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Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff,
I want to start off this month’s issue by highlighting a tremendous honor for Dr. William Carpenter, whom the University of Maryland School of Medicine has recognized with the designation of Distinguished University Professor.
The title of Distinguished University Professor is the highest appointment bestowed on any faculty member at UMB. It recognizes not just excellence, but also tremendous contributions to the nominee’s field, science, and practice.
Dr. Carpenter’s contributions to the research and treatment of schizophrenia have spanned more than 45 years. In 1977, just 11 years after finishing formal training, he was recruited to become Founder and Director of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. He has produced over 450 peer reviewed articles in high impact journals, written over 80 books and chapters, and has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1978. He has received many of the highest awards in medicine internationally for his work in mental health and Schizophrenia, including the Schizophrenia International Research Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Since 2005, Dr. Carpenter’s leadership as Editor-in-Chief in Schizophrenia Bulletin has led the journal to dramatically increase its citations, and submission rates, to the point where it is now widely regarded as the journal of record in matters relating to psychosis and related disorders.
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Please join me in congratulating Dr. Carpenter on his new title. I know I speak for everyone in saying how proud we are of his contributions, leadership, mentorship of so many of us, and success as the first director of MPRC.
Finally I want to congratulate our fellows and fourth-year residents who are officially graduating at the Certificate Ceremony on June 15 at 8:30 AM.
To our fourth-year psychiatry residents: Congratulations Allison Rose Beckman, M.D., Shannon bush, M.D., Christina Jacob, M.D., Stephanie Kulaga, M.D., Jamie Jin Lee, M.D., Eryn E. Nagel, M.D., Kelly Thao Pham, M.D., Maria Puzanov, M.D., Isabelle Samantha Seto, M.D., Puja D. Sheth, M.D., Amit Suneja, M.D., M.P.H., and Anna Zeira, M.D., M.P.H.
To our fellows in Addiction Medicine, Umer Farooq, M.D., M.B.A., and Abhimanyu Kaura, M.D., our fellows in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Alyssa Marie Beda, D.O., Alexandra Lynch, M.D., Alicia Marie McDonnell Marhefka, M.D., Oluwasola Morakinyo, M.D., Gulafsheen Jabbar Quadri, M.D., M.A., and Jesse Wilson, D.O., our fellows in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Ariel Sade James, D.O., M.S., and Sean Zohorsky, M.D, and our Fellows in Forensic Psychiatry Cecilia Miranda Albers, M.D., and Laura Elizabeth Evans, M.D., congratulations!
I want to thank you all for giving us the privilege of being involved in your educations, as well as your years of service. We're all excited to see what you accomplish next!
Sincerely,
Jill A. RachBeisel, MD
Dr. Irving J. Taylor Associate Professor and Chair, Department
of Psychiatry
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After 18 years of leadership, Dr. William Carpenter is leaving his role as Editor-in-Chief and will be replaced by James Gold, PhD (pictured left). Dr. Gold, Professor of Psychiatry at the MPRC, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) will assume leadership July 1, 2023.
Dr. Gold's scientific work has greatly advanced knowledge regarding psychopathology of schizophrenia and related disorders, and his recognition for original research relating to psychotic illness assures continued leadership for the premiere international journal devoted to psychiatry’s primary disorder.
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A Public Service Announcement: We're Updating Our Website
So far, a few Division Directors have contacted our new Editor, Will Dahl, about updates you'd like to see to on your faculty profiles or division pages. But only a few. When browsing the various tabs on Division pages, I see room for numerous updates and pandemic-era phrasing that could be changed. And of course, regular updates need to be made to reflect the new and exciting work in our Department.
Over the next few months, Will is going to meet with each Division Director to cover changes and updates they would like him to make on the site. In the meantime, I want to encourage everyone to reach out to him about any fixes or updates you'd like to see on your faculty page or division tab. Most of these updates take just 10-15 minutes, and they can make a big difference for anyone trying to find details on a whole host of programs, research projects, and opportunities in our Department. You can reach Will at WDahl@som.umaryland.edu.
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Faculty Departmental Activities: Looking to Earn a Little Extra Income? | |
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In the months ahead, our Department will be expanding! We are hiring for a new director for faculty practices, and also additional faculty in our Consultation Liaison division.
If you know of any candidates you feel would be a good fit, I encourage you to send their resumes or contact information to Kelley McKnett, at Kelley.McKnett@som.umaryland.edu.
