Dr. Helen Blair Simpson - February 4, 2025

"Bridging the Research to Practice Gap for Individuals with OCD"

William K. Warren, Jr.  Frontiers in Neuroscience Lecture 
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm     Program in the LPCH auditorium  

Helen Blair Simpson, MD, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of Center for Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (columbia-ocd.org). She is also the Director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Simpson's research program focuses on how to improve treatments for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders so that these people can live productive lives. Her research is interdisciplinary. It ranges from treatment development studies to clinical trials examining the effects of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy to brain imaging studies exploring the brain mechanisms of OCD to animal studies in collaboration with basic scientists. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health and private foundations like the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and NARSAD. She was a member of the workgroup that developed the first Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with OCD for the American Psychiatric Association. She is an advisor to the World Health Organization for OCD and related disorder.
Dr. Simpson graduated from Yale College with a BS in biology. She then completed the MD-PhD program at The Rockefeller University/Cornell University Medical College. Her PhD focused on the brain pathways underlying learned versus unlearned vocalizations in songbirds. She then completed the internship and residency in psychiatry at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Learning objectives:  

1. Describe signs and symptoms of OCD.
2. Describe brain circuits implicated in OCD.
3. Describe evidence-based treatment for OCD.

For Physicians: Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the Oklahoma State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Saint Francis Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
For Psychologists: The Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the American Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Association recognize AMA PRA Category 1  credit™. Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the OSMA
 
For Social Workers: The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers has approved this event for 1 hour Category 1 Clinical. (20240007)

For CADCs and LADCs Saint Francis Health System is accredited as a provider of continuing education programs for CADCs and LADCs through the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors.      (1 hour)
 
The LPC/LMFT This event as been approved by the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) for 1 hour of CE.  

For questions, email:  Ally Deatherage at [email protected]

Dr. David Tolin - January 30, 2025

"Hoarding:  Chasing a New Diagnosis Through Brain, Body, and Behavior"

William K. Warren, Jr.  Frontiers in Neuroscience Lecture 
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm     Program in the LPCH auditorium  

Dr. David Tolin is the Founder and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, and an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. 
He is the Past-President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Past-President of the Clinical Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. He received the Award for Lifetime Contribution to Psychology from the Connecticut Psychological Association, as well as the Clinical Science Visionary Award from the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Tolin is the author of over 250 scientific journal articles, as well as several books, including Doing CBT: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions and Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding.
Dr. Tolin has been featured on the reality TV series Hoarders and The OCD Project, and has been a recurring guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Learning objectives:  

1. Describe the biphasic pathophysiology of hoarding disorder
2. Discuss the relationship between neurobiological findings and treatment response in hoarding disorder
3. Discuss the strengths and limitations of current treatment approaches for hoarding disorder

For Physicians: Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the Oklahoma State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Saint Francis Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
For Psychologists: The Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the American Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Association recognize AMA PRA Category 1  credit™. Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the OSMA
 
For Social Workers: The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers has approved this event for 1 hour Category 1 Clinical. (20240007)

For CADCs and LADCs Saint Francis Health System is accredited as a provider of continuing education programs for CADCs and LADCs through the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors.      (1 hour)
 
The LPC/LMFT This event as been approved by the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) for 1 hour of CE.  

For questions , email:  Ally Deatherage at [email protected]

Dr. Nick Obradovich of LIBR is at the forefront of research showing how rising temperatures are disrupting our sleep. With warmer nights becoming more frequent, climate change isn’t just about the environment—it’s also impacting our health on a personal level. 🛌

This year, Dr. Obradovich ​introduced a new sleep indicator in the Lancet Countdown, a global initiative tracking the health impacts of climate change. The addition is already drawing global attention, helping people recognize that climate change’s effects aren’t just long-term—they’re affecting us now, night by night. 🌡️

Explore the latest coverage:
🔗 Time
🔗 Bloomberg
🔗 The Guardian
​
How well did you sleep last night? 🌙
​
#ClimateChange #LancetCountdown #SleepHealth #GlobalWarming #LIBR

​Hurricane Helene left a trail of devastation across the Appalachian Trail region, with widespread flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage. Beyond these visible impacts, the storm underscores the emotional and psychological challenges faced by affected communities—a critical aspect that Nick Obradovich, a chief scientist here at LIBR, brings to light in his work.

Dr. Obradovich focuses on how climate events—like hurricanes—affect human well-being. His research reveals that extreme weather disrupts emotional stability and impairs mental health, contributing to increased anxiety and decreased social cohesion.

In the context of Hurricane Helene, Obradovich’s findings are particularly relevant. As communities along the southern Appalachian Trail—such as Asheville and Damascus—work to rebuild, addressing mental health will be just as crucial as restoring infrastructure. "Recovery is not just about clearing roads and reopening businesses," Obradovich’s work suggests. "It’s about recognizing and mitigating the emotional toll these disasters impose on individuals and communities over time."

