Department of Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah is proud to be an integral part of University of Utah Health. Every day we dedicate ourselves to academic excellence, relevant collaborative research, and compassionate behavioral and mental health care.

We are teachers, researchers, and clinicians. We train future psychiatrists, explore new ideas, map genomes, develop innovative therapies, create new drugs, study spectacular brain images, and pioneer new treatments all with the goal of advancing mental health care to give our patients healthier minds and better lives.

Latest News

Jul 11, 2017

TheScope Interview with Omar Reda: Helping Asylum Refugees Deal with Trauma

psychiatry, mental health, refugees, trauma

It’s a topic many U.S. citizens don’t think about—treating the psychological needs of refugees. The trauma that so many refugees suffer does not go away when they reach their new country. In fact, refugees are faced with many new traumas as they adjust to a new culture. Dr. Omar Reda, a refugee himself, is a psychiatrist specializing in treating refugee trauma. Dr. Reda shares his personal journey as a refugee, the unique traumas that refugees face and how to help ease these tensions.... Read More

Psychiatry

Jul 07, 2017

Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD Announced as New Director of Neuroscience Initiative

psychiatry, neuroscience initiative

Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD, has agreed to serve as the next Director of the Neuroscience Initiative. ... Read More

Psychiatry

Jun 28, 2017

TheScope Interview with Mark Ilgen: The Real Problem of the Opioid Epidemic: Bad Pain Treatment

addiction, chronic pain, opioids, psychiatry

Around 2 million people in the United States are addicted to prescription painkillers, with 52,000 accidental opioid overdose deaths in 2015. According to Mark Ilgen, associate professor of psychiatry at University of Michigan, the problem isn’t the medication itself, but how doctors treat pain. Different approaches to chronic pain management may be the answer to helping reduce opioid addiction.... Read More

Psychiatry

Jun 01, 2017

Vincent Koppelmans, PhD, Joins Department of Psychiatry Faculty

psychiatry

Vincent Koppelmans, PhD, is joining the Department of Psychiatry faculty as a Research Assistant Professor. ... Read More

Psychiatry

May 26, 2017

TheScope Interview with Mark Ilgen: Managing Both Pain and Addiction

addiction, chronic pain, opioids, psychiatry

For individuals with both addiction and chronic pain, it’s been common practice to treat one before the other, rather than treating both at the same time. Psychologist Dr. Mark Ilgen from the University of Michigan talks about a new approach that combines behavioral therapy and social support to help chronic pain patients manage both their pain and addiction.... Read More

Psychiatry

May 03, 2017

Jonathan Birnkrant, MD, Joins Department of Psychiatry Faculty

psychiatry, university neuropsychiatric institute

Jonathan Birnkrant, MD, is joining the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry Division. Dr. Birnkrant will be working in the Child and Adolescent Inpatient areas at University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute beginning early May. ... Read More

Psychiatry

Apr 28, 2017

Signs Your Child May Be Autistic

Clinical Neurosciences Center, , autism, child behavior, development, mental health, psychiatry

Not every child on the autism spectrum will display the same behaviors. ... Read More

Psychiatry

Apr 26, 2017

10 Celebrities Who Struggle With Mental Health

Select..., Clinical Neurosciences Center, , mental health, psychiatry

Their stories and their courage to talk frankly about their conditions build healthy awareness of current treatments and the importance of loving support.... Read More

Psychiatry

Feb 20, 2017

An Alternative to Opioids? Compound from Marine Snail Is a Potent Pain Reliever

Psychiatry, , opioid, chronic pain

A tiny snail may offer an alternative to opioids for pain relief. Scientists at the University of Utah have found a compound that blocks pain by targeting a pathway not associated with opioids. Research in rodents indicates that the benefits continue long after the compound have cleared the body. ... Read More

Psychiatry