Check your phone 86 times a day? Tech insiders say that’s by design

This story highlights the Center for Humane Technology, a nonprofit organization which aims to reverse the “digital attention crisis” of tech users and raise awareness of how technology can steer behavior and influence social interactions. Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Which anti-depressant is right for you? Your DNA can shed some light

This piece discusses how some doctors are using genomics to figure out the most effective anti-depressant for a patient. Charles DeBattista, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Alan Schatzberg, the Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Stanford Mood Disorders Center, provide comment here.

Scientists find possible autism biomarker in cerebrospinal fluid

In the fluid around the brain, low levels of a hormone called vasopressin are linked to low social ability in monkeys and to autism in children, Stanford scientists have found. Lead author Karen Parker, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here and featured in several articles; please visit:

• Is vasopressin what's lacking in the brains of those with autism?
  
• A breakthrough for understanding autism? Study finds monkeys with low levels of key hormone are less social than others - as were children with the disorder
• In monkeys, researchers find possible biological marker of autism
  
• Autism test and treatment on horizon as scientists find hormone deficiency link 
  
• Hormone Linked To Autism May Provide New Test And Treatment
• Scientists Identify Hormone That May Be Autism Biomarker
• Low levels of hormone linked to autism in boys, scientists say
• Possible Autism Biomarker Found in Monkeys

The Happy School

Amy Alexander, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences was interviewed as part of this Yale News piece on mental health and well-being on campus.

Why America’s cocaine problem is now a fentanyl problem too

Synthetic opioids and cocaine used together are contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths. This piece explores this phenomenon and quotes Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Does your pooch really need Prozac?

In this piece, Nathaniel Morris, resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the use of psychiatric medications in pets.   

New CDC report finds that the autism rate in the US is increasing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in the United States. Experts suggest the rise may be due to better recognition and reporting among minority populations. Antonio Hardan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic, is quoted here.   

These new dads love their babies. So why can’t they stop thinking about hurting them?

Carolyn Rodriguez, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article about men’s postpartum mental health issues.   

AI Tools Target Mental Health

Chatbots and algorithms may help doctors treat depression more effectively.  Alison Darcy, adjunct lecturer in psychiatry and behavioral sciences is featured and Adam Miner, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences is quoted in this article.

Sound awake: “Noisy” neurons may repeatedly disrupt your sleep

New research proposes that spontaneous arousals during sleep are due to random electrical activity in a specific set of wake-promoting neurons in the brain. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who was not involved with the research, provides comment in this article.   

Are restrictions on opioids a threat to human rights?

A New York-based nonprofit is seeking evidence that the Center for Disease Control guidelines on opioid prescribing results in pain patients being forced off their medication. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here.   

Doctors are required to receive opioid training. Big pharma funds it. What could go wrong?

Some education courses for doctors about opioids are funded by pharmaceutical companies, raising concerns from some researchers about opioid promotion and misinformation. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this piece.    

Several White House medical unit staffers describe pressure to hand out meds

Experts comment on the practice of making prescription medication readily available to White House staff without consultation. Anna Lembke is quoted here.   

Overcoming cultural barriers to youth mental health access

Stanford’s Adolescent Mental Wellness Conference is set to take place this Friday and Saturday. The conference will focus on overcoming cultural barriers to youth mental health access. Shashank Joshi, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this blog post.   

On caring for suicidal patients: A psychiatrist reflects

This blog post highlights a recent opinion piece in JAMA by Nathaniel Morris, resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who reflected on his experiences caring for suicidal and mentally ill patients.   

Benzodiazepines: America’s ‘other prescription drug problem’

A recent perspective published in The New England Journal of Medicine highlights benzodiazepine abuse in the United States. Co-author Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment here.   

AASM members give drowsy driving presentation at annual Lifesavers Conference

Three of AASM’s Occupational Sleep Wellness Presidential Committee’s members attended the annual Lifesavers Conference on highway safety priorities in April 2018 to disseminate education in drowsy driving.  Shannon Sullivan, clinical associate  professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured.

What’s wrong with growing neuron spheres?

Scientists use lab-grown brain organoids for research on psychiatric and neurological issues, raising ethical concerns over the potential consciousness of the cells. In an opinion piece in Nature, Sergiu Pasca, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Hank Greely, with the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, discuss ethical issues and guidelines of human experimentation. The opinion piece is highlighted here and in articles from The Guardian (U.K.), Newsweek, and NPR:

• Growing brains in labs: why it's time for an ethical debate
• Human Consciousness: What Are the Ethics of Experimenting with Brain Tissue?
• Tiny Lab-Grown 'Brains' Raise Big Ethical Questions

Some people who mocked Nasim Aghdam’s YouTube videos regret it now

Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece about cyberbullying.

More older Americans are smoking marijuana

Marijuana use is consistently more prevalent among the baby boomer generation, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes in this piece.   

Opioid treatment gap in Medicare: methadone clinics

Methadone is an established, effective treatment for opioid addiction, many experts say, but it is not covered by Medicare. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this piece.   

Advice on how to cope with the threat of school shootings

This blog post highlights a recent Stanford Magazine article featuring Victor Carrion, who offers advice on how families can cope with the stress of school safety. Carrion is the John A. Turner, MD, Endowed Professorship for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Patients have more power than they think, even when unconscious

David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and Beth Darnall, clinical professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, are included in this piece that discusses hypnosis, anesthesia, and non-drug strategies to alleviate pain.   

Childhood obesity and depression are both driven by the same brain abnormalities, study finds

Obesity and depression in children and teenagers may be neurologically connected, according to new research led by Manpreet Singh, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and Natalie Rasgon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. For more coverage, please visit:

• Childhood obesity and depression are both driven by the same brain abnormalities, study finds
• Childhood obesity, depression may be driven by shared brain abnormalities

Does medical marijuana decrease opioid use or boost it?

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted its support for the first marijuana-based drug, a treatment for two rare forms of epilepsy in children. The decision has sparked researchers’ interest in the relationship between medical marijuana and the opioid epidemic, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes in this piece.   

80 new genes identified in hunt for depression’s DNA roots

A new study reveals 80 genes that potentially increase the risk of depression. Douglas Levinson, the Walter E. Nichols, M.D. Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who was not part of the research, provides comment in this piece.   

When the doctor becomes the victim

Shaili Jain, Medical Director of the Primary Care- Behavioral Health Team at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Clinical Associate Professor (Affiliated) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences discusses the somber task of making risk calculations as a psychiatrist in this KevinMD blog post.   

Washington and VA Researchers Make Important Discoveries about Disability and Death Among U.S. Vets

New research shows that veterans born in 1958 or later, who sustained service-related illnesses or injuries, died at the average age of 43 from causes mostly due to suicide, assault or accidents.  Ranak Trivedi, clinical psychologist and health services researcher at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System, and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is mentioned in this article.  For more coverage:  Finding links between disability and death among U.S. vets

How France cut heroin overdoses by 79 percent in 4 years

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this piece discussing how France deregulated buprenorphine, thus reducing heroin overdoses in the country.

Instead of taxing opioids, we can put the tax burden directly on opioid selling

 This piece discusses proposed taxes on prescription opioids and quotes Keith Humphreys.

New Stanford center focuses on precision mental health

With the newly-established Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness at Stanford, Leanne Williams plans to deepen and broaden her research connecting brain function and mental health and bring those discoveries to patients.

From loss to a legacy of hope: A father makes a gift to advance addiction medicine

Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been chosen as the inaugural holder of the Esther Ting Memorial Professorship. This blog post and accompanying video share the journey of George Ting, MD and the establishment of the professorship in honor of his daughter Esther, who died from an overdose.

Students With Autism Excel in Working With Data, Helping Scientists

A new programs matches disabled students’ passions with meaningful work.  Antonio Hardan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Night owls have 10% higher mortality risk, study says

New research suggests that people who are evening types – or “night owls” – have a 10 percent increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with morning types of people. Jamie Zeitzer, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who was not involved with the research, provides comment in this piece.   

Our new normal: Growing Up with School Lockdowns and Active Shooter Drills

Victor Carrion, vice chair and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, talks to Stanford magazine about how kids and families can cope with the onslaught of school shooting news.

Why doctors don’t use alternatives to opioids

Alternatives to opioids are available, yet few doctors recommend non-opioid treatments as a first resort, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes in this piece.   

Stanford Refugee Research Project aims to empower refugees

Stanford’s Refugee Research Project (SRRP) is an ongoing effort to determine what resources the university has available to empower refugees in the ongoing Syrian crisis. Laila Soudi, project lead for the SRRP, is quoted here.   

Congress isn’t doing enough on opioid treatment

Anna Lembke and Keith Humphreys provide comment in this piece about government funding for combatting the opioid epidemic. Lembke is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic; Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

This overlooked aspect of opioid recovery has become a focus for health centers

This piece explores the use of medical-legal partnerships to address the opioid crisis. Keith Humphreys is quoted.   

Tackling tough teen mental health issues

Shashank Joshi, MD, is featured in a Q&A offering advice to local parents about mental health topics that teens may face.

Tall Tree awardees unveiled

Shashank Joshi, MD, was awarded a 2018 Tall Tree award for Outstanding Professional for his work addressing mental health issues in Palo Alto schools.  Congratulations, Dr. Joshi!

The Japanese Art of Lounging

The article takes a look at the Japanese tradition of dozing off or lazing about in bed, somewhere between wakefulness and rest. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed for the article.

Being a neuroscientist: A conversation with veteran Stanford brain researcher Rob Malenka

This blog post highlights a recent profile in Neuron of Rob Malenka, the Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and his work in neuroscience.   

How to not get hooked on pain pills

This piece highlights the process of becoming addicted to opioid pain medications and offers tips to avoid it. Beth Darnall, clinical professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, and Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provide comment.

Medical community divided on Medicare’s policy to shorten high-dose opioid prescriptions

In an effort to curb the opioid epidemic, Medicare announced on Monday a rule that discontinues payment for long-term, high-dose opioid prescriptions. In this segment, experts weigh the consequences and benefits. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, was interviewed.   

