Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 2:00 pm EDT
Social disconnection is widespread in psychiatric illness, and social dysfunction is a symptom that spans the spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses. Such disconnection can have serious health consequences. One recent study reported that its effect on mortality is comparable to that of smoking. Yet, no pharmacologic treatments are available to improve social connection, and medications used to treat psychiatric illness do not specifically target social symptoms. We are interested in the question: How can we use medications to enhance social connection in psychiatric illness? In this talk, Dr. Bershad will discuss her latest research investigating promising new ways to use pharmacologic compounds to improve social connection in psychiatric illness and highlight the growing field of “social psychopharmacology.”
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Presented by
Anya Bershad, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
UCLA-Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
2022 Young Investigator Grant
Anya Bershad, M.D., Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Her laboratory focuses on “social psychopharmacology,” or identifying treatments for the social symptoms of psychiatric illness. She recently received the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award and a 2022 NARSAD Young Investigator Award to study novel compounds in the treatment of social motivational deficits in schizophrenia.
Moderated by
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.