Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Research

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine contributes to medical research through studies developed by our faculty, as well as through collaborative, multi-disciplinary team science studies.

Investigators in the department have conducted studies on topics including depression, electroconvulsive therapy, late-life anxiety disorders, mental health problems of underserved populations, and cognitive aging and impairment. We have also collaborated on studies of novel agents for major psychiatric conditions.

Our faculty actively researches topics related to aging and cognitive functioning, including:

  • Ethnic differences in the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s dementia
  • How epigenetic factors relate to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
  • How performance on computerized simulations of everyday tasks can be used to diagnose and treat older adults with subclinical cognitive impairment
  • How physical and cognitive exercises affect cognitive functioning and the risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia
  • The acute and delayed effects of estrogen therapies on cognition and the risk of dementia
  • The effect of aging on normal cognition
  • The effect of cocoa flavanols on cognitive function in older adults
  • The effect of physical and cognitive exercises on cognitive functioning
  • The impact of cognitive enhancer medications on cancer-related cognitive deficits
  • The impact of an aggressive antihypertensive treatment on cognitive functioning and the risk of dementia
  • The impact of cognitive enhancer medications on cognitive deficits following radiation therapy for brain tumors
  • Whether ECT reduces catatonia in depressed adults
  • Whether sleep-disorder breathing increases the risk of cognitive impairment, cancer and cardiovascular disease in older postmenopausal women

Continued Research and Collaboration

We welcome opportunities for research collaboration. Please feel free to contact our faculty regarding opportunities for collaboration, or call our project managers at 336-716-5113