galvin said, “but pre-clinical data in transgenic mice and cell culture, and data from the Phase 1 and Phase 2a studies, suggest that cognitive function and motor function are likely to show a benefit in patients with Lewy Body disease.”
For The Record
Researchers Receive NIH Grant to Study Epigenetic Mechanisms in Alcohol Addiction
Three departmental investigators will collaborate on study with colleagues in Sweden
Researchers in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences havw been awarded a
$2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the epigenetic mechanisms in the brain related to alcohol addiction.
“Our goal is to find the underlying drivers for alcohol use disorder in the hope of eventually developing some type of treatment,” said Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, director of the Center for Therapeutic Innovation, and associate dean for therapeutic innovation at the Miller School.
Dr. Wahlestedt is the principal investigator for the five-year collaborative
grant, “Epigenetic Modulation of Amygdalar Circuits That Control Alcohol Compulsivity.” The laboratory study will be conducted with departmental colleagues Zane Zeier, Ph.D., associate professor, and Luis Tuesta, Ph.D. assistant professor, in collaboration with researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden.
“We have long hypothesized that compulsive drinking and addiction relate to epigenetic changes in the brain, almost like if a switch has been turned on or off,” he said. “This study will help test that hypothesis and examine where in the brain this happens, and which specific molecular pathways play key roles.”
From left, Zane Zeier, Ph.D.; Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D.; and Luis Tuesta, Ph.D.
Team to Explore Oral and Mental Health in Women with HIV
Interdisciplinary focus will study the two-way interaction
Deborah Jones Weiss, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is one of four Miller School researchers in an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between oral and mental health in women with HIV.
“If we can identify important components in that interactive relationship, we can develop mental and oral
health interventions that can benefit women in many ways,” Dr. Jones Weiss said.
“This will be the first study to address the relationship between HIV, oral health and mental health over a woman’s lifespan,” said Dr. Jones Weiss, who is also co-director of the Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health (CHARM). “It is also important because poor oral health may be linked to higher risks of infections, heart disease and other problems.”
Mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety, are higher in women living with HIV, she said. “Those issues, combined with the stresses of managing their chronic
2023-2024 Patient Visits
disease as well as their personal and work relationships, keep many women from seeking preventive dental treatments.”
Deborah Jones Weiss, Ph.D.
For The Record
Can Gut Bacteria or TikTok Use
Lead to Tourette’s?
Dr. Barbara Coffey provided the answers on Dean Ford’s podcast
Barbara Coffey, M.D., M.S., chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, was the guest on
Miller School Dean Henri R. Ford’s “Inside U Miami Medicine” podcast on May 10, 2023. In conversation with Dean Ford, she shared her latest research on Tourette’s, a neurodevelopmental syndrome that is part of a spectrum of tic disorders. Her team is the first in the U.S. to study the link between gut inflammation and tic exacerbation.
“We think a particular protein may be the trigger in the brain,” said Dr. Coffey. “We are also looking at the treatments we use to treat tics; we
think that they these, too, may alter the gut microbiota and could exacerbate the inflammatory process.”
Dr. Coffey, who is the director of the Tourette Association of America Center of Excellence at UHealth –University of Miami Health System and chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, also shared insight into the global phenomenon of “TikTok tics” and the effects of social media and the pandemic on children’s mental health.
Dr. Barbara Coffey was Dean Henri R. Ford’s guest for an episode of his “Inside U Miami Medicine” podcast
For The Record
Surprises Found in Survey of Haitians’ Perceptions of COVID Vaccinations
Vaccine availability, access, misinformation and distrust of Western medicine all figured into the lack of vaccine uptake
As of July 2021, less than 1% of the population of Haiti was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Researchers conducted an on-theground survey to understand why. They discovered that vaccine availability, access, misinformation and distrust of Western medicine each figured into the lack of vaccine uptake.
In contrast to the actual 1%, 27% of 1,071 Haitians surveyed in three rural communities in September 2021 said they intended to get vaccinated.
What accounts for the difference between the 1% and the 27%?