Stanford Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences #7 in the nation for 2019 Best Medical School Specialty rankings

This year for the first time, U.S. News conducted specialty rankings in anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, radiology and surgery. These fields were added based on suggestions from medical schools deans to better reflect the curriculum taught at medical schools.  Survey respondents each identified up to 10 schools offering the best programs in each specialty area.  Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is listed at #7!

Can this neuroscientist solve the autism puzzle?

This article profiles Karen Parker, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, whose research focuses on autism.

How Texas is busting the traditional silos of mental and physical health care

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article about integrated health care.

Medicare considers issuing limits on opioid prescriptions

In this segment, Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, discusses a proposal by Medicare to stop paying for long-term, high-dose opioid prescriptions.   

How World Hypnotism Day ended up on the agenda of Virginia's legislature

David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is mentioned in this piece about official recognition of hypnotism.   

Spotlight: Partnership Between Stanford ELSPAP and Tipping Point Advances Wellness at Bay Area CBOs

The Wellness Program – a partnership between Stanford’s Early Life Stress and Pediatric Anxiety Program (ELSPAP) and the Tipping Point Community – presents community based organizations with opportunities to access a program of comprehensive wellness services, not only for their clients but also for client families and program staff.

Drug deaths are highest in regions with more divorce and single-parent families

A new study suggests that geography is far less important in explaining overdose deaths than are family life and job opportunities. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Americans take more opioids than any other country — but not because they're in more pain

This piece, written by Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the misuse of opioids in the United States. It originally appeared on Wonkblog (WashingtonPost.com).

Medicare is cracking down on opioids. Doctors fear pain patients will suffer.

Officials are close to limiting doses of the painkillers, but doctors say doing so could put some patients into withdrawal or lead them to buy deadly street drugs. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, is quoted in this story.

Trump plans to fight opioid epidemic online, in ads

Part of Trump’s plan to tackle the opioid crisis is a multimillion dollar media blitz aimed at keeping kids off of painkillers and heroin. Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed about whether the ad campaign will be effective enough.

How a young woman lost her identity

This story focuses on a woman with dissociative disorder. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel, Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

How to deal with sexual side effects from antidepressants

Sexual dysfunction and reduced libido is a common side effect from antidepressants. Nolan Williams, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article that examines how to address the issue.

Two Stanford seniors and a Stanford Medicine researcher win 2018 Gates Cambridge Scholarships

Monica Kullar is among three winners with Stanford affiliations who are part of the 35 Americans awarded scholarships to pursue graduate studies at the University of Cambridge in England.  Kullar is a clinical neuroscience research coordinator in the PanLab, part of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, focused on precision mental health and translational neuroscience.

Why do some people need more sleep than others?

Emmanuel During, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article about sleep patterns.

Trump pushes death penalty for some drug dealers

Severe penalties, including the death penalty, are being discussed to address the opioid epidemic. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece.   

Advances offer new hope for stroke survivors

This blog post highlights an article in the winter issue of Stanford Medicine magazine that explores new advancements in preventing and treating strokes.  Amit Etkin, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and colleagues across the School of Medicine, are featured in the article.   

The new chill pill — why cannabis is coming for sleeping pill poppers

This piece discusses the use of cannabis in place of sleeping and anti-anxiety medications. Fiona Barwick, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

The trauma of having a newborn in the NICU

After premature births or other health struggles with newborns, parents can experience trauma. This piece discusses how peer networks are beginning to help. Richard J. Shaw, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

A quiet drug problem among the elderly

Despite warnings from experts, older people are using more opioids and benzodiazepines, putting them at risk of serious side effects and overdoses. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and co-author of a perspective highlighting benzodiazepine use in the United States, provides comment in this article.   

Depression in reproductive-age women is relatively common and undertreated, new research suggests

About 5 percent of reproductive-age women have had major depression and another 5 percent have experienced minor depression, according to a new study. Authors include Alexander Butwick, associate professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine; Thalia Robakis, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and research analyst Nan Guo.   

Is a cure for snoring finally getting closer?

In this article, Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment on devices effective at reducing snoring.   

Astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA did not ‘change in space’ the way you think

An inaccurate story stating Scott Kelly’s DNA changed 7 percent during his time in space has circulated the internet, prompting researchers to express their disappointment with the misinformation. Emmanuel Mignot, the Craig Reynolds Professor and director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, provides comment in this article.   

For women in health care, is danger part of the job?

In this piece, Jessica Gold, resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes about the risks of workplace violence for women in health care.   

Beyond good/bad: Stanford researcher aims to refine our understanding of sleep

At the Precision Health and Integrated Diagnostics seminar held at Stanford this month, Jamie Zeitzer addressed some of the most fundamental questions in sleep research. Zeitzer is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Higher risk of brain deficits in older individuals dependent on alcohol

According to a new study, alcohol use disorder may cause greater risks of damage in frontal lobe function in aging brains. Edith Sullivan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is a co-author of the study.   

This hypnotist charges half a bitcoin for helping you remember your lost cryptocurrency password

In this piece, David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel, Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, comments on the efficacy of hypnosis.

“Brain balls” let scientists mimic, study neurodevelopmental disorders in a dish

This blog post highlights an article in the winter issue of Stanford Medicine magazine about the research of Sergiu Pasca, who uses lab-grown brain balls to understand psychiatric and neurological diseases. Pasca is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Q&A: What’s known of fatal shootings at California vets home

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece about the fatal shootings at a Northern California veterans home.

Spotlight: Department Faculty Speak at World Economic Forum

When David Spiegel addressed an audience at Davos 2018, he became the fourth member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences faculty to speak at the prestigious event. World Economic Forum (WEF) presenters in prior years have included Amit Etkin in 2015 and Rob Malenka and Keith Humphreys, both in 2016. In each case, these Department speakers impressed upon their audiences the profound global implications of the knowledge acquired in their respective research.

The government has been undercounting opioid overdose deaths up to 35 percent, study says

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses a new study that found the government has been undercounting opioid overdose deaths by 20 to 35 percent.

Mental Health Delivery: The Global Forefront

On February 28, Senator Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, in partnership with the Steinberg Institute, hosted a remarkable briefing that featured global leaders at the forefront of innovation and transformation in mental health care delivery.  Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences presented: From Stage 4 to Stage 1: Why California needs to shift the treatment paradigm from crisis care to early intervention

Announcing the appointment of Mark McGovern, Ph.D., as Co-Chief of the Division of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Mark McGovern, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as the new Co-Chief of the Division of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences.  Together with Division Co-Chief, Cheryl Gore-Felton, Ph.D., they will work to bridge the fields of psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology, technology, global health, and ethics, as the Division continues to significantly grow both in terms of faculty size and scientific depth.

Alcoholics Anonymous works for some people. A new study suggests the alternatives do too.

This piece discusses a new study that examined how people’s self-reported outcomes with Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs compare with the three biggest alternative mutual help groups. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Can this judge solve the opioid crisis?

A federal judge in Ohio is working to quickly settle some 400 lawsuits against drug makers and distributors. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, is quoted in this story.

Overshadowed by the opioid crisis: A comeback by cocaine

This piece discusses how the cocaine is the No. 2 killer among illicit drugs in the U.S. and kills more African-Americans than heroin does. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Tad and Dianne Taube donate $14.5M to youth concussion and addiction research initiatives

Earlier this year, Tad and Dianne Taube of Taube Philanthropies donated $14.5 million to the School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to fund research on addiction and concussions in youth. Anna Lembke is quoted here. The gift will launch initiatives led by Laura Roberts, the Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Gerald Grant, associate professor of neurosurgery; and David Camarillo, assistant professor of bioengineering.

Addiction’s vicious cycle devastates county families

The article looks at how opioid addiction is devastating patients and their families. Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, offers insight on how to deal with the crisis.

Brain scans and DNA tests personalise mental healthcare

In her Stanford laboratory, professor Leanne Williams is trialling a holistic approach to treating depression, which she hopes will become a future model of mental illness care. Using brain scans, blood tests, saliva samples and questionnaires, she gives targeted prescriptions based on her patients’ biology and history.

We need to rethink mental health laws. But not because of mass shootings.

Conversations about guns and mental health often stigmatize mental illness and inaccurately portray mental health care, writes Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, in this perspective piece.

Teaching patients in pain self hypnosis could help curb the opioid crisis, Stanford researcher says

This post highlights a talk by David Spiegel at last month's World Economic Forum on how hypnosis helps reduce pain and could help curb the opioid epidemic. Spiegel is the Jack, Samuel, and Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

What kids’ trauma looks like across the U.S.

This article examines adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs and quotes Hilit Kletter, clinical assistant professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.    

Spotlight on prescription drug abuse: A Q&A with a Stanford psychiatrists and addiction researcher

A perspective published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine highlights benzodiazepine abuse in the United States. This blog post features a Q&A with co-author Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Jennifer Papac, resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are also co-authors.   

Healthy Minds: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The Emmy-nominated PBS series, Healthy Minds, interviewed Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, for this season’s episode entitled: “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,” which is now available for viewing on line.  Other speakers in this season include Eric Kandel, Francis Lee, Anne Marie Albano, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Jeff Lieberman, Herb Pardes, and Tom Insel. For more on this series please visit: Healthy Minds with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein

New book offers strategies to address emotional and binge eating

Breaking an addiction often involves some form of abstinence, yet for people addicted to food, abstinence isn’t an option. Eating disorders aren’t like addictions to drugs or alcohol, Sarah Adler, PsyD, and her colleague Debra Safer, MD, explained in an article featured in Stanford Medicine's Scope Blog, where they recently discussed the origins of their new book, The DBT® Solution for Emotional Eating: A Proven Program to Break the Cycle of Bingeing and Out-of-Control Eating.

Xanax, Valium looking like America’s next drug crisis

New research highlights the increase in benzodiazepine abuse in the United States. Perspective author Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment here.   

People with mental illness can make psychiatric advance directives. We need to encourage them to do so.

