A small initial study by University of Florida researchers found evidence of alterations in one of the earliest stages of visual processing, known as initial perception, in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

On April 17th, the University of Florida department of psychiatry held the 8th Annual Richard C. Christensen Memorial Lecture with Emma Lo, MD, Assistant Professor and Director of the Street Psychiatry Team at Yale University and a special presentation.

The Florida Psychiatric Society (FPS) held it’s Annual Spring CME Meeting April 21-23 in Orlando. The meeting was well attended by our department and we had quite a productive meeting. Check out some of the highlights and photos from the meeting below.

The 10th Annual University of Florida Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Symposium was held April 17th at the McKnight Brain Institute.

The event began with a welcome from UF CARE Director Sara Jo Nixon, PhD followed by a series of panels and presentations.…

University students have experienced an increase in obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and have increasingly sought treatment. Marcia Morris, MD discusses some of the treatments for OCD, ranging from therapy to medication.

Department of Psychiatry fellow Andrew Thompson, DO was nominated by residents and selected by the committee to receive membership into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).

The mission of the Gold Humanism Honor Society is to recognize individuals who are exemplars of…

The University of Florida Psychiatry team placed first in the Psyched Out! competition at the Florida Psychiatric Society (FPS) Spring CME Meeting. The team consisted of child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, Ashraf Muzwagi, MD; PGY-4 Chloe Schneider, DO and PGY-2 Ana Reyes, MD.

Thank you to the volunteers for the excellent clinical care and education provided to our patients at Equal Access Psychiatry Night.

The Equal Access Clinic Network is a student-ran free healthcare clinic in which volunteer residents act as Jr. Attendings with some UF medical and undergraduate students providing free medical care. 

Tip of the cap to the UF undergraduate and ARNP volunteers for their helping hands at clinic.

All of the patients appreciate the care given. All staff, residents, fellows and faculty are invited.

Become a member of the UF Psychiatry Alumni Society! The society fosters alumni networking, socializing and sharing current trends in psychiatric and behavioral science. Show your support of the education, research and clinical mission of the department by joining.

• Annual Dues: $100

• Lifetime Dues: $2,500 (payable over five years, $500 per year)

Membership dues support activities of the society and training programs.

To learn more about giving back to the department and alumni opportunities, please contact Callie Wilkes. (calliewilkes@ufl.edu). 

It’s not too late to join the Health Equity & Inclusion Group on the UF Health Bridge!

We would love for you to join us for these new and thought provoking opportunities and welcome you to join the group and present ideas of your own. Go to the UF Health Bridge to join the group, and see more details, on resources, activities, and events. 

Join us for our next meeting, 12:00pm - 1:00pm on July 17, 2023 for discussions focused on anti-racism, social justice and health equity so we can learn together and from one another, strengthening our teams.

The Review of Aging: Forget-Me-Not Pathological or Not?

Geriatric Fellows:
Stephanie Garayalde, MD
Ashley Lewis, MD

12:00-1:00pm

TBD

Child Fellows:
Young Jo, MD
Sheena John, MD
Ashraf Muzwagi, MD

12:00-1:00pm

TBD

12-1pm

Benjamin Phalin, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Division of Addiction Medicine

TBD

Residents:
Andrew J Amicarelli DO
Brendan Butler MD
Maria T Franco MD
Gabriel J Jerkins MD
Ryan Joy DO
Kent T Mathias MD
Brittany A Michael MD
George J Raineri MD
Chloe A Schneider DO
Alexander Sidawi DO

12:00-1:00pm

Faculty and staff are invited to attend these in-person fitness classes for all fitness levels at no cost throughout the semester.

• Yoga - Mondays and Tuesdays, 12:15 - 1 p.m., Monday @ Smathers Library room 100 & Tuesdays @ Ustler Hall Atrium
• Zumba - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 - 6:15 p.m., Professional Park, register here!
• Pilates - Every other Thursday @ 6:00 p.m., Reitz Union North Lawn, no registration needed.
  

In an effort to more efficiently connect UF and UF Health faculty and staff and their families to mental health services, UFHR, in partnership with the UF departments of Psychiatry and Clinical and Health Psychology, is introducing a new Mental Health Services Access Line devoted exclusively to university employees and their dependents. Faculty, staff and their dependents may call (352) 627-0032 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to receive assistance identifying and securing access to the mental health services best suited to their needs.

The new helpline is designed to increase access to mental health care and to supplement existing resources like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) rather than replace them, providing a single point of entry and ensuring employees get the help they need in a timely manner. UF employees and their household members may still call the EAP at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (833) 306-0103, and anyone experiencing a crisis with more urgent needs should call the Alachua County Crisis Center at (352) 264-6789.