The COVID vaccines were available but not necessarily accessible to everyone, especially in rural areas.
The 26-percentage-point difference revealed by the survey “is a huge discrepancy,” said Judite Blanc, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. However, she added, “this is not surprising. This reflects the reality that I knew
when I was growing up in Haiti. The biggest problem when it comes to implementing health care policy and health programs in low-income countries — including Haiti — is that people are scared.”
Concerns about vaccine side effects were the leading reason for vaccine hesitancy, reported by 67% of respondents. A close second, 65%, said they hesitated because
they believe they could catch COVID-19 from the vaccine.
“What is super surprising to me is the fact that three quarters of [respondents] identified their health care workers as their most trusted source of information with regard to the vaccine,” Dr. Blanc said. The fact that the majority of this population trusts health care workers “is great news.”
As of July 2021, less than 1% of the population of Haiti was fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Extramural Research Grants
Research grants from a variety of external funders supported the important research being conducted by our faculty investigators.
Direct Costs
$7,710,362
Indirect Costs
$1,862,189 Total Awarded $9,572,551
Syndemics, the Microbiome, and Mucosal Inflammation Involved in HIV Acquisition
PI Emily Cherenack, Ph.D.
Agency National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
DC $140,580
IDC $0
Total $140,580
Memory Disorders Clinic
PI Elizabeth Crocco, M.D.
Agency Florida Department of Elder Affairs
DC $688,382
IDC $34,419
Total $722,801
CHARM Microgrant
PI Elisa Diaz, Psy.D.
Agency Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health (CHARM)
DC $5,000
IDC $0
Total $5,000
DEI Minigrant
PI Elisa Diaz, Psy.D.
Agency Office of Faculty Affairs
DC
$5,000
IDC $0
Total $5,000
Integrated Care for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: The IMPOWR Research Center at Montefiore/Einstein (IMPOWR-ME)
PI Vilma Gabbay, M.D.
Agency Albert Einstein College of Medicine/National Institute on Drug Abuse
DC $137,269
IDC $73,440
Total $210,709
A Multimodal Parent-focused Intervention for Vulnerable Populations in the Bronx
PI Vilma Gabbay, M.D.
Agency Albert Einstein College of Medicine
DC
$631,072
IDC $337,623
Total $968,695
Extramural Research Grants
iTEST: Introspective Accuracy as a Novel Target for Functioning in Psychotic Disorders
PI Philip Harvey, Ph.D.
Agency University of California San Diego/National Institute of Mental Health
DC
$77,548
IDC $41,488
Total $119,036
Deep Brain Stimulation for Chronic Auditory Hallucinations in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: An Early-stage Clinical Trial
PI Philip Harvey, Ph.D.
Agency Johns Hopkins University/National Institute of Mental Health
DC
IDC
$51,700
$27,659
Total $79,359
Trajectories and Determinants of Cognitive Decline in Psychotic Disorders Over 35 Years
PI Philip Harvey, Ph.D.
Agency The Research Foundation for the State of New York
DC
IDC
$72,290
$38,675
Total $110,965
Cognitive Training and Neuroplasticity in Mild Cognitive Impairment
PI Philip Harvey, Ph.D.
Agency Columbia University
DC
$1,023,280
IDC $547,455
Total $1,570,735
The Molecular Mechanisms of Astrocytes-neurons Interaction in the Morphine Use Disorder
PI Sari Izenwasser, Ph.D.
Dates 06/01/2023 to 05/31/2024
Agency Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center
DC
IDC
$72,125
$0
Total $72,125
Using a Health Disparity Research Framework to Examine Mechanisms Linking Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Higher Alzheimer’s Disease Risk in Older Blacks/African Americans
PI Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.
Agency New York University/National Institute on Aging
DC
IDC
Total
$38,925
$20,825
$59,750
Program to Increase Diversity in Faculty Engaged in Behavioral and Sleep Medicine (PRIDE)
PI Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.
Agency National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
DC
IDC
$1,569,724
$116,283
Total $1,686,007
The CROWN Study: Comprehensive Research on Oral and Mental Health Among Women
PI Deborah Jones-Weiss, Ph.D.
