Another fall is upon us
and our Department has
much to be proud of.
We celebrated the grad-
uation of our Psychiatry
residents and fellows,
psychology interns, and
postdoctoral fellows on
June 6, 2015 at the Coral
Gables Country Club. What a terrific celebra-
tion. In July, we welcomed our new, much
heralded first year residency class. These 14
new medical school graduates join us from
excellent schools and I was delighted to see
them at our recent Grand Rounds. They are
the product of one of our very best residency
matches.
We closed the fiscal year on May 31st,
and it has been a successful one for both the
Department and the University of Miami
Health System. Our faculty continue to excel
in all aspects of academic life with new NIH
grants, research and teaching awards, and the
provision of outstanding clinical service.
Our relationship with Jackson Behavioral
Health Hospital (JBHH) is stronger than ever
and we have expanded the inpatient service at
the Hospital to 170 beds. We were delighted to
recruit Carolyn Drazinic, M.D., Ph.D., from
the University of Connecticut, to serve as our
Chief Medical Officer in Psychiatry of JBHH.
The University of Miami Hospital (UMH)
Mood Disorders Inpatient Unit, led by Edmi
Cortes, M.D. continues to thrive. Our electro-
convulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial
magnetic stimulation (TMS) services, led
by Martin Strassnig, M.D., continue to grow.
The construction of the new Day Treatment
Program at UMH, supported by the generous
donors on our community External Advisory
Board, is imminent.
Speaking of that Board, led by Mr. Harley
Tropin and Mrs. Susan Racher, we have wit-
nessed remarkable activity including the “Stop
the Stigma” event, co-hosted with the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at UMH.
This “sold out” affair featured well known
mental health advocates Ms. Elyn Saks and
Mr. Pete Earley, as well as a number of our
faculty. I am delighted to report that the De-
partment will host its first major fundraising
event, featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author
and comedian Dave Barry, on October 8, 2015
at the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art
Space in the Design District. For more infor-
mation, please visit the Department’s events
website. With Ms. Kelly Kirkpatrick, our new
development officer, having joined us from
Chicago and the addition of a few new and
energetic board members, several additional
outreach events are being planned.
I would be remiss if I did not mention
some of the many accolades received by our
faculty in the last few months, including new
NIH research grants (Drs. Beurel, Kumar,
Weiss-Jones, Loewenstein); election to
the American College of Psychiatrists
(Drs. Vasilu-Feltes, Crocco, and Durand);
being named editor of a new journal (Dr.
Philip Harvey); receiving an honorary doctor-
ate from Maimonides University in Buenos
Aires (Dr. Nemeroff); and Dr. Sara Czaja’s
appointment to President Obama’s Council
of Advisors on Science and Technology
(PCAST).
We have welcomed several new faculty
(Drs. Benton, Drazinic, McLeod-Bryant,
Rosado, Starovic) and are in the midst of
several additional recruitments.
At a time when many academic medical
centers in general and Departments of Psychi-
atry are contracting, we are fortunate to con-
tinue to grow in large part due to the support
we receive from our medical center leadership.
My best wishes to all of you as we embark on
a new academic year.
Sincerely, Charlie
.
Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. Leonard M. Miller Professor and Chair
Editor: Adrienne Jaret Design and Production: Mario A. Hernández Executive Editor: L. Jared Abramson Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine www.psychiatry.med.miami.edu
DEPARTMENT PICNIC AND SOFTBALL GAME– October 4, 2015
For more information please contact [email protected]
SHATTER THE STIGMA INAUGURAL GALA – October 8, 2015
Inaugural Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Fundraising Gala at the De La Cruz Collection Contemporary
Art Space. Entertainment by Dave Barry.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK
– October 11, 2015
NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION (NEDA) WALK
– February 21, 2016
PSYCHIATRY GRAND ROUNDS NEW SERIES STARTS 9/16!
psychiatry.med.miami.edu/events/grand-rounds
9/16/15 Steven Siegel, M.D., Ph.D.
Biomarkers of Target Engagement in
Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum
9/30/15 Harold (Hank) Schwartz, M.D.
Sandy Hook
10/14/15 Julie Schweitzer, Ph.D.,
ADHD or Autism
10/28/15 Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D.