The Laureate Institute’s mission to advance mental health research aligns with these insights, offering a deeper understanding of how climate-related stressors can affect long-term well-being. Recovery efforts, therefore, should consider both physical repairs and emotional support to ensure resilience in the face of future disasters. 
​
To read more, please visit The Washington Post, who has featured Dr. Obradovich's findings. 

Today is World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and promoting support for those who need it.

It's time to break the stigma surrounding mental health. Everyone deserves to feel supported and understood. Whether you're struggling yourself or know someone who is, remember that it's okay to ask for help.

• Tulsa County Health Department Mental Health Services: https://tulsa-health.org/
• The Mental Health Association of Tulsa County: https://mhaok.org/
• The Tulsa Crisis Line: 918-596-2222
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov/
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): https://afsp.org/

#WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealthMatters #BreakTheStigma

"Disorders, Dimensions, Hierarchies, States or Traits - How Should We Define Mental Health and Illness"

William K. Warren, Jr.  Frontiers in Neuroscience Lecture 
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm     Program in the LPCH auditorium  

Claire Gillan is a Professor in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin (www.gillanlab.com). Her work has a dual focus on developing our understanding of basic mechanisms that give rise to disorders of the mind, but also in developing novel tools to assist in prevention and intervention research. Her group has helped developed a range of novel internet-based methods to facilitate the gathering of large and ecologically valid data. Notable examples in this area include the smartphone app Neureka, which has engaged thousands of citizen scientists in brain health research (www.neureka.ie) and studies using natural language (e.g. Twitter, therapy data) to understand the dynamic properties of mood. The lab uses a range of analytical techniques such as computational modelling and machine learning to understand and predict mental health problems, and developed a now widely-used technique called ‘Computational Factor Modelling’ that identifies transdiagnostic dimensions in psychiatry from normative samples. Claire has received numerous awards, including the Early Career Researcher of the Year from Science Foundation Ireland (2022) and the Early Career Award from the Society for Neuroeconomics (2022). She holds funding from Science Foundation Ireland, the European Research Council and the Irish Health Research Board.

Learning objectives:  

1. Understand the limitations of our current diagnostic system in psychiatry.
2. Critically evaluate emergent alternatives based on factor analysis.     
3. Learn about casual inference in observational studies in psychiatry and how to distinguish within and between person processes.

For Physicians: Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the Oklahoma State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Saint Francis Health System designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
For Psychologists: The Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the American Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Association recognize AMA PRA Category 1  credit™. Saint Francis Health System is accredited by the OSMA
 
For Social Workers: The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers has approved this event for 1 hour Category 1 Clinical. (20240007)

For CADCs and LADCs Saint Francis Health System is accredited as a provider of continuing education programs for CADCs and LADCs through the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors.      (1 hour)
 
The LPC/LMFT This event as been approved by the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) for 1 hour of CE.  

For questions, email:  Lauren Haguewood at [email protected]

As a Principal Investigator and Director of Native American Research and the Electroencephalography Core for LIBR, Dr. Evan White, Ph.D. dedicates much of his professional effort to working with American Indian communities to advance mental health. The focus of his work is employing clinical neuroscience to improve mental health outcomes among AI communities—in particular, his research looks at two things: cultural engagement and the role it may play in providing protection against poor mental health outcomes; he also works to identify the signatures of those cultural protective factors that may enhance culturally informed prevention and intervention efforts.
 
How does your work help advance health equity? What are you seeing in the American Indian communities?
In the scope of mental health studies, our work is very much in the early stages. Unfortunately, many mental health disparities among American Indian (AI) populations remain and are potentially even growing.

We have not observed changes in health disparities attributable to the research we’re doing; however, this work is advancing health equity in important ways. Native populations are vastly underrepresented in clinical neuroscience research, particularly as a population of focus. We are working to remedy this by placing AI communities at the center of our clinical-cultural neuroscience research, and by building community partnerships to collaborate in our research process.

The broader goal is to incorporate principles from community-engaged research methods (Community-Based Participatory Research/CBPR in particular) whenever possible. It’s important to note that this endeavor is not unique to our research, and encouragingly, our research is informed by a substantial and growing body of health equity researchers who champion community-grounded health equity research.

What are your research goals, purpose and aim?
My research aims to establish and advance a neuroscientific understanding of cultural factors that are protective against poor mental health among American Indians (AI) utilizing a strength-based framework. My goal is to integrate clinical and cultural neuroscience to identify modifiable factors as candidate treatment targets for mental health intervention and prevention.

We are working to establish a clinical-cultural-neuroscience framework in which mental health intervention and prevention efforts are culturally grounded, community-engaged, and guided by neuroscience.
 