This piece discusses psychiatric advanced directives for patients with mental illness and quotes Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Tragedy beyond words in East Ghouta, last rebel stronghold near Damascus

This op-ed co-written by Laila Soudi addresses the urgent, growing humanitarian crisis in East Ghouta. Soudi is a clinical research coordinator in psychiatry and behavioral sciences and project lead for the Stanford Refugee Research Project.   

AI Helps Identify People at Risk for Suicide: Technology from Facebook, Cogito and others shows promise, but critics raise privacy concerns

Adam Miner, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences is quoted in this Wall Street Journal article on the role of artificial intelligence and suicide detection.  Subscription required for full text.

Benzodiazepines: our other prescription drug epidemic

This piece written by Anna Lembke examines the increase in benzodiazepine abuse in the United States. Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, also provides comment in a Q&A with WebMD.com.

Republicans try to link sanctuary cities to the opioid epidemic. They fail.

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece about immigration and the opioid epidemic.

What Is the Future of Mental Health Technology?

The burgeoning field of mental health tech is aimed at improving user wellbeing, with apps and technologies that aim to provide guidance for delicate mental health concerns, decrease isolation, and potentially save lives.  Vicki Harrison, MSW, Manager of the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, and of Community Partnerships, is interviewed here about the recently launched Stanford Mental Health Technology and Innovation Hub.

How a police chief, a governor and a sociologist would spend $100 billion to solve the opioid crisis

This piece examines potential solutions to the opioid epidemic. Anna Lembke and Keith Humphreys are included.

Zirpoli: Wrong response to opioid crisis

Keith Humphreys provides comment in this piece about the opioid epidemic.

Intense magnetic stimulation could reduce severe depression, new study shows

A new method of brain stimulation to treat depression improved symptoms in a small group of treatment-resistant patients who suffered for decades with no relief, according to a new Stanford study. Lead author Nolan Williams, instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this blog post.

Aziz Ansari, 100 French Women, "Witch Hunts" and Backlash

Dr. Shaili Jain, Medical Director of the Primary Care- Behavioral Health Team at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Clinical Associate Professor (Affiliated) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discusses what the #MeToo must learn from the science of sexual harassment.

Commentary: Purdue Pharma is done promoting opioids. Here’s why it’s a big deal

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has announced that it will no longer market opioids to doctors. In this piece, Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, discusses the influences of small gifts on prescribing practices.

April 20 pot holiday linked to spike in fatal car crashes

New research suggests 4/20 cannabis celebrations may be to blame for an increase in fatal car crashes. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Opioid makers funneled millions to patient advocacy groups

According to a new report, opioid manufacturers paid nearly $9 million to organizations that shape policy and public opinion around opioids. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

Can cannabis save us from the opioid crisis?

A new study adds to a body of research suggesting medical marijuana may help reduce opioid deaths, but experts say ending the epidemic will take much more than cannabis. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was interviewed during this segment.

I’m in love with myself: The age of digital narcissism

Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece looking at narcissism and self-obsession in the age of social media.

Smartphone detox: How to power down in a wired world

This segment discussed smartphone addiction and signs of problematic use. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, was interviewed.

Stanford Refugee Research Project explores ways University can aid refugee crisis

The Stanford Refugee Research Project aims to create a campuswide collaborative of organizations and individuals committed to relief efforts for the refugees. Michele Barry, director of the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, is principal investigator, and Laila Soudi, a clinical research coordinator in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will be leading the project, which is being funded by Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Dean Lloyd Minor.

All Things Considered (NPR)

Keith Humphreys was interviewed during a segment discussing the federal government's plans to curtail the opioid crisis.

Congress’s budget deal doesn’t do enough to fight the opioid crisis

Congress’s budget plan includes $6 billion to combat opioids over two years, but some experts believe more is needed. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here.

How To Fix Your Sleep Schedule

The article details what factors throw our sleep off and how to reset our body clocks. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences comments on how to send our bodies signals to adjust our sleep schedules.

Sleep 101: The Ultimate Guide on How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

The article takes a look at the importance of sleep, from the why to the how. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed for the story.

Instead Of Expanding Treatment For Opioids, Trump Says He Will Focus On Enforcing Laws

The Trump administration is focusing on tougher enforcement of drug laws, instead of increasing treatment as recommended by the White House Commission on Opioids. Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, comments on the lack of a comprehensive policy to curb the opioid epidemic in this NPR report.

Positive attitude towards math predicts math achievement in kids

A new Stanford study has found that kids with positive attitude towards math performed better in the subject. Senior author Vinon Menon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this Stanford Medicine press release.  For more coverage:

CNBC, HealthDay News; Health.com; U.S. News & World Report, and iNews (U.K.)

Why states should limit the potency of marijuana

In this post, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the public health concerns of the increasing potency of legalized marijuana.   

Studies at Palo Alto VA investigate the exercise-brain connection

With earlier studies suggesting a link between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline, researchers are investigating whether different forms of exercise can stave off Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in the fast-growing population of older Americans.  Jennifer Kaci Fairchild, a Clinical Associate Professor (Affiliated) at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University, is quoted in this article.

Sergiu Pasca awarded the 2018 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise were established in 2009 to encourage and support young immigrants who have already demonstrated exceptional achievements.  Sergiu Pasca, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences is featured in this piece for his 2018 award. 

For the accompanying video, please visit: Sergiu P. Pasca: 2018 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science

For more coverage:

• Stanford scientist wins award for immigrant scientists
• Stanford Scientist Sergiu Pasca Receives Prestigious Vilcek Prize for Stem Cell Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Innovative imaging technique helps scientists see circuits responsible for alertness

Using a brain imaging technique, a team of Stanford researchers led by Karl Deisseroth has been able to track brain activity in real time in specific neurons, uncovering the brain circuits that regulate alertness. Deisseroth is the D.H. Chen Professor and a professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Taube gift to launch youth addiction initiative

A gift of $9.5 million will launch the Tad and Dianne Taube Youth Addiction Initiative, led by the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  The program aims to comprehensively address the treatment and prevention of addiction during adolescence and conduct research into its causes. Stanford researchers believe the initiative will be the first in the nation to fully address addiction during earliest exposure in adolescence. It is part of a major endeavor at the School of Medicine and Packard Children’s to address mental health among young people. 

For more information:

Tad and Dianne Taube Gift $14.5 Million to Launch Youth Addiction and Children’s Concussion Initiatives

For additional coverage:

• Taubes Give $14.5 Million to Address Youth Addiction, Concussions
• Taubes dedicate $14.5 million to study youth addiction, concussions
• Woodside: Taubes dedicate $14.5 million to study youth addiction, concussions

Smoke and mirrors: Writing that commemorates Frankenstein

This blog post highlights the recent Pegasus Physician Writers’ forum, “Becoming Frankenstein: Our Risky Aspirations.” The event was part of Medicine and the Muse’s year-long series of events, films, classes and arts and technology festivals marking the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. John Van Natta, emeritus clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Hans Steiner, emeritus professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and James Lock, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are featured here.

New campuswide initiative to address Syrian refugee crisis

The Stanford Refugee Research Project aims to create a campuswide collaborative of organizations and individuals committed to relief efforts for the refugees. Michele Barry, director of the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, is principal investigator, and Laila Soudi, a clinical research coordinator in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will be leading the project.

The DEA is trying to help rural Americans get better access to addiction treatment. Will its plan work?

The Drug Enforcement Administration recently announced that more types of health care providers—not only doctors—will be able to apply to prescribe buprenorphine, an effective but potentially addictive medicine for treating opioid addiction. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here.   

Drugs kill more Americans than guns, cars and AIDS. How we got here.

Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this article about the opioid epidemic.   

No, Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion did not cause the opioid crisis

In this post, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the expansion of Medicaid and the opioid crisis.

Modeling the Human Brain in 3D

Dr. Sergiu Pasca is a professor at Stanford University who is using 3D cultures to understand human brain development. Pasca and his lab have previously published methods to make different types of brain organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that recapitulate human brain developmental events in a dish.

Eye On Tech Social Media and Sucide Prevention

This segment focused on social media safety in schools, with an emphasis on suicide prevention. Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was interviewed.

Why sexual harassment victims often can’t just ‘get over it’

This piece examines the negative psychological and physical consequences of workplace sexual harassment. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel, and Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was featured.

Psychiatry Innovation Lab nurtures young businesses

Applications are open now for submissions for Psychiatry Innovation Lab.  The American Psychiatry Association’s Workgroup on Psychiatry Innovation will review submissions and select the strongest based on several criteria, including value, viability, background, and impact. Finalists will receive expert mentorship from industry leaders in business, technology, medicine, investing, and government on how to improve the feasibility and effectiveness of the idea during the American Psychiatric Association meeting.  Dr. Nina Vasan, chair of the Psychiatry Innovation Lab and director of Brainstorm, the Stanford Laboratory for Brain Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship, is featured.

The technology of sleep: Can gadgets help?

In a recent episode of Science Friday, Jamie Zeitzer discussed sleep science and new sleep devices and apps. Zeitzer is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Imaginary creatures devour the peace of mind of the troubled few afflicted with delusions of parasitosis

This piece examines an uncommon psychological condition that causes delusions of parasitosis, the belief that parasites have invaded the body. David Relman, the Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor and professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology, and Chris Hayward, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are quoted here.

The aging brain: A conversation with a cognitive psychologist

This blog post highlights a recent 1:2:1 podcast with Ruth O’Hara, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, on the cognitive effects of worrying and anxiety in seniors. Paul Costello, the medical school’s chief communications officer, is host. For more, please visit:

Worrying and the effects on memory in seniors

His patients said floating in a sensory deprivation float was healing. So he tried it.

In this post, Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses floating, a form of sensory deprivation therapy, to manage mental illness.

The boy who stayed awake for 11 days

In 1963, two boys had an idea for a school science project – to stay awake for as long as possible. This piece looks back on that experiment and how it shed light on the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain. William Dement, the Lowell W. and Josephine Q. Berry Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, emeritus, is quoted.   