PTSD
Dr. Philip McCabe, Chair of Psychology (L), Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Radu Seveanu, Vice Chair of Education, at a recent reception of
the two departments.
Dr. Liz Crocco (L), Dr. Dante Durand, and Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, got inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists at
the 2015 annual meeting.
Dr. Sara Czaja (L), Dr. David Loewenstein and Dr. Elizabeth Crocco wel-comed over 40 community agencies to the Center on Aging to learn about
the latest research and clinical programs on aging within the department.
WELCOME
A warm welcome to our new faculty and staff!
Christopher Benton M.D., Assistant Professor, attending psychiatrist at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital (JBHH) Crisis Unit
Carolyn Drazinic, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chief Medical Officer at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital
Aaron Heller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry (secondary),
conducting research using brain imaging to better understand how depressed and healthy individuals sustain positive emotions Stephen McLeod-Bryant, M.D., Professor, attending psychiatrist at JBHH and director of student support services Marian Rosado, Psy.D., Assistant Professor, neuropsychology assessment research and treatment team Milos Starovic, M.D., Assistant Professor, attending psychiatrist at JBHH Crisis Unit Andrew Wawrzyniak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, conducting behavioral intervention research on HIV-infected patients to
improve retention and health outcomes
Kari Allen, M.B.A, C.R.A., Operations Project Manager Elizabeth Cosme, Manager, Patient Services
Kelly Kirkpatrick, Development Officer
Evelin Marquina, Research Administration Analyst focusing on pre award
Debora Lopes, Research Administration Analyst focusing on post award
Carola Martínez, Research Administration Analyst focusing on post award
1
4
Selected Studies of Interest
Early Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia A Phase 3, 12-week, Multicenter,
Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of 2 Fixed Doses of Brexpiprazole (OPC-34712) in the Treat-ment of Subjects with Agitation Associated with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (Dr. Elizabeth Crocco, [email protected]) Novel Detection of Early Cognitive and
Functional Impairment in the Elderly AND A Consortium to Study Novel
Markers of Early Alzheimer’s Disease (Dr. David Loewenstein, [email protected])
Schizophrenia
Clozapine for Cannabis Use Disorder in Schizophrenia (CLOCS) AND Social cognition psychometric evaluation
in Schizophrenia (SCOPE) (Dr. Philip Harvey, [email protected])
HIV-1/NeuroAIDS
HIV-1 Infection in Methamphetamine abusers: Endocrine Outcomes AND HIV-1 Predictive Biomarkers of CVD
Risk in Diverse HIV-1 + Cocaine (Dr. Mahendra Kumar, [email protected])
Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Treatment and Research
“Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Gabapentin Enacarbil (Horizant®) Extended-Release Tablets for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (Dr. Ihsan Salloum, [email protected]) Biological Basis of the Major Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Prospective Determination of Psychobiological Risk Factors for PTSD (Dr. Felicia Gould, [email protected])
Cognition
A multicenter validation study of the tablet-based brief assessment of cognition (Tablet BAC) (Dr. Philip Harvey, [email protected])
Caregiving
Caring for the Caregiver Study (Dr. Sara J. Czaja, [email protected])
Complementary & Integrative Medicine
A New Approach to Diagnosing Diabetes and Blood Pressure Using ZYTO Biosurvey Technology. (Dr. John Lewis, [email protected]) A double-blinded, randomized study of IV
infusion of magnesium sulfate versus 5% dextrose in a crossover design in male and female volunteers with treatment.
(Dr. John Lewis, [email protected])
Our University’s cultural transformation successfully
continues with the DIRECCT core values in place.
Joyce has been selected as this edition’s staff star as she
embodies core values and demonstrates the behaviors that
we desire from our employees every day.
Diversity – Joyce accepts all people without judgment and
treats them with dignity and respect
Integrity – one of Joyce’s strongest virtues; she will never spin,
slant or hide the real truth
Responsibility – she owns a task until it is complete;
for example, go to her office during budget season and
she is always there burning the midnight oil
Excellence – Joyce takes incredible pride in her work and our department
Compassion – if anyone at the U needs help, she doesn’t pause to check her job description;
she helps
Creativity – she will figure out how to navigate any obstacles that are a challenge
Teamwork – do we even need to say it, or does everyone already know that she is the glue
that holds the department together
Her hard work and dedication doesn’t end at the office. Ten years ago at holiday time, through
the Samaritan’s Purse Organization, she lovingly and creatively packed a shoebox with small toys
and gifts to be sent to an impoverished child somewhere in the world. Every year since, the boxes
and the artistry grows and it seems that last year’s goal of 21 boxes was completed.
