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Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff,
These monthly updates have been on pause for the last twelve months, but not for want of newsworthy events in our Department. Today, we’re re-launching the Department’s newsletter, after bringing on Will Dahl as editor and communication coordinator. Will is joining us from the financial world, where he worked for nine years as editor for various publications. If you have any news you think should be featured in any of these issues, please email him at WDahl@som.umaryland.edu.
In December, the University of Maryland School of Medicine launched the New Maryland Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (UM-MIND), leveraging talent from more than 120 leading neuroscientists at UMSOM under one umbrella. UM-MIND will accelerate collaborative research on aging, brain injury, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
I can't overstate how momentous this is. With more than 53 million Americans, both youths and adults, experiencing mental illness and/or substance use disorders over the past year, understanding the causes and discovering effective treatment is paramount to our nation's health and future.
Finally, March is Women’s History Month. In recognition of this, I’ll conclude with a quote from Maya Angelou:
“Each time a woman stands up for herself she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou
Sincerely,
Jill A. RachBeisel, MD
Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry
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New Staff Members
Over the last few months, we've brought on numerous new hires to our central admin.
| In September, we welcomed Kelley McKnett as an administrative assistant, with Annemarie Ackerman joining as Director of Central Operations for MPRC. In October, we welcomed Chan Sesum as an accounting associate, and Jameta Rooths as a budget analyst. And in November, Kerrie Williams joined us as a business operations specialist for DPSR. | |
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New Faculty Members
In April 2021, Dr. Maged Harraz joined us as visiting assistant professor and addiction researcher. In September, Dr. Sarah Van Remmen joined us as Associate Medical Director of Psychiatric Emergency Services. In February, Dr. Kelly Register-Brown joined us as a clinical Assistant Professor at the First Episode Clinic at MPRC. Dr. Stephanie Hare, a clinical neuroscientist studying schizophrenia-related disorders, was promoted to Assistant Professor.
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A Reminder About Our IT Team
All faculty and staff members, both newcomers and veterans, should please keep in mind that our IT team's hours are 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Our Director of IT, David Flax, is available after hours in case of real emergencies but should not be contacted after regular hours if it's at all possible for the issue to wait until the next business day. Those 8:00 PM glitchy files and forgotten passwords can wait!
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The Department of Psychiatry Diversity Committee
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This academic year, our department has been focusing on Equity. Equity relates to power sharing and creating policies and practices which allow for all members of the department to fully contribute its evolution and advancement. The Department of Psychiatry remains committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment which is structured to support the highest level of patient care.
The next Diversity Committee meeting will be held on March 23 at 4 PM. We continue to encourage everyone to contact Dr. Forrester at aforrest@som.umaryland.edu to share success stories regarding their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts or personal stories about individual engagement around DEI.
Spotlight: DEI Champions
Sonia Bansal, PhD., Assistant Professor, Shuo Chen, PhD., Professor, and Yizhuo Ma, PhD., Assistant Professor, serve as DEI Champion for Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. Their roles support Dr. Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP, Interim Director of MPRC and the Chief of Diversity, Anique Forrester, MD to incentivize DEI efforts.
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MPRC Conte Center Virtual Seminar | |
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Mark your calendars for the next Department of Psychiatry Faculty meeting on Thursday, March 9. Lunch will be provided for those who have RSVPed!
Date: March 9
Time: 12 - 1:30 PM.
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In recognition of National Women’s History Month, I want to highlight a fantastic recent appearance by Dr. Sharon Hoover, PhD., on PBS. As Co-Director of the National Center for School Mental Health, Sharon shed light on the alarming rise in persistent sadness, hopelessness, and reported trauma in teenage girls, as well as possible causes and ways schools can help address the problem. I highly encourage you to watch Sharon’s seven-minute appearance here.
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Dr. Chris Miller, MD., published a column in The Washington Post in February titled "Three Skills From Psychotherapy That Can Change Your Brain." In it, Chris reveals how the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in flexible thinking and empathy, can be activated by talk therapy to help distressed people manage emotions and shift towards problem-solving. You can read Chris's column here. And don't miss his new book, The Object Relations Lens: A Psychodynamic Framework for the Beginning Therapist.
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In February, Dr. Constance Lacap, DO, was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, in recognition of high attainment in the medical sciences, practices, and fields. This award is an enormous endorsement of Dr. Lacap’s achievements as a teacher and clinician. Dr. Lacap's induction ceremony into the Society will take place on March 14.
In September, Dr. Robert Schwarcz, Head of the Neuroscience Program at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and Professor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was awarded the 2022 Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF). This award - given to only one medical professional each year - was established in 1987 by the late Stephen and Connie Lieber, global champions of psychiatric research, and is one of the most coveted recognitions in the field. The Lieber Prize was presented to Dr. Schwarcz at the BBRF International Awards Dinner on October 28, in New York City. Congratulations, Dr. Schwarcz!
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