News

Under the Holiday Lights: 8 Expert Tips for Managing Stress and Family Dynamics this Festive Season
Emory - 12/18/24
Navigating friends and family dynamics during the holidays can be challenging, especially when political or personal differences come into play. Experts from the Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences offer practical strategies to help families maintain peace and enjoy the season together. 

Mental Health and Living with Anxiety During Presidential Transitions
Rollins Magazine - 12/13/24
Rachel Waford, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of global health at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. In this interview, she discusses how political anxiety can affect our mental health, the long-term effects and how we can move forward together.

Can One of the Best Treatments for Depression Move Past its Old Reputation?
AJC - 12/12/24
On a sunny November afternoon, Gerard Robinson set out from his Johnson Ferry Road apartment and walked his terrier. The simple act was a revolution for him.

The Science Behind Comfort Foods
Fox 5 Atlanta - 11/28/24
Have you ever wondered what's happening in your brain when you dig in to enjoy those Thanksgiving favorites?

Much More Goers into Holiday 'Comfort Foods' than Ingredients
GPB - 11/27/24
Many of the foods we eat on holidays make us feel happy and some ingredients like tryptophan found in turkey can even make us sleepy. But these foods aren’t the only thing impacting our brain’s reward system.

FDA Committees Vote to Dismiss Clozapine REMS
Psychiatric Times - 11/20/24
In a joint meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, members decided the clozapine REMS protocol was no longer necessary and may even be a barrier to access.

What are Father's For?
Boston Globe - 11/17/24
For families that do include a dad, Rilling wants people to know that fathers are naturally prepared to be skilled caretakers. That's especially true if they get a chance to practice their skills early on.

Georgia Panel Recommends Grants for Opioid Overdose Prevention
AJC - 11/14/24
Dr. Justine Welsh, the alliance’s medical director and Emory Healthcare’s addiction services director, said: “We are incredibly hopeful that these funds are going to serve families in the community in our expanded outpatient location.”

What It Really Means to Be Delusional When Everyone Is "Delulu"
Pop Sugar - 11/4/24
At the same time, clinical psychologist Stephanie Freitag, PhD says that paranoia is also typically synonymous with delusions.

Emory Healthcare Veterans Program Honors Veterans with Continued Mental Health Support and Outreach
Emory - 11/1/24
In recognition of Veterans Day 2024, the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program is honoring the extraordinary contributions of those who served in the United States Armed Forces and reaffirming its commitment to veterans’ mental health.  

Anti-inflammatory Drug Shows Promise in Boosting Motivation for Patients with Depression, Emory Study Reveals
MedCentral - 10/22/24
A recent randomized clinical trial examined how anti-inflammatory treatment may improve effort-based decision-making and associated brain activity in people with major depressive disorder and high inflammation. The results were published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Emory Studies Mental Health as a Leading Cause of Pregnancy-Related Deaths
AJC - 10/7/24
Research into opioid addiction and traumatic stress disorder aims to improve health care for pregnant women, new moms and their babies.

William Cope Moyers — Saving Lives by Facing His Own Addictions
Saporta Report - 10/7/24
Recovering from addiction can take many twists and turns. Just ask William Cope Moyers, a former CNN journalist who has experienced the ups and downs of addiction and recovery.

Exploring the Nature of Fathers
Emory - 9/30/24
In a new book, James Rilling interweaves his personal experiences as a son, husband and dad with the latest scientific insights into fatherhood. The MIT Press published “Father Nature: The Science of Paternal Potential.”

Anti-inflammatory Drug Shows Promise in Boosting Motivation for Patients with Depression, Emory Study Reveals
Emory - 9/20/24
A new study published this week in Molecular Psychiatry by Emory University researchers has revealed a promising new avenue for treating motivational deficits in patients suffering from depression.

Racial Discrimination Contributes to Cellular Aging and Neurodegeneration, Study Finds
Neurology Today - 9/5/24
“We have known for some time that experiences of racism have an impact on people's biology,” said lead author Negar Fani, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Emory University.

Researchers Want to Target Trauma Directly in the Brains of People with PTSD
GPB - 9/3/24
Researchers at Emory’s Brain Health Center say they’ve located the part of the brain damaged by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that regulates and suppresses fear and can get stuck on “high alert” in traumatized people.

More Evidence Inflammation Tied to Increased Risk for Psychiatric Illness
Medscape - 8/23/24
New research provides more evidence that inflammation may contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders and suggests that measuring certain inflammatory biomarkers may aid in the early identification of individuals at high risk.

‘Let Go’: How Atlanta Artists Hit Peak Creativity
AJC - 8/14/24
Brain researcher John Kounios says if you want to understand what it means to be in the flow, watch a jazz performance or a video on YouTube of artist Pablo Picasso creating a painting in under five minutes.