Department of Psychiatry investigators join UC Davis team to win NIH-funded, Autism Center oF Excellence (ACE) grant

Department of Psychiatry Investigators, Joachim Hallmayer, MD, Sundari Chetty, PhD, and Ruth O’Hara, PhD, joined Autism expert David Amaral, MD, and his team at the UC Davis MIND Institute and were awarded a 5-year, Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) grant. One of only five in the nation, their ACE aims to create a “Center for the Development of Phenotype-based Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorder,” that takes a personalized medicine approach to addressing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) treatment based on a child’s behavioral and biological characteristics with the goal of identifying and tailoring treatments that improve quality of life.

Just how bad is kids’ smartphone addiction?

Researchers are now recognizing the link between digital addiction and mental health risk factors. Anna Lembke, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, is quoted in this piece.

KQED: Investors Urge Apple to Take Action to Curb Digital Device Overuse Among Children

In this segment, Anna Lembke, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Dual Diagnosis Clinic, discussed digital addiction and overuse in children.

How To Stay Updated On The News Without Losing Your Mind

Research shows constant exposure to negative news may affect your mental health over time. Data published in 2016 by the American Psychological Association found that two out of three Americans feel anxiety over the future of the country. Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides tips for following the news while protecting your mental health.

At DePaul, creating video games for social good

To a DePaul University professor and her students, video games are more than just a fun way to pass the time.  The work at DePaul is part of a growing movement to use video games for social good. Although clinical trials and studies have not yet shown video games to be an effective treatment on their own, they are emerging as a new way to reach patients with mental health afflictions.  Dr. Nina Vasan is quoted in this article.

Why some people swear by Alcoholics Anonymous — and others despise it

This story examines the Alcoholics Anonymous program and quotes Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Christine Timko, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Have a drinking problem? Here’s a tool for finding effective treatment

In this piece, Keith Humphreys discusses the Alcohol Treatment Navigator, a tool developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, that walks treatment-seekers through important questions to ask and quality indicators to look for when choosing a treatment program.

Notable papers in autism research in 2017

Each year, SPECTRUM asks autism researchers to weigh in on the year’s most ‘notable papers’ — studies that changed the way we think about autism; they then count the votes and pick 10 winners.  Drs. Karen Parker and Antonio Hardan were featured at #3 with "Oxytocin spray boosts social skills in children with autism"

Virtual calming: Easing anxiety in young patients using immersive technology

This article highlights the ways virtual reality is being used to calm anxieties in fearful children and teens undergoing potentially frightening medical procedures, as well as to help them understand their illnesses and how their physicians plan to treat them. Anne Dubin, MD; Lauren Schneider, PsyD; Stephanie Chao, MD; Gerald Grant, MD; David Axelrod, MD; Tom Caruso, MD; and Sam Rodriguez, MD, are quoted.

Digital Psychiatry in 2017: Year in Review

Researchers like Adam Miner of Stanford also reminded us that using chatbots in mental health, or conversational artificial intelligence as he labels this group of technologies, is still complex but holds tremendous potential that will likely only expand in 2018.  The American Psychiatric Association hosted an Innovation Zone at its annual meeting where startups and psychiatrists met, mingled, and even co-created ideas for new ventures in the Innovation Lab, organized by Dr. Nina Vasan of Stanford. The Innovation Zone is back on for the 2018 annual meeting and likely to be even larger.

Technological Ventures Offer New Hope for the Future of Psychiatry

It is more important than ever that we join forces with stakeholders and share our ideas and expertise to create new ideas that work for our patients and for the systems in which we function. Brainstorm, the Stanford Laboratory for Brain Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship, is the first of its kind -- they apply the biopsychosocial model of disease to tackle problems on the systems level.

NIH's 2017 Research Highlights features Stanford lab

3-D model of human brain development and disease:  To study prenatal brain development and how such genetic mutations disrupt the process, a team led by Sergiu Pasca at Stanford University created a miniaturized brain model by directing human stem cells in a dish to become neurons and form 3-D brain organoids or brain-region “spheroids.” The studies were partially funded by NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Results were published in the May 4, 2017, issue of Nature.

Caffeine: good or bad?

Keith Humphreys was featured in this piece exploring caffeine addiction.   

Average U.S. life expectancy drops as opioid deaths climb

American life expectancy at birth declined for the second consecutive year due to a 21 percent rise in the death rate from drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discussed data during this segment.   

How my iPhone helped save my mental health

This piece is a reflection on the importance of a smartphone for one woman who struggle to remain mentally healthy. Keith Humphreys is quoted here.

18 realistic ways to become a happier, more chill person in 2018

This article provides tips to reduce stress and improve life in the coming year. Amy Poon, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Fueled by drug crisis, U.S. life expectancy declines for a second straight year

American life expectancy at birth declined for the second consecutive year due to a 21 percent rise in the death rate from drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece.   

Light-triggered genes reveal the hidden workings of memory

This piece profiles Susumu Tonegawa, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is working to understand memory. Karl Deisseroth, the D. H. Chen Professor and a professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is mentioned here.

To deter criminals, expand DNA databases instead of prisons

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses how adding criminals to a DNA database may help deter offenders.

An electrical brain switch shuts off food cravings

A characteristic electrical-activity pattern in a key brain region predicts impulsive actions just before they occur. A brief electrical pulse at just the right time can prevent them, Stanford scientists have found. Senior author Casey Halpern, assistant professor of neurosurgery, and study co-author Robert Malenka, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences are quoted here and in articles from Shots (NPR.org), The Week, Tech Times, and in a Stanford Medicine press release.  For more coverage, please visit:

• Could A Zap To The Brain Derail Destructive Impulses?
• Scientists want to zap your brain to stop you from making dumb decisions
• Zapping A Region Of The Brain Might Prevent You From Being Impulsive Or Having ‘Moments Of Weakness’
• Stanford study suggests electrical jolts could zap away destructive impulses
• Brain implant could stop sexual predators by zapping them 'in their moment of weakness', study claims
• Brain implant could stop sex predators and prevent suicide

Doctors urged to reduce opioids after surgery

Reducing the amount of prescription opioids and talking to patients about using and disposing of mediciations may be a simple solution to combating the opioid epidemic, according to a new study from Michigan Medicine. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this article.

How to cut down on holiday clutter and chaos

Nothing throws off our home organization game quite like the influx of stuff the holidays bring. From Christmas trees and ornaments to wrapping paper to the piles of presents (both outgoing and incoming), the clutter can start to get overwhelming.  Carolyn Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,  provides comment in this article on how to cut back.

For teens, a good mood depends on good sleep

As kids reach adolescence, they often face increasing workloads and responsibilities. But they are not yet adults. Their bodies and brains are still changing. As a result, "Their sleep needs are like that of a developing child," says Rafael Pelayo provides comment in this article.  Dr. Pelayo is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine.

What voters really mean when they say they support marijuana legalization

In this piece, Keith Humphreys examines what Americans mean when they say they support marijuana legalization. Humphreys is also quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle article about the effects of marijuana legalization on small growers in California. Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. For more coverage:

Smaller growers say regulators reneged on pot plot ownership

How we can discover new treatments for mental health

Carolyn Rodriguez, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses ways researchers, patients and their families can advance mental health research and support new treatments.

We were told violent crime rose in 2016. That may not be true.

In this blog post, Keith Humphreys discusses violent crime rates in the United States.   

The Republican tax plan is a disaster for addiction treatment

Some experts are concerned that the Senate tax bill will have a negative impact on addiction and treatment. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment here.   

Many different types of anxiety and depression exist, new study finds

Five new categories of mental illness that cut across the current broad diagnoses of anxiety and depression have been identified by researchers in a Stanford-led study. Senior author Leanne Williams, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this piece. For more coverage:

Transdiagnostic Symptom Clusters and Associations With Brain, Behavior, and Daily Function in Mood, Anxiety, and Trauma Disorders

One idea for preventing leftover opioids from fueling opioid abuse

One of the side effects of a decade of opioid overprescribing is the reservoir of billions of pills in American homes, writes Keith Humphreys in this piece. Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Cancer survival disparities show that MediCal is a “disaster” in need of reform, researcher writes

New research shows that Californian cancer patients with public insurance, like Medicaid, or no insurance, have lower survival rates than those with private insurance. In an associated commentary, Douglas Blayney, professor of medicine, who was not involved with the research, discusses the growing disparities in cancer care. Authors of the study include David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel, and Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Uri Ladabaum, professor of medicine and director of Stanford’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program. Recent research led by Arnold Milstein, professor of medicine and director of the Clinical Excellence Research Center, about high-value care is also referenced here.   

‘The Woebot will see you now’ – the rise of chatbot therapy

Chatbots that can listen and learn may be an effective tool to increase accessibility to mental health services. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who helped lead a clinical trial for one chatbot service, provides comment in this piece.   

Should people with anorexia be force-fed?

Kristine Luce, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece that examines the ethics of forcing involuntary treatment on individuals with eating disorders.

Worry, unlike anxiety, improves memory skills in elderly, Stanford study finds

According to a new study, worrying helps alleviate the negative effects on memory and cognitive processing caused by depression and anxiety in older adults. Senior author Ruth O’Hara, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and lead author Sherry Beaudreau, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are quoted here.   

From pills to psychotherapy, treating depression often lies in a gray zone

In this piece, Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the different treatment options for depression.

SF report weighs health risks raised by legal pot

Legal recreational sales of marijuana will begin in California in January 2018. San Francisco public health officials have published a report on possible issues that may arise from widespread marijuana use. Keith Humphreys provides comment here.   

Where is the prevention in the President’s opioid report?

This opinion piece calls for an increased focus on evidence-based strategies to prevent the use of opioids. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece.   

Cancer patients and PTSD on KCBS-AM

During this segment, David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel, and Lulu Willson Professor in medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discussed why so many cancer patients experience post-traumatic stress disorder (interview begins at the 11:34 mark).

Hazards of smoking and realities of quitting

This segment of The Chip Franklin Show explored the hazards of smoking and realities of quitting. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was featured.   