Joyce is an avid gardener, surely coming from her Jamaican roots, where her father at 94 is still
“working the land”. From preparing green juices, vegetable juices, to her favorite annual
Thanksgiving feast of fresh cooked creative dishes (her 25 year old son Zoa’s favorite); her
culinary creations earn her an additional star!
For over twenty-nine years, Joyce always puts her best foot forward; presents with the same
kind, sincere, inviting and steady professional demeanor that we all wish we could consistently
deliver. Congratulations Joyce for being this edition’s Staff Star!
Joyce Sadler, Director of Business Operations
University, and then went on to
develop an international career in
academia as well as in the phar-
maceutical industry.
Prior to joining the University
of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a
founding professor and director of
neuroscience at the Florida cam-
pus of The Scripps Research Insti-
tute (2005 — 2011). Before that
he was an endowed professor of
pharmacogenomics and chair of
the Department for Genomics and
Bioinformatics (now Cell and Mo-
lecular Biology) at the Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm (1997-
2005). He has also directed large
drug discovery and biotechnology
teams in the pharmaceutical in-
dustry for Astra-Zeneca, Pharma-
cia & Upjohn, and Pharmacia Cor-
poration. His most recent biotech-
For a Mental Health Emergency
Call 911, if someone is in danger of hurting themselves or others
University of Miami Hospital (UMH) Mental Health Admissions/ER 305.689.4444
Jackson Mental Health (JMH) Crisis Triage 305.355.7332
Silver Alert - If your loved one
has gone missing, please call 911 immediately. A statewide initiative to involve the public in locating a cognitively impaired driver who has gotten lost. Go to: http://www.floridasilveralert.com/when-someone-goes-missing
Appointments and Office Numbers
Main Psychiatry Appointment Scheduling 305.355.9028 option 1
Behavioral Health Hospital 305.355.9028 option 2
Boca Raton 561.939.4044
Child & Adolescent 305.355.7077
Clinical Research Building 305.243.2301
Courtelis Center 305.243.4129
Deerfield Beach 954.571.0117
University of Miami Hospital 305.689.1352
Center on Aging 305.355.9081
Brain Fitness Pavillion 305.355.9080 English, then option 3
Memory Disorders Clinic 305.355.9065
Chairman’s Office 305.243.6400
laes Wahlestedt, M.D.,
Ph.D., is Leonard M.
Miller Professor, Vice
Chair for Research in the
Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences
and Associate Dean and
the Director for the Center
for Therapeutic Innovation.
Dr. Wahlestedt has au-
thored over 200+ papers
with 30,000+ citations. His
ongoing research projects
concern basic research in
genetics, epigenetics, neu-
roscience, cancer, as well
as drug discovery across
several therapeutic areas.
A native of
Sweden, Dr. Wahlestedt
obtained his M.D. and
Ph.D. degrees from Lund
3
nology start-ups are CURNA Inc.
(acquired by OPKO Health in
2011) and Epigenetix Inc.
Dr. Wahlestedt travels a great
deal and enjoys spending week-
ends relaxing, reading a good
book, and enjoying a home
cooked meal. His hobbies include:
skiing, bike riding, playing squash,
playing bridge, and going to the
opera. He reports being a pretty
good cook, but would love to one
day refine that skill, and become
more of a culinary expert. Perhaps
we could convince our Staff Star
Joyce Sadler (see page 3) to
share some of her delicious reci-
pes with him! To recommend
someone for Faculty Spotlight
please email suggestions to
Spotlight on the Board: Donna Shepard
Donna has been a member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behav-
ioral Sciences’ External Advisory Board since May of 2014. Susan Racher,
Co-Chair of the Department’s Advisory Board shares with us; “Donna brings
energy, passion, insight and spirit to our Advisory Board. She is a trusted
confidante and a joy to collaborate with; her wonderful wit takes the “work”
out of volunteer work”.