Agency National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
DC
IDC
Total
$2,133,801
$562,727
$2,696,528
Cardiovascular Research Empowerment Workforce
PI Deborah Jones-Weiss, PhD.
Agency National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
DC
$769,920
IDC $61,595
Total $831,515
2023-2024 FL ADRC State MOU
PI David Loewenstein, Ph.D.
Agency University of Florida
DC
IDC
$258,246
$0
Total $258,246
2023-2024 FL ADRC State MOU
PI Alexandra Ortega, Psy.D.
Agency University of Florida
DC
IDC
$35,500
$0
Total $35,500
New Residents
Adela Buciuc, M.D.
Medical School:
Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Carol Davila Facultatea de Medicina - Romania
Research Interests: Schizophrenia prodrome, cognitive decline in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Aisa Moreno-Megui, M.D.
Medical School:
University of Southern California
Keck School of Medicine
Clinical Interests:
Child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, community/ cultural psychiatry
Research Interests: Treatment-resistant depression, delirium
Claudia Cabrera-Suarez, M.D.
Medical School:
Universidad Peruana Cayetano
Heredia Facultad de Medicina
Alberto Hurtado Peru
Clinical Interests: Women mental health, consultation-liaison psychiatry, personality disorders, psychotherapy
Research Interests: Perinatal depression/ psychosis, personality disorders and suicide
Fayeza Malik, M.D.
Medical School:
Florida International
University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Child and adolescent psychotherapy
Research Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry
Alexandra Coppa, M.D., MA
Medical School:
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Clinical Interests:
Child and adolescent psychiatry, childhood trauma, eating disorders, body image, mood disorders, integrative medicine
Research Interests: Adverse childhood experiences, disordered eating, function of behaviors, therapeutic effects of yoga and movement
Daniel Noe, M.D., M.B.A.
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Consult and liaison psychiatry, community psychiatry, psychotherapy, mood disorders, LGBTQ+ mental health Research Interests: Treatment-resistant depression, psychosis, financial barriers to care, neuromodulation, addiction
Heidi Kiziah, M.D.
Medical School:
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Clinical Interests: Personality disorders, treatmentresistant depression, psychosis, LGBTQ+ mental health
Research Interests: HIV mental health, LGBTQ+ mental health, treatmentresistant depression, medical education
Jamie Odzer, M.D.
Medical School:
Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School
Clinical Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, community psychiatry, young adult psychiatry, personality disorders, developmental disorders
Research Interests: Personality disorders, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD
New Residents
Anish Laul, M.D.
Medical School: Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University–India
Clinical Interests: Forensic psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, neuromodulation and interventional psychiatry, integrative medicine
Research Interests: Psychotic disorders, psychedelics, neuromodulation, psychopharmacology
Research Interests: Treatment-resistant depression, addiction, psychedelics
Amy Legros, M.D.
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Clinical Interests:
Consultation-liaison psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, community psychiatry, cultural psychiatry Research Interests: Psychosis and schizophrenia
Jessica D. Leuchter, M.D.
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry Research Interests: Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatry, pediatric addiction psychiatry, community psychiatry
Research Interests: First-break psychosis, trauma-informed care
Adam Takatsuka, M.D.
Medical School: Rush University Medical College
Clinical Interests: Inpatient psychiatry, psychosis, forensics Research Interests: Therapeutic uses of psychedelics
Cylena Stewart, M.D.