Woof. Dog owners live longer, study shows.

A new study suggests that people who own a dog may live longer and healthier lives by reducing their risk for cardiovascular death. Sue Kim, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who was not involved with the study, is quoted here.

California prisons failing inmates freed from solitary, advocates charge

This article references research by Daryn Reicherter, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, that suggests solitary confinement contributes to mental and emotional problems in incarcerated individuals.   

Substituting methadone for opioids could save billions

New research suggests that methadone and similar drug-maintenance treatments save lives and money. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment here. She was not involved with the study.   

Khalil Center's new headquarters open in Union City

The Khalil Center, a social and spiritual community wellness center designed to address the widespread prevalence of social, psychological, familial, relational and spiritual issues of communities, opened its offices in Union City in November 2017. Dr. Rania Awaad, Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Clinical Director of the Bay Area Khalil Centers, gave the welcoming address.

A new study found a big problem with a popular opioid addiction medication

This article discusses a study comparing two opioid addiction treatments. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, were not involved with the study but provide comment here. Humphreys also discusses opioid addiction treatment in a separate piece on Inlander (Spokane, Wash.).  For more coverage:

• Head-to-head study compared two opioid addiction treatments

Can you really be addicted to sex?

Keith Humphreys and Anna Lembke are quoted in this piece on sex addiction.

Kim Bullock, MD Among Those Who Have Earned First-Ever Board Certification in the Field of Lifestyle Medicine

The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) has announced that Kim Bullock, MD is among the 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians who have become the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle Medicine, defined by the ACLM, is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation, and other non-drug modalities, to prevent, treat, and, oftentimes, reverse chronic disease.  Congratulations, Dr. Bullock!

Stanford Psychiatry Resident and Student Recognized for Best Business Book Proposal of the Year by The Financial Times

"The Financial Times and McKinsey & Company announced that Psychiatry Resident Dr. Nina Vasan MBA ‘18 and student Anika Nagpal ‘18 were named to the shortlist for the 2017 Bracken Bower Prize for the best business book proposal of the year. This international award is given to the most promising proposal on future trends in business by an author under 35.  Vasan, Nagpal, and their co-authors Josh Kornberg MBA '19, Zach Harned LAW '20, and Dr. Neha Chaudhary from Harvard Medical School are writing 2 Billion Reasons Why, which addresses the hope and hype of technological ventures in transforming brain health and optimizing well being. Visit www.stanfordbrainstorm.com to learn more.

At Stanford, physician burnout costs at least $7.75 million a year

Physician burnout is a major predictor of physician turnover, which has a high cost. So addressing the organizational factors that contribute to burnout becomes more than just a question of helping physicians. It’s a matter of the bottom line.  “If we don’t do anything about burnout, what would happen?” asked Maryam Hamidi, PhD, during a presentation at the American Conference on Physician Health. Hamidi and Mickey Trockel, MD, PhD, of the Stanford Medicine WellMD Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences led this study.

Stanford researchers get NIH grant to study autism

The grant will help Stanford investigators find out if variants in many different autism-linked genes trigger the condition by affecting molecular pathways and cellular processes. Sergiu Pasca, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences is featured in this article.

Complex technology can bog down research into sleep issues in people on the spectrum

The evidence to date points to profound differences between the sleep of individuals with autism and that of typical people or those with developmental delay. But our ability to identify and treat sleep problems is hampered by expensive and complex technology.  Ruth O'Hara, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences writes in the piece.

How to get children with autism to sleep

Insomnia troubles many children with autism. Luckily, research is awakening parents to some simple bedtime solutions.  Ruth O’Hara, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured in this article for techniques to make polysomnography more bearable for children on the spectrum.

Is strep linked to scary kids’ behavior disorder?

This piece highlights the first peer-reviewed treatment guidelines for PANS, pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, co-authored by Margo Thienemann, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Popping the red pill: Inside a digital alternate reality

Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece about online extremism.

E-cigarettes: The dangers and health risks of vaping

According to new research, e-cigarettes also trigger damaging immune responses in the lung, contrary to popular belief. Robert Jackler, the Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in Otorhinolaryngology and professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, and Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who were not involved with the study, are quoted in this piece.   

A new study compared opioids and over-the-counter painkillers in ERs. Opioids didn’t do so well

A new study of patients who go to the emergency department with acute pain suggests that over-the-counter, non-addictive drugs relieve pain just as well as opioid medications prescribed under the same circumstances. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who was not involved with the study, is quoted here.   

In clinical trials, medications show promise for treating heroin addiction

Alternative medications that substitute for heroin in the brain can be highly effective in blocking the drug’s effect on opioid receptors and promoting abstinence, Keith Humphreys, writes in this post. Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences,   

New treatment guidelines released for a challenging brain disease

This blog post highlights the first peer-reviewed treatment guidelines for PANS, pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, co-authored by Margo Thienemann, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.   

Panel of Stanford Medicine leaders discusses compassion in health care

As part of the Contemplation by Design program, Stanford Medicine leaders gathered last week to discuss cultivating compassion in medicine and reducing physician burnout. The speakers included Dean Lloyd Minor; Charles Prober, professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, and senior associate vice provost for health education and founding executive director of the Stanford Center for Health Education; and Mickey Trockel, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Stanford Neurosciences Institute Faculty awarded BRAIN Initiative grants

Stanford researchers will be digging further into the inner workings of our brains and the tools to do so, thanks to the latest round of grants from the National Institutes of Health’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, announced in late October.   

Stanford expert weighs in on daylight saving time and that extra hour of sleep

In this blog post, Clete Kushida offers insight and tips on daylight savings time. Kushida is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, division chief and medical director of Stanford Sleep Medicine, and director of the Stanford Center for Human Sleep Research.

5 Questions: Margo Thienemann on an alarming children’s psychiatric disease

Stanford clinicians helped develop the first clinical guidelines for treating pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, a psychiatric problem linked to brain inflammation. Margo Thienemann, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, is lead author of the portion of the guidelines that address psychiatric and behavioral interventions. In this 5 Questions feature, Thienemann, co-director of Packard Children’s PANS clinic, discusses why guidelines were needed and what else can be done to raise awareness of the condition.

A new survey found that 20 percent of parents use pot

Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, discussed the dangers of daily cannabis use during this segment.

Novel technology pioneered by Stanford researchers ties brain circuits to alertness

Karl Deisseroth and his colleagues developed a method that enables them to monitor the activity of vast numbers of nerve cells in the brain and then characterize the cells of interest in molecular detail. Deisseroth is the D. H. Chen Professor and professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. For more coverage:

Brain’s alertness circuitry conserved through evolution

All Things Considered

During this segment, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses anti-drug campaigns.

Initiative aims to help develop innovative companies for brain health

Brainstorm, an initiative that aims to foster creative and entrepreneurial companies to improve brain health, launched recently with an event featuring a Shark Tank-style competition between virtual reality researchers.  Nina Vasan, MD, a psychiatry resident and MBA student at Stanford, is interviewed in the piece.

Just say no to opioids? Ads could actually make things worse

The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency and there is talk of an advertising campaign discouraging the use of drugs. Some experts are concerned that anti-drug campaigns have little positive effect, Keith Humphreys, the Ester Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes in this piece.   

Deaths from opioid overdoses are especially prevalent in 4 US states

New research shows that the rates of death from opioid overdoses in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania are all above the national average. Keith Humphreys, who was not involved with the study, provides comment here.   

Critics Say Trump's Opioid Announcement Doesn't Go Far Enough

The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency, but some critics say it does not provide the money needed to get the job done. Anna Lembke was interviewed during this segment at 1m 37s.

NIH announces awards for BRAIN Initiative neuroethics research

As scientists develop powerful neurotechnologies to monitor and regulate brain activity, ethical questions arise about how these new tools should be incorporated into medical research and clinical practice. To inform this discussion, the National Institutes of Health has awarded grants to five teams of experts, including our team led by Dr. Laura Roberts, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, who will study the neuroethical issues surrounding innovative research.   

Trump administration declares opioid crisis a public health emergency

The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment here and in pieces from GQ and Vox:

• https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/30/16339672/opioid-epidemic-vermont-hub-spoke
• https://www.gq.com/story/trump-opioid-go-away
  

There are medications that can treat alcoholism, but doctors rarely use them

Several FDA-approved drug treatments for alcohol abuse exist, yet most people with alcoholism are not receiving treatment, Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes here.   

Past anti-drug campaigns show little success

The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency and there is talk of an advertising campaign discouraging the use of drugs. Some experts are concerned that anti-drug campaigns have little positive effect. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here.  For more coverage:

• Opioid crisis: What is it and why is Trump declaring a public health emergency?
  
• Why opioids are such an American problem

Becoming whole again

People with severe depression are experiencing hopeful results with Stanford brain-stimulation treatment.  Nolan Williams, Instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Keith Sudheimer, Instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are interviewed in this piece about a unique study on transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy.

The science of sleep: Finding a cure for narcolepsy

This first-person account discusses living with narcolepsy and highlights the work of Stanford researchers and their efforts to find a cure for the disorder. William Dement, the Lowell W. and Josephine Q. Berry Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emeritus, and Emmanuel Mignot, the Craig Reynolds Professor and director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, are referenced. The piece also appears in The Guardian (U.K.) and on Mosaic Science.  Also featured:

The Narcoleptic Dogs That Changed the Science of Sleep

Announcing The 2017 Class of NYSCF – Robertson Investigators

NYSCF welcomed six of the most talented stem cell researchers and neuroscientists from around the world into the NYSCF Investigator Program, which fosters and encourages promising early career scientists whose cutting-edge research holds the potential to accelerate treatments and cures.  Featuring Sergiu Pasca, MD, on new approaches for studying human brain development and uncovering the mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Mountain View Teen Wellness Conference hopes to end mental health stigma

The Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing was proud to co-sponsor the Teen Wellness Conference held at Microsoft's Silicon Valley campus on September 30th. The event was organized for teens, by teens, and brought together 220 youth to connect around their mental health experiences and explore resources for wellness--all while harnessing the power of positive peer support and empowering youth voices.

