The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology will present its 2025 Annual Research Symposium on April 22 at 9 a.m. featuring guest speaker Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico.

Taylor Spiletic, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Spiletic completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Florida and medical degree at Florida State University College of Medicine.

Nine faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) spring 2025 program. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on March 13, 2025.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology is excited to welcome our newest class of residents in the 2025 Match.

When Daylight Saving Time (DST) kicks in, the clocks spring forward by one hour in the spring and fall back in the fall. While the time change last week seems like a minor shift, it may have significant effects on your sleep, mood, and overall well-being.

Srihari Prahad, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Hoover, Alabama, Prahad completed his undergraduate degree at the University of South Alabama and medical degree at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

Minae Niwa, Ph.D., has been named the First Holder of the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Professorship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology. The title was approved at the UAB Board of Trustees meeting on Feb.

One UAB expert explains how ADHD can present in adults and how they can use behavioral strategies in daily routines to help cope.

The Community Psychiatry Program in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology has moved to a new space in the recently completed Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Building as of Feb. 10.

Shubha McClelland, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Homewood, Alabama, McClelland completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

While society as a whole may be familiar with the concept of eating disorders, less is broadly understood about the psychology behind them—namely, what is happening inside a person’s brain who is struggling with an eating disorder. Many people with eating disorders develop various coping mechanisms to manage overwhelming emotions, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or unresolved past trauma.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 2025 Pittman Scholars. This prestigious honor recognizes assistant professors who have held that rank for fewer than five years for their exceptional research achievements and potential for future contributions to their fields.

Four students from the College of Arts and Sciences—three from the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program and one from the Undergraduate Immunology Program—have been nominated for the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

November 2024 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (EMBI) at UAB.

Joanne Makar, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Palm Harbor, Florida, Makar completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and medical school at Florida State University.

Rachel Smith, Ph.D., is collaborating with researchers across UAB on the two-year project, which will focus on the intracranial neural networks responsible for major depressive symptoms in epilepsy patients. 

The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration but can also lead to stress, exhaustion, and burnout. With what can seem like an endless roster of social events, gift-giving obligations, and the pressure to create the perfect holiday experience, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Li Li, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, was recently awarded a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand substance use disorder (SUD) training for medical students.

The purchase and consumption of alcohol and substances often increases during the holiday season, and while some may drink to celebrate, others may drink to suppress their feelings.

The holiday season, a time typically filled with joy and togetherness, can be especially challenging for those grieving the loss of a loved one. The holidays can feel like a dreadful reminder of a person or animal’s absence.

Jana Badrani, a doctoral candidate in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), recently received a T32 Fellowship Program in Multifaceted Translational Approaches in Mental Illness grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health to study the effect of immune cells on neurons and behavior.

Cameryn Eickstead, a doctoral candidate in the UAB Behavioral Neuroscience Ph.D. program, is studying the role of violence exposure in adolescents in brain function and mental health supported by a T32 Fellowship Program in Multifaceted Translational Approaches in Mental Illness grant.

Beacon ACT Clinic, which stands for Access, Connection, Transition, served more than 300 patients during its first year in operation.

Expert at UAB sheds light on the mental health phenomenon that casts a shadow over the colder months.   

We are thrilled to announce the employees recognized this month in our Let’s S.H.I.N.E. Psychiatry Rewards and Recognition Program!

Eating foods that contain sugar in regulated amounts may not be exceedingly harmful, but overconsumption of sugar can lead to a significant impact on brain function and overall mood.

The Suicide Prevention and Recovery in Healthcare initiative is a pioneering program that empowers individuals to navigate through their darkest moments toward a path of healing and resilience.

For their continued research in sleep disorders in individuals with Down syndrome, UAB’s Caroline G. Richter, Ph.D.

A recent study by UAB researchers showed that teenagers with higher levels of adiposity have more cognitive impact from poor sleep compared to teenagers with a healthy weight.

Fobian developed Retraining and Control Therapy, or ReACT, to help patients with functional neurological disorder, or FND, which affects an estimated 300,000 Americans.