Her history for volunteering is immeasurable. From being a Guardian ad
Litem, to feeding the homeless and being part of Camillus House, to a United
Way supporter, ensuring that every child, no matter their background, receive
an education and so much more.
Before her 60th birthday, she recognized that what was most important for her was to not change the
world, but to make a difference in it. Having had multi-generational family members with mental health
disorders prompted her to refocus on one interest; advocacy for mental health in our community.
She has always had a love for the law and a sense of justice, and a profound aversion to injustice. Her
desires are clear: to see a radical change in Miami on what we spend on mental health care costs; to see
the end to criminalization of mental illness; to help unite the various programs/services we offer in Miami
under one umbrella and to shatter the stigma and promote that recovery is possible.
Donna, thank you for joining us as we work together to improve the lives of those suffering from
mental illness and the lives of their families.
STOP THE STIGMA SUMMIT he University of Miami’s Department of
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences,
along with the Miami Chapter of the
National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI), hosted a summit for over 270
participants on May 2nd, 2015 to educate our
community about mental illness. The all-day
event, “Stop the Stigma: Advancing Treatment of
Mental Disorders,’’ featured Dr. Charles
Nemeroff, Dr. Sara Czaja, Dr. Phil Harvey and Dr.
Ushimbra Buford from the department as well as
other community leaders. They were joined by
Elyn Saks, who lives with schizophrenia and is a
professor of law, psychology and psychiatry at the
University of Southern California Gould Law
School and author of The Center Cannot Hold:
My Journey Through Madness, and Pete Earley,
journalist, mental health advocate and Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book, Crazy: A Father’s Search
Through America’s Mental Health Madness.
The department’s residents presented their research pro-jects during the Scientific Poster Session held during the lunch hour. Pictured are: Dr. Samantha Block, PGY-2 (L), Jared Abramson, Vice Chair, Dr. Carolyn Drazinic, Dr. Charles Nemeroff and Dr. Lujain Alhajji, PGY-2.
T
2
Selected Studies of Interest
Early Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia A Phase 3, 12-week, Multicenter,
Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of 2 Fixed Doses of Brexpiprazole (OPC-34712) in the Treat-ment of Subjects with Agitation Associated with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (Dr. Elizabeth Crocco, [email protected]) Novel Detection of Early Cognitive and
Functional Impairment in the Elderly AND A Consortium to Study Novel
Markers of Early Alzheimer’s Disease (Dr. David Loewenstein, [email protected])
Schizophrenia
Clozapine for Cannabis Use Disorder in Schizophrenia (CLOCS) AND Social cognition psychometric evaluation
in Schizophrenia (SCOPE) (Dr. Philip Harvey, [email protected])
HIV-1/NeuroAIDS
HIV-1 Infection in Methamphetamine abusers: Endocrine Outcomes AND HIV-1 Predictive Biomarkers of CVD
Risk in Diverse HIV-1 + Cocaine (Dr. Mahendra Kumar, [email protected])
Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Treatment and Research
“Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Gabapentin Enacarbil (Horizant®) Extended-Release Tablets for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (Dr. Ihsan Salloum, [email protected]) Biological Basis of the Major Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Prospective Determination of Psychobiological Risk Factors for PTSD (Dr. Felicia Gould, [email protected])
Cognition
A multicenter validation study of the tablet-based brief assessment of cognition (Tablet BAC) (Dr. Philip Harvey, [email protected])
Caregiving
Caring for the Caregiver Study (Dr. Sara J. Czaja, [email protected])
Complementary & Integrative Medicine
A New Approach to Diagnosing Diabetes and Blood Pressure Using ZYTO Biosurvey Technology. (Dr. John Lewis, [email protected]) A double-blinded, randomized study of IV
infusion of magnesium sulfate versus 5% dextrose in a crossover design in male and female volunteers with treatment.
(Dr. John Lewis, [email protected])
Our University’s cultural transformation successfully
continues with the DIRECCT core values in place.
Joyce has been selected as this edition’s staff star as she
embodies core values and demonstrates the behaviors that
we desire from our employees every day.