New Faculty
Debbie Chung, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Research Sleep Science
Carmen Jimenez, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Clinical Psychology, Psychooncology, Interpersonal and Relational Concerns, Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, Couples and Family Psychotherapy, Grief and Loss
Monica Mendes, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology
Benjamin Ely, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Research
Human fMRI Processing and Analysis
Felicia Gallucci, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Vilma Gabbay, M.D. Professor. Pediatric Mood Disorders Adolescent Depression, Reward Deficits, Comorbidity of Depression and Substance Use in People Living with HIV, Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of COVID-19
David Martinez Garza, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Addiction Psychiatry, Latino Mental Health, Psychiatry Residency Education
Alexandra Ortega, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Research
Clinical Neuropsychology
Lyudmila Saltman, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology
Selected Scholarly Publications
Harvey, P. D., Chirino, M., Mueller, A., Rivera-Molina, A., Zayas-Bazan, M., Kallestrup, P., & Czaja, S. J. (2024). Improvements in performance-based measures of functional capacity and cognition after computerized functional skills training in older people with mild cognitive impairment and healthy comparators. Psychiatry research, 334, 115792. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.psychres.2024.115792
Gorora, M. E., Dalkner, N., Moore, R. C., Depp, C. A., Badal, V. D., Ackerman, R. A., Pinkham, A. E., & Harvey, P. D. (2024). A meta-cognitive Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Self-assessment of sorting performance. Psychiatry research, 334, 115831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115831
Dowell-Esquivel, C., Czaja, S. J., Kallestrup, P., Depp, C. A., Saber, J. N., & Harvey, P. D. (2024). Computerized Cognitive and Skills Training in Older People With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Index Treatment-Related Changes in Real-World Performance of Technology-Dependent Functional Tasks. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry: official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(4), 446–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2023.10.014
Jones, S.E., Harvey, P. D. Cross-diagnostic determinants of cognitive functioning: the muscarinic cholinergic receptor as a model system. Transl Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 27;13(1):100. doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02400-x. PMID: 36973270; PMCID: PMC10042838.
Vita, A., Barlati, S., Deste, G., Nibbio, G., Penn, D. L., Pinkham, A. E., McIntyre, R. S., & Harvey, P. D. (2023). Life engagement in people living with schizophrenia: predictors and correlates of patient life engagement in a large sample of people living in the community. Psychological medicine, 53(16), 7943–7952. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723002106
Curiel Cid, R. E., Ortega, A., Crocco, E. A., Hincapie, D., McFarland, K. N., Duara, R., Vaillancourt, D., DeKosky, S. T., Smith, G., Sfakianaki, E., Rosselli, M., Barker, W. W., Adjouadi, M., Barreto, Y., Feito, Y., & Loewenstein, D. A. (2023). Semantic intrusion errors are associated with plasma Ptau-181 among persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment who are amyloid positive. Frontiers in neurology, 14, 1179205. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1179205
Curiel Cid, R. E., Crocco, E. A., Duara, R., Vaillancourt, D., Asken, B., Armstrong, M. J., Adjouadi, M., Georgiou, M., Marsiske, M., Wang, W. I., Rosselli, M., Barker, W. W., Ortega, A., Hincapie, D., Gallardo, L., Alkharboush, F., DeKosky, S., Smith, G., & Loewenstein, D. A. (2024). Different aspects of failing to recover from proactive semantic interference predicts rate of progression from amnestic mild c ognitive impairment to dementia. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 16, 1336008. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1336008
Deliyannides, D. A., Graff, J. A., Niño, I., Lee, S., Husain, M. M., Forester, B. P., Crocco, E., Vahia, I. V., & Devanand, D. P. (2023). Effects of lithium on serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Alzheimer’s patients with agitation. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 38(9), e6002. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.6002
