News

Curiosity paradoxically increases people’s eagerness and patience for an answer, finds a new study by Duke neuroscientists, including Duke Psychiatry's Alison Adcock, MD, PhD, and Jia-Hou Poh, PhD. The research might help teachers and students alike by describing a side of curiosity that encourages us to stay engaged instead of seeking immediate relief.

Several Duke Psychiatry department members are involved in a new year-long pilot program, "Shifting the Paradigm: Restorative Justice as a Framework for Workforce Well-Being," organized by the School of Medicine's Office for Faculty and co-sponsored by the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Researchers at Duke University, including several Duke Psychiatry faculty members, have demonstrated an app driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that can run on a tablet to accurately screen for autism in children by measuring and weighing a variety of distinct behavioral indicators.

With support from a U.S. Department of Defense award, Duke Psychiatry professor Christine Marx, MD, and her research team (including Duke Psychiatry's Raj Morey, MD, and Jennifer Naylor, PhD) will conduct a phase two randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate whether a neurosteroid (pregnenolone) can improve psychological health, PTSD, and pain symptoms that are associated with chronic complex traumatic brain injury.

Anthony Finch, MD, was inspired to pursue geriatric psychiatry in part by experiences with his grandmother and his Catholic upbringing. Diverse training opportunities and encouragement from his residency director were factors in his decision to pursue a fellowship at Duke. Read on to learn more about Dr. Finch.

Amidst an unprecedented behavioral health crisis in North Carolina and across the country, the North Carolina Psychiatry Access Line (NC-PAL) has been working to expand access to behavioral health care to children and others throughout the state. NC-PAL leaders, staff, and partners gathered at a special event recently to celebrate the program’s five-year anniversary.

In the program ReMed, offered by the Kenan Institute for Ethics, pre-health students use movement, art, writing and photography to develop their sense of purpose and develop skills that will serve them well in a high-stress field. Duke Psychiatry's Warren Kinghorn, MD, ThD, is the faculty advisor for the program.

Melanie Bonner, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was named assistant dean of student services for the School of Medicine, effective September 1.

Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM, behavioral sleep medicine psychologist and researcher in Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, recently published “Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications,” a book that provides tailored solutions to individuals experiencing sleep problems. It’s the culmination of years of research and clinical practice.

Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor in Pediatrics, was appointed as faculty associate director of Engagement and Health Translation at the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Joe McClernon, PhD, a professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, was appointed as CTSI's faculty associate director of Partnerships and Integration.