The FDA Didn’t Approve MDMA. Is the Medical System Ready for Any Psychedelic?
TIME - 8/12/24
Emory Healthcare, which has spent years launching a study on MDMA-assisted exposure therapy for people with PTSD, had to build out and decorate a new therapy room just for the trial, says Barbara Rothbaum, who directs Emory Healthcare’s Veterans Program. | Medscape

Racism and Discrimination Lead to Faster Aging Through Brain Network Changes, New Study Finds
The Conversation - 8/5/24
Racism steals time from people’s lives – possibly because of the space it occupies in the mind. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, our team showed that the toll of racism on the brain was linked to advanced aging, observed on a cellular level.

Teens and Screens
Emory - 7/25/24
Up to 95 percent of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, and more than a third say they use social media “almost constantly,” according to the Surgeon General’s advisory.

Racism Causes Brain Changes and Premature Aging
Veja - 7/25/24
“Black people have a much higher chance of developing problems related to aging earlier,” said Negar Fani, a researcher at Emory University School of Medicine and responsible for the research.

Bringing Social Media into the Conversation with Diverse Teens and Families
ABPP - 7/16/24
Social media use by children and youth is widespread. Up to 95% of teens and 40% of children 8 to 12 report using social media.

C-reactive Protein Moderates Associations Between Racial Discrimination and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Activation During Attention to Threat in Black American Women
Neuropsychopharmacology Brainpod - 6/25/24
Scientists have been amassing an increasing amount of evidence about the impact of racial discrimination and racial trauma, including how it can have an impact on brain regions involved with threat vigilance and emotional regulation.

Discrimination May Accelerate Aging in Black Women
Real Health - 6/18/24
Racial discrimination may accelerate aging in Black women and increase their risk for heart disease and diabetes, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Emory Researchers Studying Psychedelic-Assisted Treatment for PTSD
AJC - 6/17/24
Therapists have discovered a variety of effective treatments for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: Talk therapy, narrative writing, medication and a system that involves discussing painful experiences while focusing on blinking lights and vibrations.

Racism May Speed Up Aging and Increase Risk of Preventable Diseases in Black Women
Everyday Health - 6/17/24
Black women who experienced greater racial discrimination exhibited brain activity that accelerated aging and put them at higher risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes and dementia, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

As a New Father, I was Blindsided by Postpartum Depression. I’m Not Alone
Finance - 6/16/24
First-time fatherhood roughly doubles the risk of depression, James Rilling, a psychologist at Emory University who studies fatherhood issues, tells Fortune. | Yahoo! Science

Link Between Racial Discrimination and Heart Disease Gaining Acceptance
AJC - 5/24/24
For many years, psychologists Katherine Ehrlich of the University of Georgia and Negar Fani of Emory University separately studied how racism leads to disease in Black communities.

Dr. Thadhani Faculty Conversations Video Series: Mikle South
Emory - 5/8/24
Dr. Mikle South, director of the Emory Autism Center, recently sat down for a conversation with Dr. Ravi Thadhani, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at Emory and Executive Director of Woodruff Health Sciences Center.

Larry Young, Who Studied the Chemistry of Love, Dies at 56
New York Times - 5/2/24
Professor Young's experiments with prairie voles revealed what poets never could: how the brain processes that fluttering feeling in the heart.

‘Grandma Brain’: The Science Behind Unique Bond with Grandchildren
AJC - 4/22/24
If you feel an overwhelming sense of love and devotion toward your grandchildren, you’re not alone. Many grandmothers describe this feeling as “love on steroids,” and a recent neurological study reveals a scientific explanation for this bond, dubbed “Grandma Brain,” Good Housekeeping reported.

Andrew Miller and Barbara Rothbaum Named 2023 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Emory - 4/18/24
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named Emory faculty members Andrew Miller and Barbara Rothbaum as 2023 Fellows. They are part of the largest class of Emory faculty to ever receive the prestigious lifetime honor. 

NIH Seeks Input on How Structural Racism Affects Brain Research, Health
The Transmitter - 4/17/24
The RFI is “long overdue,” says Negar Fani, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University. “I’m hopeful and also a little bit skeptical.” The request “shows that there’s interest on the behalf of the NIH,” she adds, “but I think that the proof is in the pudding.”

Racial Discrimination in Midlife Linked to Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease
Everyday Health - 4/12/24
Black Americans who experience racial discrimination during midlife are more likely to have blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published on April 10 in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Larry Young Built Bridges with His Social Neuroscience Research
The Transmitter - 4/10/24
Larry Young, a neuroscientist known for illuminating oxytocin’s outsized role in social bonding, died of a heart attack last month at the age of 57. In his 30-year career at Emory University, Young teased apart the neurobiology of love and relationships—from the receptors that make voles monogamous to the hormones that shape sociability in psychiatric disorders.

Addiction Alliance of Georgia Hosts the ‘Comfort of Recovery’ Quilt and Special Event
Emory - 4/4/24
Art meets healing in a powerful display of resilience and recovery as the Addiction Alliance of Georgia hosts the installation of the “Comfort of Recovery" quilt throughout the month of April at the Emory Addiction Center. 