Diversity – Joyce accepts all people without judgment and
treats them with dignity and respect
Integrity – one of Joyce’s strongest virtues; she will never spin,
slant or hide the real truth
Responsibility – she owns a task until it is complete;
for example, go to her office during budget season and
she is always there burning the midnight oil
Excellence – Joyce takes incredible pride in her work and our department
Compassion – if anyone at the U needs help, she doesn’t pause to check her job description;
she helps
Creativity – she will figure out how to navigate any obstacles that are a challenge
Teamwork – do we even need to say it, or does everyone already know that she is the glue
that holds the department together
Her hard work and dedication doesn’t end at the office. Ten years ago at holiday time, through
the Samaritan’s Purse Organization, she lovingly and creatively packed a shoebox with small toys
and gifts to be sent to an impoverished child somewhere in the world. Every year since, the boxes
and the artistry grows and it seems that last year’s goal of 21 boxes was completed.
Joyce is an avid gardener, surely coming from her Jamaican roots, where her father at 94 is still
“working the land”. From preparing green juices, vegetable juices, to her favorite annual
Thanksgiving feast of fresh cooked creative dishes (her 25 year old son Zoa’s favorite); her
culinary creations earn her an additional star!
For over twenty-nine years, Joyce always puts her best foot forward; presents with the same
kind, sincere, inviting and steady professional demeanor that we all wish we could consistently
deliver. Congratulations Joyce for being this edition’s Staff Star!
Joyce Sadler, Director of Business Operations
University, and then went on to
develop an international career in
academia as well as in the phar-
maceutical industry.
Prior to joining the University
of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a
founding professor and director of
neuroscience at the Florida cam-
pus of The Scripps Research Insti-
tute (2005 — 2011). Before that
he was an endowed professor of
pharmacogenomics and chair of
the Department for Genomics and
Bioinformatics (now Cell and Mo-
lecular Biology) at the Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm (1997-
2005). He has also directed large
drug discovery and biotechnology
teams in the pharmaceutical in-
dustry for Astra-Zeneca, Pharma-
cia & Upjohn, and Pharmacia Cor-
poration. His most recent biotech-
For a Mental Health Emergency
Call 911, if someone is in danger of hurting themselves or others
University of Miami Hospital (UMH) Mental Health Admissions/ER 305.689.4444
Jackson Mental Health (JMH) Crisis Triage 305.355.7332
Silver Alert - If your loved one
has gone missing, please call 911 immediately. A statewide initiative to involve the public in locating a cognitively impaired driver who has gotten lost. Go to: http://www.floridasilveralert.com/when-someone-goes-missing
Appointments and Office Numbers
Main Psychiatry Appointment Scheduling 305.355.9028 option 1
Behavioral Health Hospital 305.355.9028 option 2
Boca Raton 561.939.4044
Child & Adolescent 305.355.7077
Clinical Research Building 305.243.2301
Courtelis Center 305.243.4129
Deerfield Beach 954.571.0117
University of Miami Hospital 305.689.1352
Center on Aging 305.355.9081
Brain Fitness Pavillion 305.355.9080 English, then option 3
Memory Disorders Clinic 305.355.9065
Chairman’s Office 305.243.6400
laes Wahlestedt, M.D.,
Ph.D., is Leonard M.
Miller Professor, Vice
Chair for Research in the
Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences
and Associate Dean and
the Director for the Center
for Therapeutic Innovation.
Dr. Wahlestedt has au-
thored over 200+ papers
with 30,000+ citations. His
ongoing research projects
concern basic research in
genetics, epigenetics, neu-
roscience, cancer, as well
as drug discovery across
several therapeutic areas.
A native of
Sweden, Dr. Wahlestedt
obtained his M.D. and
Ph.D. degrees from Lund
3
nology start-ups are CURNA Inc.
(acquired by OPKO Health in
2011) and Epigenetix Inc.