Thousands of people are convinced they’re in ‘The Truman Show’

Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece about paranoia associated with gang stalking.

Lessons from Abroad: Investing in Youth Mental Health - Views from the Field

Now, more than ever, America stands to gain important insights from other countries that have developed comprehensive and effective approaches to youth mental health.  This article focuses onthe topic of youth mental health and features Steven Adelsheim, Clinical Professor and Director of the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing and Jennifer Ng’andu, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Scientists want to help you have lucid dreams

This piece discusses new research on lucid dreaming and quotes Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

This is your brain on prayer and meditation

This article discusses how prayer and meditation affect the brain and behavior. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor in Medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Anxious about a big speech? This startup wants to calm you down – with a cardiac drug you pop like a mint

A San Francisco startup plans to bring the heart drug propranolol to a mass market as an anxiety reducer and confidence booster. However, some mental health professionals have concerns. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this piece.   

Long-acting medications for opioid addiction help patients control their future, unreliable selves

In this perspective piece, Keith Humphreys writes about new medications that may offer people addicted to opioids a chance to “bind their future selves to a commitment to stop using drugs.”  Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Physicians urged to talk to their patients about guns

To keep patients and communities healthy, clinicians need to be able to ask all patients about access to firearms. This blog post references a piece in the Washington Post written by Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, that addresses the importance of talking about gun violence in mental health.   

#MeToo: Stanford scholars weigh in on social media campaign exposing sexual assault

The #MeToo hashtag social media campaign is spreading awareness of sexual assault. Emma Seppälä, associate director of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor in Medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provide comment in this post.   

New Stanford study takes steps toward integrating brain imaging into psychiatric care

Stanford researchers have developed a standard metric for healthy brain network functioning that can be compared against individual patients’ scan results. Authors of the study include Leanne Williams, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Tali Ball, postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry; and Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski, Instructor in psychiatry.

The secretive family making billions from the opioid crisis

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article on OxyContin. For more on this topic:

The Family That Built an Empire of Pain

What the VA doesn’t get about mental health and drug treatment

This piece examines how federal agencies may have contributed to the opioid epidemic by poorly handling the intersection between drug treatment and mental health services. Mark McGovern, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is referenced here.   

What drove Las Vegas shooter to kill? We don’t know, and it drives us crazy

David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor in Medicine and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article that examines the motives of mass shooters.

Will better technology solve our sleep sorrows?

Jamie Zeitzer, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article on using technology to improve sleep.    

Stanley Symposium 2017: Genes, Primates, and Brains in Vats

The two-day biennial symposium hosted by the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute began on September 25 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As in previous years, the Stanley Center invited a range of pioneering researchers from the border zones of mental illness, genetics, and neuroscience, and there were many presentations, including Sergiu Pasca of Stanford University described three-dimensional models of specific brain areas, termed "spheroids," created in his lab (Paşca et al., 2015) based on hiPSCs.

Prizes bigger than the Nobel

This piece highlights prominent biomedical awards and mentions a number of Stanford Medicine faculty who have been honored, including Karl Deisseroth, the D. H. Chen Professor and professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who won the Fresenius Research Prize.

2017 NIH Director's Pioneer Awards announced - congratulations Dr. Amit Etkin!

The Pioneer Award provides up to $3.5 million, dispensed over five years, to investigators at all career levels to pursue new research directions and develop groundbreaking, high-impact approaches to a broad area of biomedical or behavioral science. Recipient Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, researches the neural basis of mental disorders and their treatment. His overarching goal is to transform the diagnosis and treatment of various psychiatric ailments through neurobiology.

Sex and age implicated in autism-related diagnoses

In this Q&A, Kaustubh Supekar, research scientist in the Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, discusses a new study that found sex and age are tied to diagnoses of conditions associated with autism spectrum disorders such as schizophrenia and bowel disorders.

Media, Teens & Mental Health: Quick Tips for Parents

The Peninsula Health Care District, San Mateo Union High School District and Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing are collaborating on a comprehensive school-based mental health program serving 8,500 students at seven schools.  This blog post, Connected Without Connecting!  Social Media, Teens & Mental Health:  Quick Tips for Parents, is the first in a series of guest blogs by Stanford - featuring Vicki Harrison, Manager for the Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing.

Good news: Fewer and fewer young people are getting incarcerated

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses how new policies have helped keep young people out of the criminal justice system.

The deadliness of the opioid epidemic has roots in America’s failed response to crack

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece on the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Stanford scholars discuss the benefits and risks of using talking software to address mental health

Stanford scholars Adam Miner, Arnold Milstein and Jeff Hancock examined the benefits and risks associated with this trend in a Sept. 21 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They discuss how technological advances now offer the capability for patients to have personal health discussions with devices like smartphones and digital assistants.

Case study: Stanford Medicine seeks to understand burnout through measurement

This piece chronicles Stanford Medicine's efforts to understand and combat physician burnout. Bryan Bohman, clinical professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, and Mickey Trockel, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are mentioned here.   

Here’s why you need TV shows to fall asleep

Jamie Zeitzer, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article on using TV shows as a sleep aid.

Brain scans may predict future abilities of kids with Fragile X syndrome

In new research, a Stanford-led team has shown that early brain scans may help answer future-oriented questions about children with fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of developmental disabilities and autism. Allan Reiss, the Howard C. Robbins Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a professor of radiology, and Jennifer Bruno, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are quoted in this blog post.

Boosting physician wellness: Lessons from Stanford at Medicine X

A group of medical students, doctors and others met to discuss physician burnout during a small, informal workshop at Stanford Medicine X this past weekend. Marisa Albert, a program director at Stanford Children’s Health; Daniel Murphy, professor of pediatrics; Mickey Trockel, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and Tait Shanafelt are mentioned in this post.

It’s a nationwide opioid epidemic: Do you know what’s in your pill cabinet?

Prescription painkillers that go unused or are not disposed of properly may contribute to the opioid epidemic by leaving them available for abuse by those who were not prescribed them. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment here.

Complicated: Big Marijuana

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured in this podcast that examines the effects of legalizing marijuana.   

How legalization caused the price of marijuana to collapse

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, discusses how legalization is dramatically lowering the cost of marijuana, allowing researchers to observe the correlation between price, legal status and consumption. Humphreys is  the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences

Fentanyl: The silent killer creeping into Australia

Deaths from fentanyl, a synthetic opiate drug which is a powerful painkiller and tranquilizer, are increasing in Australia. Keith Humphreys provides comment in this piece.

truth initiative: Business or Exploitation? | Mental Health

The truth Initiative interviewed Dr. Matthew Kendra, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and Dr. Jodi Prochaska, associate professor of medicine, here at Stanford for an ad campaign focused on the tobacco industry and people with mental disorders.  Watch the video for their interviews.

Trump and Tom Price are making it harder to combat opioid epidemic

This opinion piece co-authored by Keith Humphreys discusses how a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would significantly reduce funding to combat opioid abuse. Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Ketamine is showing early success with treating OCD

In Tonic (VICE.com), Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Translational Therapeutics/Rodriguez Lab at Stanford University, discusses the devastating effects of OCD in patient’s lives and her research understanding how ketamine brings about rapid improvement in OCD symptoms. For more coverage:

• K for OCD: The pros and cons of ketamine

Depressed but can’t see a therapist? This chatbot could help

Chatbots that can listen, learn and teach cognitive behavioral therapy to humans may be an effective tool to improve mental health and increase accessibility to mental health services. Kathleen Kara Fitzpatrick, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who supervised a randomized control trial for one chatbot service, provides comment in this piece.

WV official: Emergency opioid declaration ‘step in the right direction’

This article explores what might happen if the federal government declares the opioid epidemic a national emergency. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.   

New study focuses on astrocytes in brain development

Researchers successfully cultivated a type of slow-maturing brain cell called an astrocyte in a dish. The work was led by Ben Barres, professor and chair of neurobiology, professor of developmental biology and of neurology and neurological sciences, and Sergiu Pasca, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.  For more coverage:

• Brain Spheroids Hatch Mature Astrocytes
• Long-term, 3-D culture method lets slow-developing brain cells mature in a dish
• Lego-like brain balls could build a living replica of your noggin
• The Oldest Mini-Brains Have Lifelike Young Cells
• Best of Neuron 2017, page 87

The federal government is systematically undercounting heroin users

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, examines why the federal government underestimates the number of heroin users.   

Dispatch form Lebanon: Refugee children need education, as well as health care

This blog post written by Laila Soudi addresses the urgent, growing humanitarian crisis to support children and adolescent Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Soudi is a clinical research coordinator in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Rise in High-Risk Drinking a Public Health Crisis, New Study Finds

New research published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that rates of high-risk drinking and alcohol use disorder in the U.S. have increased substantially since 2001 and constitute a public health crisis. This segment explored what may be driving Americans to drink more, what treatments are most effective and who’s most at risk. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, was featured.

Suicide is much too common among U.S. physicians

In this piece, Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the need for additional information about the prevalence of suicide among U.S. physicians.

‘I tried hypnotherapy to deal with my driving phobia – here’s what happened’

This piece references a 2016 Stanford study that showed distinct sections of the brain have altered activity and connectivity while someone is being hypnotized. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor in Medicine and professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was the senior author of the research.

Combating California's Opioid Crisis

The current administration has declared the opioid crisis as a national emergency. This segment explored what that means for efforts to combat the epidemic in California where hospitals treat an opioid overdose once every 45 minutes. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was featured.

Allow California students the sleep they need

This editorial supports a proposal that requires California middle and high schools to adopt later start times, arguing that student performance and health should be the No. 1 priority. William Dement, the Lowell W. and Josephine Q. Berry Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emeritus, is quoted here.

Here’s what happens if Trump declares opioid abuse a national emergency

This piece considers the implications of declaring the opioid crisis a national emergency. Keith Humpreys provides comment here.

