Department of Psychiatry

New findings from a collaborative Vermont study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research highlight how having a uniquely flexible survey instrument and using incentives can help capture the most relevant data and keep young Vermonters engaged.

University of Vermont Associate Professor of Psychiatry Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., has been selected by Fast Company for its 11th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business, which honors an influential and diverse group of leaders from a vast range of global industries including tech, design, entertainment, healthcare, media, government, nonprofit, sports, food, and more.

The University of Vermont received $181.7 million in research funding during the 2020 fiscal year - the largest in UVM history by a wide margin. The Larner College of Medicine had the largest number of grants.

(AUGUST 4, 2020) Associate Professor of Psychiatry Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., is featured in the September 2020 issue of Fast Company as one of the 74 “Most Creative People in Business for 2020.” Sigmon is featured under the category of "For Designing A Superior Solution" for her work developing new models of opioid treatment delivery.

Ensuring the effectiveness of policies and media campaigns targeting young people is critical to achieving substance use prevention, but state surveillance systems are often not nimble enough to capture quickly changing substance use trends. New findings from UVM researchers and colleagues highlight how a uniquely flexible survey instrument and use of incentives help capture relevant data and keep young Vermonters engaged.

(JULY 24, 2020) Andrea Villanti, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor of psychiatry, is featured in a July 24 WCAX-TV Channel 3 news story, titled "Collaborative effort gives insight on Vt. youth drug use, vaping."

UVM Vermont Center on Behavior & Health faculty members Allison N. Kurti, Ph.D., and Stephen Higgins, Ph.D., discuss how to manage the natural urge to socialize, how to understand our reactions and feelings, and how to establish new, healthy routines to help us cope with our “new normal” and help keep our communities safe.

A new study from researchers at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health suggests that, for some, knowledge of COVID-19 is associated with a reduction in cigarette and e-cigarette use, as well as an increase in motivation to quit.

On May 11, awardees from the Larner College of Medicine Class of 2020, faculty and staff were recognized through an online Honors Celebration featuring remarks from Dean Page and videotaped presentations of each award.

​Do the cognitive changes that sometimes occur at menopause relate to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease? That’s what a newly launched study, co-led by University of Vermont Associate Professor of Psychiatry Julie Dumas, Ph.D., aims to determine.

The phrase “keep your distance” has taken on a whole new and deeply important meaning in the era of COVID-19 and even Match Day, the annual senior medical student rite of passage, was not “immune” to honoring this behavior. On March 20, 2020, members of the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont’s Class of 2020 went virtual to ensure social distancing while celebrating the news of where they will be spending the next three to seven years training as residents following graduation.

Lee Rosen, Ph.D., assistant professor psychiatry and director of student well-being, recently published an essay, titled “Tumbling into Mindfulness–A Novice at Age 50,” in the November 2019 issue of The Snowboarder’s Journal. His essay explores how learning to snowboard as an adult forced him to practice the “growth mindset” he teaches to students and patients.

(DECEMBER 9, 2019) Associate Professor of Nursing Jennifer Laurent, Ph.D., FNP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Scott Mackey, Ph.D., were featured in an Associated Press story about their JAMA Pediatrics study looking at BMI and brain function that was picked up by multiple national outlets, including the New York Times.

Two University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine faculty have been named to a list of the world’s most influential researchers, based on the number of times their published studies have been cited by other researchers over the past decade. Researchers on the list are in the top 1 percent of all scholars whose work has been cited. The prestigious Highly Cited Researchers list is compiled and published annually by Clarivate Analytics.

The Larner College of Medicine's fourth annual "Celebrating Excellence in Research" series featured two days of presentations and recognition designed to highlight research performed by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the College.

The University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine and UVM Medical Center kicked off the fall 2019 series of Community Medical School with a presentation on September 10 by Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Pamela Swift, Ph.D., on "Solving the Mystery of Sleep: Patterns, Habits, & Tools."

UVM’s Faculty Activity Network, or FAN, presents a unique opportunity to find collaborators in different disciplines. The program comes with a perk: a lunch in Waterman Manor after the lab session with Richard Galbraith, M.D., Ph.D., whose only cost for participants is to weather the friendly interrogation the research vice president launches at his lunch companions.

Led by Vermont Center on Behavior and Health researcher and Associate Professor of Psychiatry Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., the UVM Center on Rural Addiction will serve as a resource for scientific and technical assistance, and will provide information and training to clinicians, programs, and policymakers seeking guidance on how to address substance use disorder challenges in their rural communities. During its initial three years, the center will focus on disseminating evidence-based practices to rural counties in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, relying on partnerships with collaborators throughout New England.

(AUGUST 2, 2019) David Fassler, M.D., UVM clinical professor of psychiatry was featured in an article in Psychiatric News from the American Psychiatric Association on a recent report stating that more than half of children and adolescents with ADHD may not be taking stimulant medications as prescribed.

(JUNE 18, 2019) Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D. was interviewed by the Beaumont Enterprise about the benefits of swim lessons for children on the autism spectrum.