Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Archive — Page 1 of 12
-
March 18, 2026
Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine enrolls first Down syndrome participant for Alzheimer’s disease study
Evan Dewey and his family travel from Atlanta to participate in the ABATE study, a clinical trial evaluating a treatment that could reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease development in individuals with Down syndrome -
January 2, 2026
Jeffrey Stovall appointed to Metropolitan Board of Health of Nashville and Davidson County
A Vanderbilt Health faculty member since 2008, Stovall spent his career working extensively in community psychiatry and primary care settings. -
December 9, 2025
Stephan Heckers to step down after two decades as Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences chair
Heckers is currently VUMC’s longest serving clinical department chair. He credits his longevity to the department’s culture and tradition of steady leadership, with each of the three previous chairs serving for periods of similar length. -
November 6, 2025
Inflammatory marker could predict response to therapy in bladder pain syndrome
Patients with chronic bladder pain syndrome who had higher baseline levels of the inflammatory molecule IL-1beta had greater overall improvement following cognitive behavioral therapy. -
October 22, 2025
Behind the curtain: Secrets of the volatile, delusional brain
The VUMC approach, based on the “Feeling Safe Program” developed by British psychologist Daniel Freeman, targets specific factors that contribute to persecutory delusions, including worry, safety behaviors, avoidance and hallucinations (such as hearing voices). -
June 25, 2025
Study unravels the neurobiological mechanism of psychomotor disturbance in psychiatric disorders
Key takeaways of the new study include grip strength as an important metric of cognitive health and default mode network connectivity as a marker of well-being — both in early psychosis. -
June 6, 2025
New study highlights potential boost to brain stimulation therapy through targeted symptom provocation
This is the first large-scale meta-analysis to examine whether deliberately triggering symptoms immediately before administering rTMS enhances treatment outcomes.