Emory University’s 4th Annual Autism Celebration Month Kicks Off in April
Emory - 4/1/24
As the world marks the beginning of Autism Awareness Month on April 1, Emory University is kicking off its 4^th annual Autism Celebration Month with a series of events under the theme "Pathways and Passions," celebrating the interests, expertise and meaningful journeys of autistic students and community members.

Emory Neuroscientist Larry Young Dedicated His Career to Understanding Complex Social Behaviors
Emory - 3/31/24
Emory University lost a luminary in the field of neuroscience with the unexpected passing of Larry Young, PhD, March 21, 2024. He was a pioneer in the science of love and recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on social neuroscience.

Parents Struggle to Find ADHD Medication for Their Children as Shortage Continues
CBS News - 3/7/24
Parents across the U.S. are having difficulty finding ADHD medication for their children amid an ongoing shortage. U.S. drugmakers claim they are manufacturing all they can, yet patients and doctors' offices still have to keep pharmacy-shopping to find it.

13 Red Flags of Gaslighting at Work and How to Respond, According to Psychologists
Parade - 3/5/24
The term “gaslighting” is commonly talked about when it comes to relationships. However, that’s not the only place you can experience it. 

Dr. Thadhani Faculty Conversations: Justine Welsh, MD
Emory - 2/28/24
Dr. Justine Welsh, director of Emory Healthcare Addiction Services and medical director of the Addiction Alliance of Georgia, recently sat down for a conversation with Dr. Ravi Thadhani, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at Emory and Executive Director of Woodruff Health Sciences Center.

Wellness at Emory Healthcare Veterans Program: Integrating Body, Mind and Spirit
Advancing Your Health - 2/23/24
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program takes a holistic approach to mental health care. Patients in our two-week Intensive Outpatient Program have one-on-one and group therapy sessions in the mornings and participate in wellness offerings for the remainder of the day. 

Emory Healthcare Veterans Program Part of Wounded Warrior Project's $100 Million Investment
Griffin Daily News - 2/1/24
Emory Healthcare Veterans Program’s network partner Wounded Warrior Project is investing more than $100 million in evidence-based care for veteran mental health and brain injuries.

Scientists Find Link Between Racism and Physical Brain Changes
The Gio - 1/26/24
Emory University neuroscientist Negar Fani recently teamed up with Nate Harnett, a Harvard Medical School assistant psychiatry professor, to investigate how the brain reacts to extreme stress and traumatic events.

Fostering Fortitude: Advocacy for Mental Wellness in Crises
American Red Cross - 1/25/24
In the realm of disaster response and emotional recovery, Dr. Betsy Gard stands as a beacon of hope and resilience. Her over 30 years of service, characterized by unwavering dedication and compassion, epitomizes the essence of an American Red Cross volunteer. 

Experiencing Racism May Physically Change Your Brain
NPR - 1/24/24
Scientists know that Black people are at a greater risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease than white people. A growing body of research shows that racism in health care and in daily life contributes to these long-standing health disparities for Black communities.

Emory Healthcare to Participate in $100 Million Wounded Warrior Veterans Program
AJC - 1/18/2024
Emory University announced on Tuesday that Emory Healthcare will collaborate with the Wounded Warrior Project on a $100 million project looking into evidence-based care for veterans’ mental health and brain injuries. 

Emory Healthcare Veterans Program part of Wounded Warrior Project's $100 Million Investment Across Four Sites
Emory - 1/16/2024
Emory Healthcare Veterans Program network partner Wounded Warrior Project is investing more than $100 million in evidence-based care for veteran mental health and brain injuries. 

Geogia Lawmakers Push for Bipartisan Bill to Support First Responders with PTSD
WABE-FM - 1/11/2024
Dr. Barbara Rothbaum shares her decades-long expertise about PTSD. She is a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Emory School of Medicine and the director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program at Emory University.

Wellness Wednesday: How Racism Factors into Health Risks for African-Americans
WOSU - 1/10/2024
The death rate for Black Americans of all genders is generally higher than whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes and more. In addition, the stress caused by racism produces subtle brain changes, which can result in increased disease risk in Black populations.

I Used the Future Fitness App for a Full Year. Here's What I Thought.
Men's Health - 1/5/2024
This isn’t surprising, according to licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Hershenberg, PhD, ABPP, author of Activating Happiness “The first way of changing behavior is to monitor behaviors,” she says.

Georgia Medical Board Restores Telehealth Prescribing Flexibility
AJC - 1/4/2024
The Georgia Composite Medical Board on Thursday restored doctors’ ability to prescribe controlled substances — which include painkillers and ADHD treatments — using just a virtual doctor visit. The board will clarify its rules and revisit the issue by May 1.

Confusion as Georgia Medical Board Brings Back Limits on Virtual Prescriptions
AJC - 1/3/2024
In a jolt to doctors who prescribe some controlled drugs that may be dangerous or habit-forming, the Georgia Composite Medical Board has restored pre-pandemic restrictions on doctors who prescribe controlled substances without an in-person visit.