Jean-Louis, G., Jin, P., Moise, R., Blanc, J., Rogers, A., Bubu, O. M., Chung, D., Zizi, F., & Seixas, A. A. (2024). Effectiveness of peer-delivered sleep health education and social support in increasing OSA evaluation among at-risk blacks. Journal of sleep research, e14213. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14213
Blanc, J., Hahn, K., Oliveira, B., Phillips, R., Duthely, L. M., Francois, L., Carrasco, M., Moore, J., Sternberg, C. A., Jean-Louis, G., & Seixas, A. A. (2023). Bringing Health Care Equity to Diverse and Underserved Populations in Sleep Medicine and Research Through a Digital Health Equity Framework. Sleep medicine clinics, 18(3), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2023.05.009
Seixas, A., Richards, S., Moore, J. Q., Izeogu, C., Hollimon, L. A., Jin, P., & Jean-Louis, G. (2023). Precision Recruitment and Engagement of Individuals at Risk for Diabetes and Hypertension in Clinical Trials (PREDHICT): A Randomized Trial for an E-Persuasive Mobile Application to Inform Decision Making about Clinical Trials. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(23), 7115. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20237115
Andreae, M., Shultz, J. M., Shepherd, J. M., Espinel, Z., & Shapiro, L. T. (2024). Weathering the storms of climate change: Preparing persons with disabilities and the physiatrists who provide their care for extreme hurricanes. PM&R: the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, 10.1002/pmrj.13159. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.13159
Rodriguez, V. J., Weiss, S. M., Hernández, L., Bowa, K., Zulu, R., & Jones, D. L. (2023). Zambian Parents’ Perspectives on Early-Infant Versus Early-Adolescent Male Circumcision. AIDS and behavior, 27(6), 1800–1806. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-022-03912-1
Selected Scholarly Publications
Rodriguez, V. J., Alcaide, M. L., Sued, O., Aristegui, I., Radusky, P. D., Kozlova, S., Cardozo, N., Dell’Isola, E., Gandhi, M.,& Jones, D. L. (2023). Detection of Antiretrovirals in Transgender Women with HIV Is Not Altered by Hair Treatments. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 94(3), e3–e5. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003275
Weiss, S. M., Rodriguez, V. J., Cook, R. R., Bowa, K., Zulu, R., Mweemba, O., Kamboyi, R., Castro, J., Dunleavy, V. O., Alcaide, M. L., & Jones, D. L. (2023). Increasing early infant male circumcision uptake in Zambia: Like father like son. PloS one, 18(8), e0289819. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289819
Fein, L. A., Barnett, R., Liu, T., Potter, J. E., Klatt, N. R., Alcaide, M. L., & Jones, D. L. (2023). Gender Identity Stigma in Transgender Women Is Higher After Gender-Affirming Vaginoplasty. AIDS research and human retroviruses, 10.1089/AID.2023.0017. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1089/AID.2023.0017
Rodriguez, V. J., Alfonso, D., VanLandingham, H., Kozlova, S., Resch, Z. J., Soble, J. R., & Jones, D. L. (2023). Prevalence of neurodevelopmental delays in infants with perinatal HIV infection in comparison with HIV exposure in rural South Africa. AIDS (London, England), 37(8), 1239–1245. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000003553
Chery, M. J., Baral, A., Rolle, L. D., Abdshah, A., Bernard, M. J., Poudel, L., Francois, L., Jones, D. L., Jean-Louis, G., & Blanc, J. (2024). Depression, Sleep Health & Sociodemographic Correlates in a Nationwide Survey: Implications for Depression Treatment During the COVID-19. Nature and science of sleep, 16, 17–31. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S434148
Oldak SE, Bernal JA, Bez Y, Coffey BJ. Rational Psychopharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of a 14-Year-Old Female with Functional Neurological Symptoms Disorder and Depression. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2023 May;33(4):158-161. doi: 10.1089/ cap. 2023.29239.bjc. PMID: 37204276.
Valerstain D, Zaydlin M, Bez Y, Coffey BJ. Clonazepam Treatment of Adolescent Catatonia in A Setting of Lorazepam-Related Hypotension. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2023 Feb;33(1): 34-37. doi: 10.1089/cap.2022.29233.bjc. PMID: 36799960.
Zaydlin M, Gershman M, Coppa A, Leuchter JD, Bez Y, Coffey BJ. Navigating Pharmacological Treatment in an Adolescent with New Onset Psychosis: Clinical, Pharmacological, and Cultural Challenges. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2023 Apr;33(3):118-122. doi: 10.1089/cap.2023.29237.bjc. PMID: 37074328.
