News

Tuesday, May 24, 2016
NPR's KJZZ: Screen for postpartum depression for a whole year after childbirth

“One screen might miss a vulnerable woman who, on a certain day, seems fine but really hasn’t been doing well,” says Erin Smith, MD, senior resident at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Learn More

Friday, May 20, 2016
Stop smoking, put on extra pounds: Study suggests a new reason for that sad fact

Mice that were cut off from nicotine gained a substantial amount of weight, even if their calorie intake remained the same; mice on even low levels of nicotine lost weight without eating any less. Learn More

Friday, May 20, 2016
NPR's WESA: Fighting the opioid epidemic in western Pennsylvania

Graduate School of Public Health Dean Donald Burke, MD, estimates that doctors could provide compassionate care while prescribing only about 20 percent of the current amount of drugs. Learn More

Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Grace receives biological psychiatry award

Anthony Grace, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and professor of psychiatry and psychology, was given the Gold Medal Award at the annual meeting of the Society for Biological Psychiatry. Learn More

Tuesday, May 17, 2016
WALL STREET JOURNAL: How to get rid of back pain if you are among the desk-bound

Here are some stretches that are far better than touching your toes, advises Tony Delitto, PhD, professor of physical therapy and dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Learn More

Tuesday, May 17, 2016
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: How does the placenta shield against the devastation of Zika?

Virologist Carolyn Coyne, PhD, tests whether low levels of interferons in the maternal organ put developing babies at higher risk of neurological problems.   Learn More

Thursday, May 12, 2016
Study suggests 'Beating the Blues' by computer tops standard primary care

Certain on-line programs and support groups may be better for fighting anxiety and depression than a doctor visit, says the director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Smart Technology. Learn More

Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Heavy social media use appears to exacerbate disordered eating

Jaime E. Sidani, PhD, and colleagues found higher risk of body-image issues among young adults who logged on most -- and gender, race and income didn't matter.   Learn More

Tuesday, May 10, 2016
USA Today editorial: Keep fears about Zika virus in perspective

Americans defeated the 1964 rubella epidemic that infected 12.5 million, and we can do the same now with Zika, writes infectious disease specialist Amesh Adalja. ‏ Learn More

Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Study recommends better follow-up to catch postpartum depression

Mothers should be screened several times during the year after birth to distinguish between normal "baby blues" and a larger problem, according to research in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. Learn More

Monday, May 9, 2016
NPR's WESA: Ernesto Marques on facts, fallacies about Zika virus

The native of Brazil and professor of infectious diseases says previous Zika outbreaks didn't seem to cause birth defects or neurological problems in adults.  Has something changed? Learn More

Monday, May 9, 2016
NPR's WESA: Researchers solve puzzle about our sense of smell

In PNAS, Jianhua Xing, PhD, and colleagues show a model that suggests how a simple physics principle may help explain how we can detect so many different smells. It's kind of like an audience clapping.     Learn More

Friday, May 6, 2016
"Cura Zika" effort draws on wide range of expertise at Pitt and in Brazil

Check out Pitt's webinar on what's known about the Zika virus, annotated by speaker and topic. Zika infections from mosquito bites can cause severe neurological problems, especially in newborns. Learn More

Monday, May 2, 2016
NPR's WESA: Lead mimics calcium in the developing brain

Lead interferes with release of neurotransmitters normally triggered by calcium, says Anthony Pizon, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine. That leads to premature death of brain cells. Learn More

Saturday, April 30, 2016
FDA okays first drug for hallucinations in Parkinson's

FDA committee chair David Brent, MD, professor of psychiatry, says that, while there are some safety concerns with pimavanserin (Nuplazid), panelists concluded that the risk-benefit ratio is good. Learn More

Thursday, April 28, 2016
How does deep brain stimulation work, and what can it treat?

Listen to a Journal of Neurophysiology podcast by neuroscience professor Bill Yates, PhD, in an interview with neurosurgeon Mark Richardson, MD, PhD.     Learn More

Thursday, April 28, 2016
Prince's death puts opioid overdose epidemic in spotlight

HEALTH asks Antoine Douaihy, MD, professor of psychiatry and medicine, about overprescription and addictive potential of opioid painkillers.     Learn More

Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Computational model uncovers likely protein interactions tied to schizophrenia

A team led by Madhavi Ganapathiraju, PhD, found more than 500 previously unknown protein interactions associated with genes linked to schizophrenia.   Learn More

Friday, April 22, 2016
Pittsburgh Trib-Review: Pitt scientists form international alliance to fight Zika virus

Unwilling to wait for federal funding, the association is starting out with $1 million from anonymous donors and matching funds, says Donald Burke, MD, dean of the public health graduate school.   Learn More

Friday, April 22, 2016
$200K seed grants are now available for collaborative neuroscience

The Hillman Foundation is helping to kickstart projects that are likely to be competitive for future large-scale funding.  Deadline for groups of scientists to apply for these seed grants is May 31. Learn More

Pages