News

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences researchers Gregory Sahlem, MD, and Tonisha Kearney-Ramos, PhD, share their promising research on a new therapy for cannabis use disorder. The treatment uses targeted magnetic pulses to retrain the brain and reduce cravings. Could this be the breakthrough needed by millions to break their cannabis habit?

Duke University School of Medicine has received a $1,493,450, four-year grant from the Department of Defense to develop and test a mobile app-based cognitive rehabilitation program to improve anger management among Veterans with traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Gary Maslow, MD, MPH, the Gorrell Family Distinguished Professor in Children’s Psychiatry, received the 2025 Outstanding Academic Service Award from the North Carolina Pediatric Society.

By leveraging routinely collected health data, Duke researchers—including Duke Psychiatry's Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Lauren Franz, MBChB, MPH, and Gary Maslow, MD, MPH—aim to address a critical need for efficient, consistent, and objective methods for early autism screening.

A recent Duke-led study published in the Journal of American College Health offers the most comprehensive look to date at the availability, structure, and quality of peer mental health support programs at colleges and universities across the U.S. Researchers found that program characteristics vary widely and that greater collaboration may improve the impact of these programs. Duke Psychiatry's Nancy Zucker, PhD, is the study's senior author.

With the goal of creating a brighter future for our children, North Carolina Children’s Health (NC Children’s) has chosen a location in Apex for its campus, which will include the only freestanding, independent children’s hospital in the Carolinas. NC Children’s, a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health, will be built on approximately 230 acres of land at the intersection of US-1 and NC-540.

Maragatha (Maggie) Kuchibhatla, PhD, and Katherine Ramos, PhD, received Duke-NUS travel grants in support of academic visits to Singapore, deepening the long-standing partnership between the two institutions. The initiative aims to foster cross-campus collaboration in research, education and innovation in academic medicine.

Imagine a tool to measure how fast you’re aging — while you’re still reasonably healthy. From a single MRI of your head, researchers can measure your aging rate and predict your risk of dementia and disability years into the future, while you might still have an opportunity of improving your health. Duke Psychiatry's Terrie Moffitt, PhD, and Avshalom Caspi, PhD, were co-authors on the study.

Congratulations to our Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences trainees and faculty members who received these year-end awards.

Three faculty members who have retired from the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences this year have been honored with emeritus/emerita status: Robin H. Gurwitch, PhD, David J. Madden, PhD, and Robert A. Murphy, PhD.