News

Now in its 10th year, Bass Connections pits Duke research teams against real-world problems. Bass Connections has become one of the hallmark Duke experiences, with more than 4,600 students having participated in more than 800 projects. Duke Psychiatry's Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, PhD, co-leads the Bass Connections Brain and Society theme, one of the program’s six areas of focus.

Duke Psychiatry's Alison Adcock, MD, PhD, manages a lab that's working on using neurofeedback to help people improve outcomes on tasks. The overall goal is to help people learn how to increase their motivation while increasing activity in a region of the brain that is known to be involved in reward and motivation.

Duke Psychiatry's William Wetsel, PhD, works with chemicals similar to psychedelics such as LSD and psilocin (the psychoactive ingredient the body metabolizes from mushrooms) to figure out how they could help address anxiety, depression & addiction while not prompting hallucinogenic experiences.

A study in twins found that even a single traumatic brain injury at any age was associated with worse cognitive function in later life, independent of genes and environmental factors. Duke Psychiatry's Marianne Chanti-Ketterl, PhD, was the lead author of the study.

In this North Carolina Medical Journal invited commentary, behavioral health leaders including Duke Psychiatry chair Moira Rynn, MD, discuss the impact of the youth behavioral health crisis in North Carolina.

Nine North Carolina Central University (NCCU) students presented on their internship experiences at the 2023 Duke-NCCU Bridge Office Internship Program Closing Ceremony. These scholars represented the second cohort of the program. Several of the students participated in internships in Duke Psychiatry.

In their new book, "Violence and Mental Illness: Rethinking Risk Factors and Enhancing Public Safety," co-authors Eric Elbogen, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Nico Verykoukis, a retired clinical social worker, debunk the common myth that most perpetrators of violent crime are mentally ill. Elbogen has been researching this topic for more than 20 years.

A new drug has been approved by the FDA to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in some people in the early stages of the disease. Here, Duke Health geriatric psychiatrist Kim Johnson, MD, answers questions about who could benefit from lecanemab, its side effects, and how to be considered for treatment at Duke Health.

Shifting from a stressed mindset to a curious one improves memory, according to new Duke research. Study participants who spent time planning a robbery in a virtual art museum remembered more paintings than those executing the heist in-the-moment. The findings may address real-world problems such as promoting vaccine uptake and climate change action, as well as inspiring new treatments for psychiatric disorders. The research was led by Alyssa Sinclair, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher working in the lab of Duke Psychiatry's Alison Adcock, MD, PhD.

In the spirit of celebrating Pride 365, Duke Psychiatry's Dane Whicker, PhD, offers tips for how you can make a difference for LGBTQI+ people at Duke on your own, within your unit or workplace, tips for inclusive one-on-one interactions, and navigating other situations. He also offers resources for people interested in further learning.