Dr. Wahlestedt travels a great
deal and enjoys spending week-
ends relaxing, reading a good
book, and enjoying a home
cooked meal. His hobbies include:
skiing, bike riding, playing squash,
playing bridge, and going to the
opera. He reports being a pretty
good cook, but would love to one
day refine that skill, and become
more of a culinary expert. Perhaps
we could convince our Staff Star
Joyce Sadler (see page 3) to
share some of her delicious reci-
pes with him! To recommend
someone for Faculty Spotlight
please email suggestions to
Spotlight on the Board: Donna Shepard
Donna has been a member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behav-
ioral Sciences’ External Advisory Board since May of 2014. Susan Racher,
Co-Chair of the Department’s Advisory Board shares with us; “Donna brings
energy, passion, insight and spirit to our Advisory Board. She is a trusted
confidante and a joy to collaborate with; her wonderful wit takes the “work”
out of volunteer work”.
Her history for volunteering is immeasurable. From being a Guardian ad
Litem, to feeding the homeless and being part of Camillus House, to a United
Way supporter, ensuring that every child, no matter their background, receive
an education and so much more.
Before her 60th birthday, she recognized that what was most important for her was to not change the
world, but to make a difference in it. Having had multi-generational family members with mental health
disorders prompted her to refocus on one interest; advocacy for mental health in our community.
She has always had a love for the law and a sense of justice, and a profound aversion to injustice. Her
desires are clear: to see a radical change in Miami on what we spend on mental health care costs; to see
the end to criminalization of mental illness; to help unite the various programs/services we offer in Miami
under one umbrella and to shatter the stigma and promote that recovery is possible.
Donna, thank you for joining us as we work together to improve the lives of those suffering from
mental illness and the lives of their families.
STOP THE STIGMA SUMMIT he University of Miami’s Department of
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences,
along with the Miami Chapter of the
National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI), hosted a summit for over 270
participants on May 2nd, 2015 to educate our
community about mental illness. The all-day
event, “Stop the Stigma: Advancing Treatment of
Mental Disorders,’’ featured Dr. Charles
Nemeroff, Dr. Sara Czaja, Dr. Phil Harvey and Dr.
Ushimbra Buford from the department as well as
other community leaders. They were joined by
Elyn Saks, who lives with schizophrenia and is a
professor of law, psychology and psychiatry at the
University of Southern California Gould Law
School and author of The Center Cannot Hold:
My Journey Through Madness, and Pete Earley,
journalist, mental health advocate and Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book, Crazy: A Father’s Search
Through America’s Mental Health Madness.
The department’s residents presented their research pro-jects during the Scientific Poster Session held during the lunch hour. Pictured are: Dr. Samantha Block, PGY-2 (L), Jared Abramson, Vice Chair, Dr. Carolyn Drazinic, Dr. Charles Nemeroff and Dr. Lujain Alhajji, PGY-2.
T
2
Another fall is upon us
and our Department has
much to be proud of.
We celebrated the grad-
uation of our Psychiatry
residents and fellows,
psychology interns, and
postdoctoral fellows on
June 6, 2015 at the Coral
Gables Country Club. What a terrific celebra-
tion. In July, we welcomed our new, much
heralded first year residency class. These 14
new medical school graduates join us from
excellent schools and I was delighted to see
them at our recent Grand Rounds. They are
the product of one of our very best residency
matches.
We closed the fiscal year on May 31st,
and it has been a successful one for both the
Department and the University of Miami
Health System. Our faculty continue to excel
in all aspects of academic life with new NIH
grants, research and teaching awards, and the
provision of outstanding clinical service.
Our relationship with Jackson Behavioral
Health Hospital (JBHH) is stronger than ever
and we have expanded the inpatient service at
the Hospital to 170 beds. We were delighted to
recruit Carolyn Drazinic, M.D., Ph.D., from
the University of Connecticut, to serve as our
Chief Medical Officer in Psychiatry of JBHH.
The University of Miami Hospital (UMH)
Mood Disorders Inpatient Unit, led by Edmi
Cortes, M.D. continues to thrive. Our electro-
convulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial
magnetic stimulation (TMS) services, led
by Martin Strassnig, M.D., continue to grow.
The construction of the new Day Treatment
Program at UMH, supported by the generous
donors on our community External Advisory
Board, is imminent.
Speaking of that Board, led by Mr. Harley
Tropin and Mrs. Susan Racher, we have wit-
nessed remarkable activity including the “Stop
the Stigma” event, co-hosted with the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at UMH.
