Department of Psychiatry

On May 11, awardees from the Larner College of Medicine Class of 2020, faculty and staff were recognized through an online Honors Celebration featuring remarks from Dean Page and videotaped presentations of each award.

​Do the cognitive changes that sometimes occur at menopause relate to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease? That’s what a newly launched study, co-led by University of Vermont Associate Professor of Psychiatry Julie Dumas, Ph.D., aims to determine.

The phrase “keep your distance” has taken on a whole new and deeply important meaning in the era of COVID-19 and even Match Day, the annual senior medical student rite of passage, was not “immune” to honoring this behavior. On March 20, 2020, members of the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont’s Class of 2020 went virtual to ensure social distancing while celebrating the news of where they will be spending the next three to seven years training as residents following graduation.

Lee Rosen, Ph.D., assistant professor psychiatry and director of student well-being, recently published an essay, titled “Tumbling into Mindfulness–A Novice at Age 50,” in the November 2019 issue of The Snowboarder’s Journal. His essay explores how learning to snowboard as an adult forced him to practice the “growth mindset” he teaches to students and patients.

(DECEMBER 9, 2019) Associate Professor of Nursing Jennifer Laurent, Ph.D., FNP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Scott Mackey, Ph.D., were featured in an Associated Press story about their JAMA Pediatrics study looking at BMI and brain function that was picked up by multiple national outlets, including the New York Times.

Two University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine faculty have been named to a list of the world’s most influential researchers, based on the number of times their published studies have been cited by other researchers over the past decade. Researchers on the list are in the top 1 percent of all scholars whose work has been cited. The prestigious Highly Cited Researchers list is compiled and published annually by Clarivate Analytics.

The Larner College of Medicine's fourth annual "Celebrating Excellence in Research" series featured two days of presentations and recognition designed to highlight research performed by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the College.

The University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine and UVM Medical Center kicked off the fall 2019 series of Community Medical School with a presentation on September 10 by Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Pamela Swift, Ph.D., on "Solving the Mystery of Sleep: Patterns, Habits, & Tools."

UVM’s Faculty Activity Network, or FAN, presents a unique opportunity to find collaborators in different disciplines. The program comes with a perk: a lunch in Waterman Manor after the lab session with Richard Galbraith, M.D., Ph.D., whose only cost for participants is to weather the friendly interrogation the research vice president launches at his lunch companions.

Led by Vermont Center on Behavior and Health researcher and Associate Professor of Psychiatry Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., the UVM Center on Rural Addiction will serve as a resource for scientific and technical assistance, and will provide information and training to clinicians, programs, and policymakers seeking guidance on how to address substance use disorder challenges in their rural communities. During its initial three years, the center will focus on disseminating evidence-based practices to rural counties in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, relying on partnerships with collaborators throughout New England.

(AUGUST 2, 2019) David Fassler, M.D., UVM clinical professor of psychiatry was featured in an article in Psychiatric News from the American Psychiatric Association on a recent report stating that more than half of children and adolescents with ADHD may not be taking stimulant medications as prescribed.

(JUNE 18, 2019) Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D. was interviewed by the Beaumont Enterprise about the benefits of swim lessons for children on the autism spectrum.

(JUNE 4, 2019) The state’s three University of Vermont (UVM) Health Network hospitals are expanding access to treatment for patients with opioid use disorder with the support of a $1.5 million federal grant. The grant will support expansion of a program to offer rapid access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), such as buprenorphine, for opioid use disorder in the hospitals’ emergency departments.

(MAY 22, 2019) In April, the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Center on Behavior and Health at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM), and UVM Cancer Center launched a new longitudinal pilot study, called PACE Vermont (Policy and Communication Evaluation Vermont), which is engaging young people ages 12 to 25 to help close the knowledge gap in effective substance use prevention efforts.

The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and UVM Medical Center are hosting a Community Medical School lecture by Associate Professor of Psychiatry Andrea Villanti, M.P.H., Ph.D., titled “Vaping, Juuling, and E-Cigarettes: Public Health Implications” on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 6 p.m. in Carpenter Auditorium in the Given Building at the College of Medicine.

A study authored by Hugh Garavan, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, and former UVM postdoctoral fellow Catherine Orr, Ph.D., focused on the impact of even small amounts of cannabis on the adolescent brain, was recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience and has gained mass international attention from multiple news outlets.

David Fassler, M.D., UVM Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, who presented at the Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates at National Harbor in Washington, D.C., was featured in a meeting recap article in Psychiatric News.

Jim Hudziak, M.D., UVM professor and chief of child psychiatry, was featured on "CBS This Morning" to discuss the UVM Wellness Environment (WE) program.

The NIH announced December 3, 2018 that enrollment for the landmark Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is now complete and, in early 2019, scientists will have access to baseline data from all ABCD Study participants. There are over 11,874 youth, ages 9-10, participating in the study at 21 research sites around the country, including the University of Vermont (UVM).

Alexandra Potter, Ph.D., and Hugh Garavan, Ph.D., were featured in a Burlington Free Press article about UVM's role in the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.