Study: Doctors from lower-ranked med schools prescribe more opioids

A new paper suggests that physician education could play a role in the opioid epidemic. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was not involved with the research but provides comment in this article.

Why it’s so much easier to get an opioid prescription in the US than in Europe or Japan

This article compares the growing opioid epidemic in the United States to opioid use in other countries. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provide comment here.   

Confronting a deadly opioid plague that demands more attention

As opioid fatalities are rising, solutions are needed to curtail the epidemic and treat addiction. Keith Humphreys is referenced here.

Prescription opioid epidemic coming to Australia

Opioid abuse in Australia is less widespread in the U.S. Here, Keith Humphreys urges Australians to implement policies to ward off an epidemic.   

Most drunken-driving programs focus on driving. This one worked because it focused on booze.

In this piece, Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the efficacy of “24/7 Sobriety” program in South Dakota.

Amid opioid crisis, some patients turn to tech alternatives

Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, provides comment in this piece that examines the use of technology as an alternative to opioids for pain management.   

Carolyn Rodriguez Awarded Gerald R. Klerman Prize Honorable Mention from BBRF/NARSAD

Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Translational Therapeutics/Rodriguez Lab at Stanford University, has received the Gerald R. Klerman Prize Honorable Mention for outstanding clinical research achievement from Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF). Dr. Rodriguez was honored for her research showing an experiment drug called rapastinel may have the potential to relive OCD symptoms quickly and with few side effects. To hear more about Dr. Rodriguez’s discovery, listen to BBRF’s Webinar “Toward Rapid Acting Treatments for OCD.”

The epidemic of sleep deprivation: A modern curse

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than one-third of the adult population in the U.S. sleeps less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours each night. Emmanuel During, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neurology and neurological sciences, discusses sleep deprivation in this post.

Doctors increasingly face charges for patient overdoses

Doctors are increasingly being held accountable when their patients overdose on opioid painkillers they prescribed. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

‘Psych wards’ aren’t what you think. I’ve seen lives saved there.

In this piece, Nathaniel Morris, a resident in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, addresses the stigmatization and negative stereotypes of inpatient psychiatric units.   

City Visions: Male brain, female brain

Guest host Grace Won explores the difference between the male and female brain, and why this difference matters. Data is emerging about the role of hormones in brain structure and behavior, with surprising implications for our understanding of gender and disease.  Nirao Shah, M.D., Ph.D. - Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences provides commentary.

New Technique Lets Researchers Watch Human Brain Circuits Begin to Wire-Up

Scientists have devised a new system that lets them watch human neurons grown in the lab find and form connections with their signaling partners, an essential process in developing human brains. The processing of “wiring up” is thought to go awry in a number of serious disorders, including autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia – but it’s hard to study.  The new technique, published May 4 in Nature, focused on the connections formed by cells called interneurons.   

NIMH Holds 9th Annual Julius Axelrod Symposium

This year’s Julius Axelrod Symposium was held to honor the recipient of the 2016 Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Julius Axelrod Prize, Dr. Robert Malenka. Over the last three decades, Malenka has made major discoveries that have laid the foundation for our understanding of the physiological properties, molecular mechanisms and functions of synaptic plasticity.   

Southern food festivals grapple with industry tilt toward sobriety

This article discusses how substance abuse is rampant in the food-and-beverage industry and how some popular food festivals are shifting toward sobriety-friendly activities for chefs. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Imaging reveals how well PTSD patients will respond to psychotherapy

Amit Etkin and his colleagues have measured brain activity in PTSD patients before and after psychotherapy and found that they could predict how well patients would respond to treatment. For more coverage:

Imaging Pinpoints Brain Circuits Changed by PTSD Therapy: Findings Can Help Target Treatment, Predict Outcomes

Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

This segment explored nicotine addiction and the reasons quitting is so challenging. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured.

Oxytocin nasal spray may boost social skills in children with autism

Treatment with the hormone oxytocin improves social skills in some children with autism, suggest results from a small clinical trial. The results appeared today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Karen Parker discusses the findings in the article.

Lynn Koegel, who developed prominent autism therapy, to join Stanford

Lynn Koegel, who developed an early intervention for autism that taps children’s own motivations, will begin work at the School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford on July 1. Antonio Hardan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry and director of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic at Packard, is quoted in this announcement.

Sleep issues tied to more suicidal symptoms in high-risk young adults

Sleep disturbances in young adults at risk for suicide can be a warning sign of worsening suicidal thoughts and behavior, according to new Stanford research. Senior author Rebecca Bernert, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted here and in an article from Medical News Today.  For more coverage:

Disturbed sleep might worsen suicidal thoughts

June 2017

• What it is truly like for women doctors: A Stanford resident shares stories of gender in medicine
• Doctor depression, suicide slowly coming out of shadows
• Even small opioid dosages can lead to misuse
• Inside the heads of men and women: A look at sex-based cognitive differences
• Two minds: The cognitive differences between men and women
• Ketamine: Fresh hope for the treatment of OCD
• 'Special K': A potential treatment for OCD?
• Pursuing parity: A new generation of female faculty is gathering data on why there should be more of them
• The opioid epidemic is making the fight against HIV more difficult
• Irregular sleep tied to worse grades
• California law spurs reforms after heartbreaking student suicide cluster
• More people are voluntarily seeking help for marijuana addiction
• Virtual reality can help alleviate pain
• The podcast that puts you to sleep on purpose
• A new doctor discovers the ‘gritty’ downside of modern medicine
• Why plummeting public support for the death penalty doesn’t mean it’s going away
• Drug policies & neuroscience
• Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly (Forward to 19:20 for the coverage.)
• Mini-brains bare tortuous trek of cells in Timothy syndrome  (listed among the top 10 breakthroughs of the year (page 5) by BBRF/NARSAD)
• Important expression of appreciation and announcement: Chief, Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Stanford Mental Health Innovation Challenge
• Can new technologies really help us get a better night's sleep?
• More than half of opioids prescribed to people with mood disorders

May 2017

• Opioid crisis: Pain patients pushed to the brink
• Brandi is terrified she'll fall back into addiction if Obamacare is repealed
• Unique lab studies mental health in Muslim communities
• Karl Deisseroth Takes Home Science’s Most Valuable Award
• NIMH Grantee Wins One of Science’s Most Coveted Prizes
• Karl Deisseroth Awarded Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research
• Karl Deisseroth wins 4-million-euro Fresenius Research Prize
• White House dials back cuts to drug control office
• Can Virtual Reality Sessions Treat Chronic Pain?  
• Rare form of autism shows unique pattern of regression
• Researcher investigates hallucinogen as potential OCD treatment
• ‘Special K’ finds market as costly off-label option to treat mental disorders
• New Drug Relieves OCD Symptoms Quickly and with Few Side Effects in Early Test
• MD Program Teaching Award Winners - Congratulations!
• Drug Use by State: 2017’s Problem Areas
• Twelve steps in the opiate epidemic
• 6 reasons your teen’s life is more stressful than your own
• Special mental health and media statement regarding the television series "13 Reasons Why"
• BMI, other patient factors help pinpoint best antidepressant
• Stanford Psychiatrists Take to the Stage
• 6 Expert-Backed Ways to Get Better Sleep
• Lecturer says pain is in the brain
• First molecular genetic evidence of PTSD heritability discovered
• Genetic evidence of PTSD risk
  
• The mysterious answer to my unrelenting insomnia
• Personalized psychiatry matches therapy to specific patients with depression
• Carolyn Rodriguez and Todd Gould receive Society of Biological Psychiatry 2017 A.E. Bennett Research Award
• Human brain in a dish: Stanford-grown cells fuse — and chat: This method for growing brain cells could unlock mysteries of autism and other disorders
• Stem cell-derived, 3D brain tissue reveals autism insights
• The new research that could show us how mental illnesses first develop in the brain

April 2017

• Genetic Factors Raise Risk of PTSD After Trauma, Especially in Women
• Hidden Invaders: Infections can trigger immune attacks on kids’ brains, provoking devastating psychiatric disorders.
• 6th Annual Brain Mapping Day
• On addiction, psychiatric disorders and primary care: A Q&A with a Stanford clinical psychologist
• Q&A: Stanford psychiatrist on preventing teen suicide
• Can Rapastinel Offer Relief to Patients With Treatment-Resistant OCD?
• KCBS In Depth: The Opioid Epidemic
• Special delivery: Students organize to send letters of support to Syrian refugees
• Autism researchers seek teens, young adults for drug trial
• What to do when the price of cannabis drops like a bowling ball?
• 13 tips for getting a better night’s sleep with fibromyalgia
• When Hate Leads to Depression
• Study Compares 3 Different Treatments for Bipolar II Disorder
• Implementing Prop 64: New White Paper Sheds Light on Challenges of State’s New Marijuana Law
• TEDxStanford’s 'In the Moment' theme encourages reflection amidst tumult
• Scientists assemble working human forebrain circuits in a lab dish
• Assembly of functionally integrated human forebrain spheroids
• Human Forebrain Circuits Under Construction – in a Dish
• 'Minibrains' In A Dish Shed A Little Light On Autism And Epilepsy
• Brain in a bottle? Not quite, but watching the human brain develop in a dish is a big first step

March 2017

• This is Trump’s plan to stop the opioid epidemic. It’s…underwhelming
• Strung out in suburbia: Opioid drug crisis hits the suburbs
• Luxury homes now come with separate master bedrooms for couples who want to sleep apart
• Best evidence yet that hypnotised people aren’t faking it
• American’s prison population is getting whiter
• How we doctors are failing our patients who drink too much
• Fathers, in addition to mothers, now sought for Stanford eating-disorder study
• 5 Questions: Steven Adelsheim on Santa Clara County youth suicide report
• Stanford enhances its focus on mental health
• Federal report affirms local work, points to ways to improve students' wellness, strengthen suicide-prevention efforts
• At Stanford event, researchers discuss health effects of racial discrimination
• An Ohio town is charging drug overdose survivors with “inducing panic”
• Is online therapy legit? What you need to know
• What Is Sleep Paralysis? 8 Facts About This Terrifying Phenomenon
• Americans use far more opioids than anyone else in the world
• WellnessCast™ Conversation with Dr. Anna Lembke, Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford
• The House’s Obamacare repeal bill would strand drug addicts without access to care
• GOP health-care bill would drop addiction treatment mandate covering 1.3 million Americans
• Trumpcare Would Make America's Opioid Epidemic Even Worse
• Repealing ACA Would Worsen Opioid Epidemic, Say Researchers
• “If it wasn’t for insurance, I wouldn’t be here”: how Obamacare’s end would worsen the opioid crisis
• Should we ‘tend and befriend’ in this stressful time?
• Special delivery: Letters of support to Syrian refugees