Brown, K., Bez, Y., Truong, K., Saaraswat, M., & Coffey, B. J. (2023). Understanding and Managing New Onset Homicidal Ideation in an Adolescent with Depression. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 33(9), 393–397. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2023.29250.bjc
Zaydlin, M., Bernal, J. A., Bez, Y., & Coffey, B. J. (2023). Improved Treatment Outcome with Haloperidol Decanoate and Amantadine in an Adolescent with Schizoaffective Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 33(8), 337–341. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2023.29247.bjc
Zaydlin, M., Cruz, A., Bez, Y., & Coffey, B. J. (2023). A Targeted Combined Pharmacotherapy Approach for Aggressive Behavior in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 33(5), 195–199. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2023.29241.bjc
Israel, R., Organista, D., Hitzemann, G., Bez, Y., & Coffey, B. J. (2024). New Onset Psychosis Complicated by Akathisia and Catatonia in the Context of Recent Immigration. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 34(2), 110–114. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2024.29256.bjc
Jimenez, D. E., Weinstein, E. R., & Carrico, A. W. (2024). Is Behavioral Activation Higher Ground for the Silver Tsunami? The American journal of geriatric psychiatry: official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(2), 256–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2023.10.012
Suarez, E., Jr, Bartholomew, T. S., Plesons, M., Ciraldo, K., Ostrer, L., Serota, D. P., Chueng, T. A., Frederick, M., Onugha, J., & Tookes, H. E. (2023). Adaptation of the Tele-Harm Reduction intervention to promote initiation and retention in buprenorphine treatment among people who inject drugs: a retrospective cohort study. Annals of medicine, 55(1), 733–743. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2023.2182908
Shultz, J. M., Galea, S., Espinel, Z., Nori-Sarma, A., Shapiro, L. T., Dimentstein, K., Shepherd, J. M., & Nogueira, L. M. (2024). Safeguarding medically high-risk patients from compounding disasters. Lancet regional health. Americas, 32, 100714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100714
Selected Scholarly Publications
Issac S, Shultz JM, Espinel Z., Alvarez G, Shapiro LT. In the Cone of Concern: Preparing Stroke Survivors for Extreme Hurricanes. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Feb 23. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002221. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36917040.
Espinel, Z., Shultz, J. M., Aubry, V. P., Abraham, O. M., Fan, Q., Crane, T. E., Sahar, L., & Nogueira, L. M. (2023). Protecting vulnerable patient populations from climate hazards: the role of the nation's cancer centers. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115(11), 1252–1261. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad139
Hsieh, S. L., Shultz, J. M., Briggs, F., Espinel, Z., & Shapiro, L. T. (2023). Climate Change and the Urgent Need to Prepare Persons with Multiple Sclerosis for Extreme Hurricanes. International journal of MS care, 25(4), 152–156. https://doi.org/10.7224/15372073.2022-032
Andreae, M., Shultz, J. M., Shepherd, J. M., Espinel, Z., & Shapiro, L. T. (2024). Weathering the storms of climate change: Preparing persons with disabilities and the physiatrists who provide their care for extreme hurricanes. PM & R: the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, 10.1002/pmrj.13159. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.13159
Khalil, NB, Coscarella, G, Dhabhar, FS, Yosipovitch, G. (2024) Stress and Itch: What We Know and What We Would Like to Know. Journal of Clinical Medicine: 13: 6854. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13226854
Khorkova, O., Stahl, J., Joji, A., Volmar, C. H., & Wahlestedt, C. (2023). Amplifying gene expression with RNA-targeted therapeutics. Nature reviews. Drug discovery, 22(7), 539–561. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41573-023-00704-7
Khorkova, O., Stahl, J., Joji, A., Volmar, C. H., Zeier, Z., & Wahlestedt, C. (2023). Long non-coding RNA-targeting therapeutics: discovery and development update. Expert opinion on drug discovery, 18(9), 1011–1029. https://doi.org/10.1080/17460441.2023.2236552
Lalwani, R. C., Volmar, C. H., Wahlestedt, C., Webster, K. A., & Shehadeh, L. A. (2023). Contextualizing the Role of Osteopontin in the Inflammatory Responses of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biomedicines, 11(12), 3232. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11123232
Vilca, S., Wahlestedt, C., Izenwasser, S., Gainetdinov, R. R., & Pardo, M. (2023). Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats Display Epigenetic Alterations in Response to Cocaine Exposure. Biomolecules, 13(7), 1107.