This “sold out” affair featured well known
mental health advocates Ms. Elyn Saks and
Mr. Pete Earley, as well as a number of our
faculty. I am delighted to report that the De-
partment will host its first major fundraising
event, featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author
and comedian Dave Barry, on October 8, 2015
at the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art
Space in the Design District. For more infor-
mation, please visit the Department’s events
website. With Ms. Kelly Kirkpatrick, our new
development officer, having joined us from
Chicago and the addition of a few new and
energetic board members, several additional
outreach events are being planned.
I would be remiss if I did not mention
some of the many accolades received by our
faculty in the last few months, including new
NIH research grants (Drs. Beurel, Kumar,
Weiss-Jones, Loewenstein); election to
the American College of Psychiatrists
(Drs. Vasilu-Feltes, Crocco, and Durand);
being named editor of a new journal (Dr.
Philip Harvey); receiving an honorary doctor-
ate from Maimonides University in Buenos
Aires (Dr. Nemeroff); and Dr. Sara Czaja’s
appointment to President Obama’s Council
of Advisors on Science and Technology
(PCAST).
We have welcomed several new faculty
(Drs. Benton, Drazinic, McLeod-Bryant,
Rosado, Starovic) and are in the midst of
several additional recruitments.
At a time when many academic medical
centers in general and Departments of Psychi-
atry are contracting, we are fortunate to con-
tinue to grow in large part due to the support
we receive from our medical center leadership.
My best wishes to all of you as we embark on
a new academic year.
Sincerely, Charlie
.
Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. Leonard M. Miller Professor and Chair
Editor: Adrienne Jaret Design and Production: Mario A. Hernández Executive Editor: L. Jared Abramson Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine www.psychiatry.med.miami.edu
DEPARTMENT PICNIC AND SOFTBALL GAME– October 4, 2015
For more information please contact [email protected]
SHATTER THE STIGMA INAUGURAL GALA – October 8, 2015
Inaugural Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Fundraising Gala at the De La Cruz Collection Contemporary
Art Space. Entertainment by Dave Barry.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK
– October 11, 2015
NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION (NEDA) WALK
– February 21, 2016
PSYCHIATRY GRAND ROUNDS NEW SERIES STARTS 9/16!
psychiatry.med.miami.edu/events/grand-rounds
9/16/15 Steven Siegel, M.D., Ph.D.
Biomarkers of Target Engagement in
Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum
9/30/15 Harold (Hank) Schwartz, M.D.
Sandy Hook
10/14/15 Julie Schweitzer, Ph.D.,
ADHD or Autism
10/28/15 Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D.
PTSD
Dr. Philip McCabe, Chair of Psychology (L), Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Radu Seveanu, Vice Chair of Education, at a recent reception of
the two departments.
Dr. Liz Crocco (L), Dr. Dante Durand, and Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, got inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists at
the 2015 annual meeting.
Dr. Sara Czaja (L), Dr. David Loewenstein and Dr. Elizabeth Crocco wel-comed over 40 community agencies to the Center on Aging to learn about
the latest research and clinical programs on aging within the department.
WELCOME
A warm welcome to our new faculty and staff!
Christopher Benton M.D., Assistant Professor, attending psychiatrist at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital (JBHH) Crisis Unit
Carolyn Drazinic, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chief Medical Officer at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital
Aaron Heller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry (secondary),
conducting research using brain imaging to better understand how depressed and healthy individuals sustain positive emotions Stephen McLeod-Bryant, M.D., Professor, attending psychiatrist at JBHH and director of student support services Marian Rosado, Psy.D., Assistant Professor, neuropsychology assessment research and treatment team Milos Starovic, M.D., Assistant Professor, attending psychiatrist at JBHH Crisis Unit Andrew Wawrzyniak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, conducting behavioral intervention research on HIV-infected patients to
improve retention and health outcomes
Kari Allen, M.B.A, C.R.A., Operations Project Manager Elizabeth Cosme, Manager, Patient Services
Kelly Kirkpatrick, Development Officer
Evelin Marquina, Research Administration Analyst focusing on pre award
Debora Lopes, Research Administration Analyst focusing on post award
Carola Martínez, Research Administration Analyst focusing on post award
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