February 2017

• Muslim and afraid – but not alone
• Travel ban, targeting of mosques trigger mental health concerns among California Muslims
• The imperfect healer
• Spectrum awards $1.74 million in pilot grants to 43 projects
• The mental health hack: Can a startup cure eating disorders?
• Announcing Big Ideas in Neuroscience Phase 2 Initiatives
• 10 Things Therapists Do When They’re Stressed By Politics
• In the Therapist’s Office, Trump Becomes a Hot Topic
• Mental illness and heart disease are often found in the same patients
• Gutting Obamacare Would Leave 3 Million Americans Without Drug Treatment
• Addressing kids’ mental health is our Jewish obligation
• Don’t let the snooze button make your morning harder
• Beyond time for later school day start for our students
• Brain attack: An explanation for a mental illness that strikes out of the blue
• Stress test
• EPFL-Stanford Exchange Program, funded by Firmenich
• The hidden link between autism and addiction
• The prescription pain pill epidemic: A conversation with Dr. Anna Lembke
• The real causes of the worst drug crisis in US history

January 2017

• Prescription drugs: The epidemic of addiction in the U.S.
• Figuring out how to better help mentally ill before they land in jail
• The Chatbot Will See You Now
• The surprising reason why the prison population keeps shrinking
• Fear Of Deportation, Hate Crimes Reportedly Threaten Mental Health Of Young Californians
• Stanford researchers expand comparison of males and females with anorexia
• Rania Awaad, MD featured in the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies' annual newsletter Spotlight
• Who medically needs a pet? A psychiatry resident shares her perspective
• What an Obamacare Repeal Would Mean for Mental-Health Treatment
• Stanford University Study Dissects The Science of Hypnosis
• A ‘civil war’ over painkillers rips apart the medical community
• Deisseroth receives Harvey Prize in Human Health
• Sleep deprived suffer performance loss, according to new study
• Department faculty members receive national medical education awards - congratulations!
  Congratulations to Dr. Shashank Joshi, recipient of the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D., Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education, and Dr. Daniel Becker, recipient of the Irma Bland, M.D. Certificate of Excellence in Teaching Residents.  Both awards are from the American Psychiatric Association.
• Stanford contributes to youth mental health care initiatives

December 2016

• Shining a light on teen mental health
• Former Stanford Biodesign fellows working to combat night terrors
• Classy Classes: PSYC 83Q: ‘The Physiology of Addiction in the Modern World’
• The state of mental health services in California
• Mental Illness on the Silver Screen
• Neir Eshel Wins 2016 Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists
• Santa Clara County unveils ‘Pay for Success’ mental health plan
• What to do when “the most wonderful time of the year” doesn’t quite feel like it

November 2016

• Psychiatry professor talks about election anxiety
• Maybe We Should Call Psychiatry Something Else: Research shows that changing the name could help reduce the stigma of mental illness
• A look at integrative medicine with Stanford’s David Spiegel
• What life is like after giving up the drink
• What Will Trump Do About the Opioid Epidemic?
• Stress 'changes brains of boys and girls differently'
• Robert Malenka Receives Julius Axelrod Prize
• Stanford partners with community to develop youth mental health center
• The marijuana-initiative blunder that could cost California millions of dollars
• More GABA in one brain region linked to better working memory
• Highly Cited Researchers in our Department -
  Congratulations to our faculty members Robert Malenka, Vinod Menon, Karl Deisseroth, and Thomas Sudhof
• What Explains the Opioid Epidemic? Dr. Anna Lembke Discusses Her Recent Work, "Drug Dealer, MD"
• Podcast: Drug Dealer, MD: How physicians are fueling the opioid epidemic
• Drug Dealer, MD: A look at the opioid epidemic
• KQED radio: Addiction is an Illness, Not ‘a Moral Failing,’ Says Surgeon General
• KALW radio: City Visions: How doctors fueled the opioid epidemic
• Shortcuts to Addiction
• Shining a light on teen mental health

October 2016

• Hawaii’s Roadblocks to Life-Saving Addiction Drugs
• Insulin resistance is key step toward the “3Ds”: diabetes, depression and dementia
• Psychiatry researcher studies mental health in refugee camps
• A quantitative study of brain activity using light sheet microscopy
• Personalised treatment for depression on the horizon: predicting response to antidepressants
• A game changer for the treatment of depression?
• Doctors Can Predict If Antidepressants Will Work For You
• 2 factors affect whether antidepressants will work for you — and scientists have finally put them together
• Will Antidepressants Work For You? There Will Soon Be A Test For That=
• Doctors Can Predict If Antidepressants Will Work For You
• Of recurring nightmares, dream jobs and brain-science brainiacs
• Of recurring nightmares, dream jobs and brain-science brainiacs
• How a mother's voice changes her baby's brain
• Update on Anorexia Treatment and Research
• Veteran’s Brains May Help Unlock PTSD Mysteries
• Opioids: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
  *Dr. Anna Lembke at 16:02 into the video clip
• United Nations Women's International Forum - Lecture on understanding and preventing mood disorders, by Dr. Manpreet K. Singh
• Improved NIV guidelines would help neuromuscular patients' quality of life - Dr. Michello Cao speaks at the CHEST 2016
• White House Live: Medicine Responds To Addiction II -
  Dr. Anna Lembke presents at 2:36:00.

September 2016

• Investigators identify brain circuit that drives sleep-wake states
• Researchers Pinpoint Neurons That Cause and Maintain Wakefulness
• Little-known pro-painkiller group shaped policy amid drug epidemic
• Hoarding in the Time of Marie Kondo: When you’re a hoarder, everything “sparks joy.”

August 2016

• Pokémon Go and tech addiction with behavioral scientist Elias Aboujaoude
• Can Virtual Reality Make You Sick?  From nausea to pain relief, the effects of virtual reality on health are still being investigated
• From memories to addiction: A Q&A with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Malenka
• Stanford collaborates on Adolescent Mental Wellness Conference
• Deisseroth wins Massry Prize for pioneering optogenetics work

July 2016

• Study identifies brain areas altered during hypnotic trances
• International Justice Day Round-Up II: Bemba, the Crime of Aggression, and More Justice for Chile
• Psychotherapists Gravitate Toward Those Who Can Pay
• Salehi lab wins 3rd place in the 2016 Art of Neuroscience competition
• At neuroscience summer camp, teens introduced to field of mental health

June 2016

• To Diagnose Mental Illness, Read the Brain
• Stress and worker safety - What can safety pros do to address the issue?
• Ruth O’Hara honored with Cox Medal
• Awards honor outstanding teaching, patient care
• Santa Clara County commits $600K to youth mental-health center: Stanford leads fundraising efforts for new clinic
• Study finds differences in male, female brain activity when it comes to cooperation
  
• SBMT Elects a World-Renowned Psychiatrist-Neuroscientist as President to Promote and Advance Brain Health, Technology, Innovation and Research Issues for 2016-2017
• Early-Life Trauma May Predict Antidepressant Response in Adults With MDD

May 2016

• Eating Disorders Program Video by APA TV
  
• Stanford research shows that different brain cells process positive and negative experiences
• Department faculty and trainees honored at annual APA meeting 2016
  Dr. Allan Reiss received the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement
  Dr. Rona Hu received the APA Nancy Roeske Medical Student Teaching Award
  Dr. Terence Ketter received the APA Irma Bland Award for Resident Teaching
  Dr. Anthony Atwell (Adjunct Clinical Professor) received the APA Irma Bland Award for Resident Teaching 
  Dr. Shebani Sethi (PGY-3) received an award from the Association of Women Psychiatrists for her creativity and leadership 
  
• Stanford to investigate using virtual reality for psychiatric treatment
• After suicide clusters, Palo Alto community searches for solutions
• KRON Channel 4 covers Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Tracking autism: a social neuroscientist’s hunt for autism biomarkers
• Mom's voice activates many different regions in children's brains
• The career of Stanford sleep expert Emmanuel Mignot
• Scars of the past: Students explore agriculture and human conflict in Cambodia
• The CDC is investigating a cluster of teen suicides in Palo Alto
• Classy Classes: COMPMED 80N explores niches in animal behavior

April 2016

• How the American Psychiatric Association wants to transform mental health care
• Q&A: Confidential Support Team offers ‘first stop’ for students impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence
• Dr. Laura Roberts will be new editor-in-chief of books for APA Publishing starting June 2016
• Low-risk drinking guidelines vary widely among countries

March 2016

• In a crisis, Siri and Cortana may not have your back and Hey, Siri, I’m depressed
• Stanford psychiatry department to host interactive parent-ed event
• Stanford researchers out to conquer jet lag
• 3 Scientifically Proven Ways to Reduce Stress
• Dr. Athena Robinson Interview: KTVU Talks About Cultural Messages & Eating Disorders

February 2016

• Opioid abuse among seniors: Stanford pain expert testifies on issue before U.S. Senate
• Creating the hacker experience: the TreeHacks Health vertical
• Brain waves: How neuroscience could determine your mental health treatment
• Help for Hoarding: An Interview with Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD
• Cure for jet lag: a strobe light in the eyeballs while you sleep and Study finds possible new jet-lag treatment: Exposure to flashing light
• Stanford scientists uncover neural pathway responsible for opioid withdrawal
• Can Music Help You Learn? The Brain Can Do Some Incredible Things While Listening to Music