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13071107
Vilca, S. J., Margetts, A. V., Fleites, I., Wahlestedt, C., & Tuesta, L. M. (2024). Microglia contribute to methamphetamine reinforcement and reflect persistent transcriptional and morphological adaptations to the drug. bioRxiv: the preprint server for biology, 2023.10.19.563168.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.19.563168
Poukalov, K. K., Valero, M. C., Muscato, D. R., Adams, L. M., Chun, H., Lee, Y. I., Andrade, N. S., Zeier, Z., Sweeney, H. L., & Wang, E. T. (2023). Myospreader improves gene editing in skeletal muscle by myonuclear propagation. bioRxiv: the preprint server for biology, 2023.11.06.565807. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.06.565807
Beurel E. (2024). Stress in the microbiome-immune crosstalk. Gut microbes, 16(1), 2327409. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2024.2327409
Cherenack, E. M., Rubli, J., Melara, A., Ezaldein, N., King, A., Alcaide, M. L., Raccamarich, P., Fein, L. A., & Sikkema, K. J. (2023). Adolescent girls' descriptions of dysmenorrhea and barriers to dysmenorrhea management in Moshi, Tanzania: A qualitative study. PLOS global public health, 3(7), e0001544. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001544
Blanc, J., Scaramutti, C., Carrasco, M., Dimanche, S., Hollimon, L., Moore, J., Moise, R., Gabbay, V., & Seixas, A. (2024). I am Lifted Above the World: utilizing VR for stress reduction among perinatal women of color. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1377978. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1377978
Oldak, S. E., Muñoz-Abraham, O., Alhajji, L., & Padilla, V. L. (2023). Delirium and Near-Death Experience: A Case of Surviving a Complicated Delivery. Journal of the Academy of ConsultationLiaison Psychiatry, S2667-2960(23)00855-8. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaclp.2023.12.004
Oldak, S. E., Maristany, A., Ventura, W., Alhajji, L., & Padilla, V. L. (2023). First-Onset Psychosis Leading to Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis: A Case Report and Literature Review. Cureus, 15(8), e43842. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43842
Selected Scholarly Publications
El Hayek, S., Foad, W., de Filippis, R., Ghosh, A., Koukach, N., Mahgoub Mohammed Khier, A., Pant, S. B., Padilla, V., Ramalho, R., Tolba, H., & Shalbafan, M. (2024). Stigma toward substance use disorders: a multinational perspective and call for action. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1295818. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295818
Walsh, E. A., Popok, P. J., Ream, M., Bainter, S., Perdomo, D., Taub, C., Saez-Clarke, E., Kesmodel, S., Blomberg, B. B., & Antoni, M. H. (2023). Predictors of initial engagement with an asynchronous cognitive behavioral stress management website among older women with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Supportive care in cancer: official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 31 (8), 466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07939-5
Zheng, D. D., Lam, B. L., Joslin, C. E., Gonzalez, H. M., Baiduc, R. R., Tarraf, W., Stickel, A., Daviglus, M., Garcia-Bedoya, O., Schneiderman, N., Gonzalez, F., 2nd, & Lee, D. J. (2024). Associations Between SelfReported Visual and Hearing Functioning and Cognitive Function Among Hispanics/Latino: Hispanic Community Health Study. Innovation in aging, 8(2), igae006. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igae006
Patel S, Rich BJ, Schumacher LD, Sargi ZB, Masforroll M, Washington C, Kwon D, Rueda-Lara MA, Freedman LM, Samuels SE, Abramowitz MC, Samuels MA, Carmona R, Azzam GA. ED visits, hospital admissions and treatment breaks in head/neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Front Oncol. 2023 Mar 1;13:1147474. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1147474. PMID: 36937396; PMCID: PMC10014878.
