For the final episode of Season 2, we're joined by Dr. Samuele Cortese, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southampton (UK) and Adjunct Full Professor at NYU Langone. Together we explore the intersection of pediatric ADHD and precision psychiatry, including the disorder’s genetic underpinnings and evolving treatment options. 00:00 Introduction 00:54 Dr. Cortese's Research Journey 02:11 Global Perspectives and Challenges in ADHD Treatment 03:51 Advances in ADHD...

Dr. Timothy Wilens is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research interest include the relationship between ADHD, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders; ADHD pharmacotherapy; and stimulant medication misuse. On this episode, Dr. Wilens discusses the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in ADHD, as well as its lifelong implications. He takes us through the...

Dr. Ira Glick is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University Medical Center, where he has served as director of the Schizophrenia Research Clinic. On this episode, he discusses his research journey, which began in the 1960s and followed a shift from psychoanalysis to biological psychiatry. He addresses the broken social safety net for schizophrenia patients, including the controversial topic of treating some patients against their will, as well as the...

Dr. Christin Drake is Clinical Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Diversity and Equity in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. On this episode, Dr. Drake discusses ongoing efforts to improve mental health equity, including by improving psychiatric services for underserved groups, gathering better data, and boosting diversity among health care providers. She also discusses the importance of integrating mental health care into perinatal services and challenges the...

Dr. John Krystal is Chair of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. He is best known for leading the discovery of the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, which paved the way for the first major new antidepressant drug in decades. Here, Dr. Krystal talks about what we’ve learned in the five years since esketamine nasal spray was approved by the FDA, including efforts to predict treatment response, dosage and frequency, safety, and long-term impact. He also discusses advances in our...

Dr. Robert Findling is Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Here he discusses recent advances in pediatric mental health, including his own research on aggression and schizophrenia in young people. Dr. Findling also shares his thoughts on the crisis of teen suicide, the lingering impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health, and the need for early and collaborative interventions. 00:00 Introduction 00:46 Clinical and Research...

Dr. Charles Nemeroff is Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas-Austin's Dell Medical School. He is also co-director of the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, and director of the Institute for Early Life Adversity Research. His research is focused on the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders with a focus on the role of child abuse and neglect as a major risk factor. 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Dr. Nemeroff's Research...

Dr. Helen Riess is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of Empathy Research and Training in the Psychotherapy Research Group at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Empathetics, a company that provides science-based empathy and interpersonal skills training for healthcare professionals. Her research focuses on improving empathy and relational skills in physicians. 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Defining...

Dr. Christopher Pittenger is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Yale OCD Research Clinic. In this episode, he discusses the neurobiology, symptomology, and treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including potential new treatments such as psychedelics, neurofeedback, glutamate modulators, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).  00:00 Introduction 00:41 Why is OCD Underdiagnosed? 02:19 Impact of OCD on Individuals 03:40 Taboo Nature of...

Dr. Richard Davidson is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds.  In this episode, he discusses the current state of research on mindfulness and meditation as mental health interventions. 00:00 Introduction 02:15 Focus areas in current research 04:37 Well-being as a universal intervention 06:21 Beyond mindfulness: other forms of meditation 07:24 Four pillars of...

Dr. Ronald Kessler is the McNeil Family Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. His groundbreaking work on the social determinants of mental health, studied from an epidemiological perspective, has made him the most widely cited psychiatric researcher in the world.  In this wide-ranging conversation, he talks about precision psychiatry's enormous potential and incremental development, delving into his own efforts to better identify at-risk patients and predict treatment...

Dr. Petros Levounis is President of the American Psychiatric Association and a leader in addiction research. He joins host Thea Gallagher, PsyD, to talk about the latest in addiction medicine, the state of the opioid crisis, the growing problem of technology addiction, and the promise and risks of psychedelic medicine. He also shares his hopes for the future of psychiatry, including better integration of diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes for people with mental health disorders. 00:00...

Starting this fall, we're releasing 12 more conversations with the best minds in psychiatry. Subscribe wherever you're listening, so you won't miss an episode. Visit our website for more insights on psychiatry. Podcast producer: Jon Earle

Dr. Carla Nasca is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at NYU Langone, where she studies epigenetic mechanisms of neuroplasticity to stress. Dr. Nasca's work led to the discovery of acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), a metabolite found in the mitochondria, as a promising biological marker of depression. Topics: acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC) and major depressive disorderHow stress changes the brain on a structural/molecular levelRisk...

Dr. Tanya Sippy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at NYU Langone. She’s also Principal Investigator at the Sippy Lab and Associate Director of the Psychedelic Medicine Research Training Program. Her research explores the neural mechanisms that underlie how sensory stimuli become associated with goal-directed behavior.  Topics: How learning changes sensory representation (with implications for understanding addiction,...

Dr. Andrew Nierenberg is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the MGH Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation. He completed his residency in psychiatry at New York University/Bellevue Hospital. Topics: Lithium vs antipsychoticsSMART BD (Sequential Multiple Assignment of Randomized Treatment)Bipolar Learning Health NetworkMedication concordanceMore information: https://brain.harvard.edu/?people=andrew-nierenberg

Dr. Alan Schatzberg is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford Medicine, and Director of the Stanford Mood Disorders Center. His research examines the biology and psychopharmacology of depressive disorders. An NYU School of Medicine alumnus, Dr. Schatzberg was President of the American Psychiatric Association from 2009-2010. Topics: Ketamine and Esketamine (incl. mechanisms of action)Ketamine and obsessive-compulsive disorderOpioidsPsychedelic medicineFor more...

Dr. Michael Bogenschutz is a Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine. Topics: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorderMDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSDPsychedelic medicine for the "worried well"The role of the mystical experienceComparing different psychedelic medicinesMechanisms of actionTreatment protocolsSafety and risk-mitigationTopics for further investigationCited: Percentage of...

Dr. Omonigho M. Bubu is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he studies the connection between sleep and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as social determinants of health as they relate to cognitive health. In this interview, he discusses the importance of sleep, especially for people at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Topics: Alzheimer’s disease (AD)Associations between sleep and increased AD riskSleep...

Naomi Simon, MD, talks about her research into mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and yoga as treatments for anxiety disorders. Dr. Simon is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of the Anxiety, Stress, and Prolonged Grief Program. Topics: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)Kundalini yogaSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)Access to MBSR & Yoga (including smartphone...

Mohammed Milad, PhD, discusses recent research into fear conditioning, regulation, and extinction. Dr. Milad is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Program. Topics covered: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)Estrogen and PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)MeditationDeep brain stimulation

Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, is the Barbara Wilson Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health, and the Pillar Lead for the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity. Topics covered: Lack of improvement in health equity nationwideAdvice for clinicians on providing equitable careStructural competence vs. cultural competenceThoughts on integrating alternative therapies (ex. acupuncture, spirituality)Using...

Lenard A. Adler, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Adult ADHD Program at NYU Langone Health.  Topics covered: Symptomology (incl. sluggish cognitive tempo)Screening and diagnostic toolsPharmacological treatments (and recent developments)Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)Medication shortageApproaches to treatment-refractory patients

Dan Iosifescu, MD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of clinical research at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research. His research has led to the validation of novel treatments for patients with severe mood and anxiety disorders, including pharmacological treatments such as ketamine and other glutamatergic drugs, and devices such as novel forms of magnetic stimulation. Topics covered: Ketamine and EsketamineWhy certain...