Mental Health Awareness Calendar

Grand Rounds will be presented virtually via Zoom. Please see below for the current schedule:

Kenneth Kendler, M.D., Featured in VCU Alumni Magazine

Kenneth Kendler, M.D., Featured in VCU Alumni Magazine

Are mental illnesses brain diseases?
Psychiatric geneticist Kenneth Kendler, M.D., weighs in on an age-old question.

When Kenneth Kendler, M.D., was working toward his medical degree at Stanford and completing his residency at Yale in the 1970s, the field of psychiatry was split into two factions: the psychoanalysts, descendants of Sigmund Freud, who focused on the mind and prioritized psychotherapy, and the biomedical psychiatrists, who had surfaced earlier that decade and viewed mental illness through the lens of biology, treating patients primarily through medication.

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People, Passion, and Promise

People, Passion, and Promise

Chair of Psychiatry Dr. Robert Findling discusses the Department’s achievements, past and future.

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Inaugural Community Day a Success

Thank you to everyone that helped make the inaugural Community Day this past Saturday a tremendous success!

On Saturday, July 20, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. community members gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School to learn about the different mental health resources available to them. They also had the opportunity to enjoy live music, food trucks, face painting and wellness activities.

Read more and see photos...

Dr. Antonia Swink Leading the Geriatric Psychiatry Program

Dr. Antonia Swink Leading the Geriatric Psychiatry Program

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030 one in six people will be age 60 or older. That segment of the global population is expected to further double by 2050. Sometimes called the graying of America here in the US, every community must work to adapt to the increased proportion of elderly members. 

VCU Psychiatry is embracing the challenge with the Geriatric Psychiatry Program spearheaded by Assistant Professor Dr. Antonia Swink. 

VCU Psychiatry Ranked 14th in Nation for Funding

The VCU Department of Psychiatry ranked 14th in the nation for NIH funding in 2023, as compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research

Dr. Kendler Reaches #1 Rank

Dr. Kendler Reaches #1 Rank

Congratulations to Dr. Kenneth Kendler on achieving the Number 1 lifetime ranking among all scholars worldwide in Psychiatry!

Dr. Kendler on ScholarGPS

2023 Partners in Healing Award

2023 Partners in Healing Award

Congratulations to Dr. Allison Williams, Clinical Psychologist in our Child and Adolescent Division, for receiving a 2023 Partners in Healing Award. This award, presented by the VCU Health Spiritual Care and VCU Patient Counseling Department, honors Partners in Healing, for those that have gone above and beyond their job descriptions by joining with them to provide compassionate care for patients, families, and team members during Spiritual Care Week.

Dr. Gerry Moeller, MD, Featured in NEXT Article

Dr. Gerry Moeller, MD, Featured in NEXT Article

Psychiatrist and addiction expert F. Gerard "Gerry" Moeller, M.D., was recently featured in a NEXT article published by the MCV Foundation regarding Fentanyl overdose.

"Fentanyl is really potent so if you're not tolerant to opioids, it's very easy to overdose," Dr. Moeller said. "Fentanyl can be put into other things in really small amounts and have a big effect."

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2023 Canning Award Winners

Congratulations to Jason Boyce Draeger, Lead Clinical Social Worker on the adult inpatient units and Dr. Amy Soto, PGY-3 psychiatry resident.

Please join us in congratulating both awardees and in thanking our generous donors, the Cannings for their support of our inpatient service.

Faculty Member's Editorial Featured in Journal

Dr. Katy Maher's editorial "Reflection on Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic" was recently featured in the Journal of Radiology Nursing.
Read here: Katy Maher Editorial.

Dr. Abubaker Memorial Lecture

Click to view Dr. Kathleen Brady's Honorarium video

Employee Spotlight

Please visit our new Employee Spotlight feature, where we will be featuring various employees across the department.

Free Groups at VTCC

Join us for "Conversations with CMHRC". This a series of free groups that we are providing at VTCC.
Upcoming topics, dates and times of the groups may be found here: CMHRC Schedule

Jared Balbona, Ph.D.

Jared Balbona, Ph.D.

Jared Balbona, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
VCU Department of Psychiatry/VIPBG

In Your Own Words...

Are you new to Richmond? Where were you previously?

I sure am! I originally grew up in Phoenix (huge Suns and Mercury fan!), but moved to St. Louis for undergrad before ultimately settling in Denver for my grad school/ postdoc. Very grateful for the ~7 years or so I spent in Colorado, and very excited to start a new chapter here on the east coast!

Describe your role in your own words:

As a member of the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics (VIPBG), my research focuses broadly on using genetic data to understand the causes—both genetic and environmental—of psychiatric conditions like depression and addiction. We address these questions from a variety of different angles, from studying the specific biological mechanisms underlying health outcomes, to creating mathematical models to examine the interaction between genes and social factors (e.g., parenting behaviors or socioeconomic status). Suffice to say that every project is very different, which is one of my favorite things about being a researcher in our field.

Describe your role in your own words

I primarily run the child and adolescent psychiatry consultation-liaison service where I am working with the pediatric department to grow our involvement in collaborative care. I subspecialize in eating disorders and have been working with other faculty members to grow our eating disorder treatment services. I've also been involved in research for pediatric aggression. I love the variety in my role!

Most exciting and/or challenging part of your position? What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your job?

I love how inherently collaborative this work is! Statistical genetics research typically requires having access to massive datasets, which is often only possible through collaborations with other researchers and institutions around the world. And given the interdisciplinary nature of our field, it often takes an additional team of researchers—each with their own unique skillset— to analyze the data from as many different angles as possible. As you can probably imagine, coordinating efforts between so many different individuals and institutions can definitely be challenging—but that said, it is easily one of my favorite parts about this role. I never cease to be excited when teaming up with other researchers (especially those in geographically distant areas!) to answer a question we all find interesting.

What do you do for fun outside of work?

I am a big fan of concerts, thrifting, cooking, dancing, reading, and traveling, and am currently having lots of fun exploring the city!

Mindful Moments

Mental Health Awareness Calendar

🗓️ January

❤️ February

🧠 March

🌱 April

💚 May

🏳️‍🌈 June

☀️ July

📚 August

✨ September

🎃 October

🧡 November

❄️ December

Newsletters

Grand Rounds

Kenneth Kendler, M.D., Featured in VCU Alumni Magazine