Becker M, Mayo JA, Phogat NK, Quaintance CC, Laborde A, King L, Gotlib IH, Gaudilliere B, Angst MS, Shaw GM, Stevenson DK, Aghaeepour N, Dhabhar FS. Deleterious and Protective Psychosocial and Stress-Related Factors Predict Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Birth. Am J Perinatol. 2023 Jan;40(1):74-88. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1729162. Epub 2021 May 20. PMID: 34015838.
Medina-Rodriguez EM, Watson J, Reyes J, Trivedi M, Beurel E. Th17 cells sense microbiome to promote depressive-like behaviors. Microbiome. 2023 Apr 28;11(1):92. doi: 10.1186/s40168-02201428-3. PMID: 37106375; PMCID: PMC10142784.
Jung, D. K., Tan, S. T., Hemlock, C., Mertens, A. N., Stewart, C. P., Rahman, M. Z., Ali, S., Raqib, R., Grembi, J. A., Karim, M. R., Shahriar, S., Roy, A. K., Abdelrahman, S., Shoab, A. K., Famida, S. L., Hossen, M. S., Mutsuddi, P., Akther, S., Rahman, M., Unicomb, L., …, Dhabhar FS, Lin, A. (2023). Micronutrient status during pregnancy is associated with child immune status in rural Bangladesh. Current developments in nutrition, 7(8), 101969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.101969
Cooney, E. E., Saleem, H. T., Stevenson, M., Aguayo-Romero, R. A., Althoff, K. N., Poteat, T. C., Beckham, S. W., Adams, D., Radix, A. E., Wawrzyniak, A. J., Cannon, C. M., Schneider, J. S., Haw, J. S., Rodriguez, A. E., Mayer, K. H., Beyrer, C., Reisner, S. L., Wirtz, A. L., & American Cohort to Study HIV Acquisition Among Transgender Women (LITE) Study Group (2023). PrEP initiation and discontinuation among transgender women in the United States: a longitudinal, mixed methods cohort study. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 26(12), e26199. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26199
Zubizarreta, D., Wirtz, A. L., Humes, E., Cooney, E. E., Stevenson, M., Althoff, K. N., Radix, A. E., Poteat, T., Beyrer, C., Wawrzyniak, A. J., Mayer, K. H., & Reisner, S. L. (2024). Food Insecurity Is High in a Multi-Site Cohort of Transgender Women Vulnerable to or Living with HIV in the Eastern and Southern United States: Baseline Findings from the LITE Cohort. Nutrients, 16(5), 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050707
Khouri, A., Stephens, M. J., Young, J., Galyean, P., Knettel, B. A., Cherenack, E. M., Zickmund, S., Watt, M. H., Bartlett, J., Pollak, K. I., Ubel, P. A., Fagerlin, A., & Suneja, G. (2023). Cancer Treatment Decision-Making for People Living With HIV: Physician-Reported Barriers, Facilitators, and Recommendations. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 94(5), 482–489. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003300
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Executive Committee
Barbara J. Coffey, M.D., M.S. Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Division Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Director, Tourette Association Center of Excellence
Spencer Eth, M.D. Professor, Clinical Psychiatry; Interim Chief, Division of Addiction Psychiatry; Director, Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program; Chief of Mental Health, Miami VA Healthcare System
David Loewenstein, Ph.D. Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging; Associate Director, 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Director of the UM Clinical Core
Edmi Cortes-Torres, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatry; Associate Director, Psychiatry Residency Program
Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Chief Director, Division of Psychology; Vice Chair for Research
Radu Saveanu, M.D. Professor, Clinical Psychiatry; Executive Vice Chair; Director, Residency Training
Elizabeth Crocco, M.D. Professor, Clinical Psychiatry; Division Chief, Geriatric Psychiatry; Medical Director, UM Memory Disorders Clinic Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging; Training Director, Geriatric Psychiatry, Jackson Memorial Hospital
Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences
Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Center for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI); Associate Dean for Therapeutic Innovation
Dante Durand, M.D.
Associate Professor, Clinical Psychiatry Vice Chair, Clinical Services Chief Medical Officer, Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital
Daniel Jimenez, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Research Psychiatry