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The Department of Psychiatry Diversity Committee | |
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The Diversity Committee wants to hear directly from you. We are looking to highlight individual and group achievements over the course of each academic year. Feel free to submit your accomplishments and successes as they relate to DEI directly to Dr. Forrester at aforrest@som.umaryland.edu.
Our June spotlight goes to Andre Thompson. Andre was appointed to the Maryland Department of Health's Workgroup for Underrepresented Black, Latino, Asian American Pacific Islander, and other Underrepresented Behavioral health professionals. He will serve a term of 3 years on this work group. Congratulations Andre!
Our next Diversity Committee meeting is June 22 at 4pm.
Zoom link here: https://umaryland.zoom.us/j/97407561683?pwd=ZWpoTW5ET1ROWVZPNW04YXpnT3JHUT09.
We welcome everyone to join us at the monthly meetings and we continue to invite new members to join each of our sub-committees.
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Thursday, June 1 marked our last Grand Rounds presentation until the beginning of September. Below is a link to the presentation:
Title: “Does Synapse Nanostructure Enable Human Thought and Action?”
Link: https://youtu.be/rI8knVuxeP4
Presenters: Melanie Bennett, PhD, Beshaun Davis, PhD; Richard Goldberg, PhD, Peter Phalen, PsyD. and Caroline Quaglieri, MD
Activity Director: Dr. Christopher Marano
Planning Committee Members: Dr. Mark Ehrenreich and Dr. Christopher Miller
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Working with psychiatry resident Zofia Kozak, Dr. Mimi Belcher assessed rates of naloxone carry in patients who were enrolled in methadone treatment, a population at high risk of overdose. Despite ready access to naloxone education, training, and availability through our outpatient opioid treatment program, only 42% of participants reported regularly carrying naloxone. Factors significantly associated with increased rates of naloxone carriage included White race and college education. Importantly, engaging in other harm reduction behaviors was also associated with increased naloxone carry. These findings highlight the importance of encouraging the spectrum of harm reduction behaviors as a strategy to increase at-risk individuals' likelihood of carrying the life-saving antidote.
Dr. Belcher also worked closely with Dr. Jessica Magidson (picture unavailable) to conduct semi-structured, qualitative interviews with patients receiving methadone treatment for OUD to understand the impact of COVID-19-related changes (take-home doses, telehealth counseling options) to methadone treatment. You can read the findings in their publication, "Patient experiences of COVID-19-induced changes to methadone treatment in a large community-based opioid treatment program in Baltimore."
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Drs. Julie Kreyenbuhl and Robert Buchanan published an editorial in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Titled "An Argument for Antipsychotic Polypharmacy," it makes the case that it's time to reconceptualize the role of antipsychotic polypharmacy in the treatment of people with schizophrenia. | | |
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The University of Maryland School of Medicine just received one of the largest gifts in its history: a $10 million gift from the Kahlert Foundation to establish the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine.
With this gift, plus an additional $10 million from UMB for space construction, $5 million of SOM funds, and $5 million of future philanthropic support, the Kahlert Institute will bring a shared research space, recruitment funds for new faculty, and a vision to create synergy across the basic and clinical fields of addiction science and medicine.
Dr. Eric Weintraub has been chosen as one of three associate directors to represent the Institute's commitment to translational medicine. Congratulations, Eric!
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Cindy Schaeffer, PhD, Associate Professor (UM SOM) and Linda Dimeff, PhD, (EBPI, Seattle), received a 3-year NIDA-funded R44 grant entitled “iKinnect Mobile Technology to Reduce Teen Substance Misuse and Health Disparities.” This award will add clinical features to address adolescent substance use to the digital mental health intervention (app) iKinnect and test the app’s efficacy in a randomized controlled trial with you with a substance use disorder.
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In ABC News, Dr. Sharon Hoover provides answers to parents' top questions on teen mental health and what schools can do to combat an array of post-pandemic mental health challenges. To see details on the three-tier strategy she recommends schools employ for mental health, click here.
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Some Good News in the Fight Against Opioid Use Disorder...
The removal of the DATA 2000 Wavier (or X-Waiver) requirement to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder increases the number of providers eligible to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, expanding access to lifesaving treatment. Please take a moment to watch a call to action from consultants and addiction medicine experts with the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS), Drs. Sarah Kattakuzhy and Michael Fingerhood, to learn about the recent legislative changes to buprenorphine prescribing and how MACS can support prescribers and their practices.
Please consider watching this video and share with your prescriber networks: https://www.marylandmacs.org/MAT--MATE-Acts/Expanding-Access-to-Buprenorphine/?utm_source=UMpsychiatry&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Waiver-Removal
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