You are an enrolled member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. ​Does your identity as a tribal member inspire you to research minority health, health disparities, and health equity?
Improving the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve is a motivation many researchers share, and my commitment to helping the community I come from is no exception. However, my motivation extends to other communities and populations that also experience disparities and it is my hope that our work can make a meaningful impact at home and more broadly.

In the scientific and medical communities, it is a well-known fact that minority communities are disproportionately impacted by mental health risk factors and, as a result, mental health conditions. Like many native people, I have seen first-hand the impacts of suicide, substance misuse, and addiction. As health disparities researchers we can play an important role in helping to address these conditions.
​
On a positive note, I have also seen the incredible strengths and resilience of Native people and communities rooted in relationships and traditional cultural practices and values. I believe this is a critically important area for mental health disparities research – a community-grounded understanding of treating and preventing disparate mental health conditions which leverages and elevates the strengths that exist within communities.
 
Are there any studies you’re recruiting for right now? What type of volunteers do you need? Are volunteers paid, and what’s involved in being a volunteer?   
We are always interested in people willing to participate in our research studies. Individuals who participate are compensated for their time and can expect to answer questions related to their health and general life experiences. If individuals qualify for one of our studies based on a variety of factors, they may be contacted to complete some additional protocols that include interviews, computer tasks and even brain scanning.

This is a big question: How do we encourage the next generation of scientists?
I know that for me, I received encouragement to pursue my passion from supportive mentors, training programs, colleagues, and family and friends outside of academia. The support I am given helps me find ways to encourage the next generation of scientists.

We need to engage students with hands-on research opportunities early in their training—and not just data collection and curation—but also with idea development, generating research questions, analytic training, and opportunities to share and present findings with a broad audience. Providing training like this in an inclusive and growth-oriented environment allows trainees to explore and develop their own passions for research. We have created these experiences at LIBR in recent years with the LIBR Accelerated Summer Research Internship and Diversity, Research, and Mental Health Neuroscience (DReaM-Neuro) fellowship programs. ​

To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month this May, LIBR would like to share a few key highlights from a lecture on the the State of Mental Health in 2024 presented by Dr. Martin Paulus, Scientific Director and President to LIBR scientific staff earlier in the year.
​
Q: What are the main challenges in global mental health systems, and what changes are urgently needed?
A: Global mental health systems face significant challenges, including being under-resourced and often failing to provide adequate, quality care. There is an urgent need for systemic change, which involves shifting towards community-based care, strengthening health systems, securing political commitment, increasing financing, and leveraging digital technologies to enhance mental health services.

Q: How prevalent are mental health issues in the U.S., and what are the barriers to accessing care?
A: Mental health issues are widespread in the U.S., with over 50 million adults experiencing them, akin to the combined populations of New York and Florida. Despite this, more than half of these individuals do not receive treatment due to high costs and lack of insurance. Nearly 30% of adults with mental illness cannot seek treatment due to affordability issues, highlighting a critical gap in mental health care.

Q: Why is a personalized approach crucial in treating depression?
A: Depression manifests in varied forms and severities, influenced by a mix of individual risk and resilience factors. A personalized approach is crucial as it ensures that treatment is tailored to each person’s unique experiences, preferences, and life context, leading to more effective recovery. Involving individuals with lived experience in care decisions also enhances accountability and the efficacy of healthcare systems.

Q: At what ages do psychiatric disorders typically onset, and what are the implications for mental health services?
A: Psychiatric disorders often onset early, with one-third starting before age 14 and about half by age 18. This underscores the importance of early intervention and integrating mental health promotion and prevention into schools, colleges, and healthcare settings. Mental health services should support integrated care models for transitional age groups, ensuring continuous care without age thresholds.

Q: How do risk and protective factors influence depression, and what strategies can be used for prevention?
A: Risk factors for depression include significant life changes such as widowhood, childhood abuse, and poor physical health, while protective factors include a healthy diet rich in zinc, tea, and fruits. Strategies for prevention should address these varied factors comprehensively, helping healthcare professionals identify high-risk individuals and customize interventions to prevent or mitigate depression.

Q: How do work-from-home trends and social isolation impact mental health?
A: Work-from-home trends have increased, with 34% of people working from home in 2022. While this can offer flexibility, it may also contribute to social isolation and loneliness, which are linked to higher risks of premature death, heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Reducing social isolation by fostering community involvement and social connections is crucial for improving mental health.

Q: What integrated solutions are recommended to address mental health challenges effectively?
A: Integrated solutions include implementing early screening programs, promoting healthier living and working environments, increasing investment in mental health resources, and fostering social connections. Additionally, employing evidence-based methodologies to monitor treatment outcomes and conducting public awareness campaigns to change perceptions around mental health can significantly improve mental health care and support.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of alcohol use and misuse. Some of LIBR’s work delves into how alcohol use affects mental health, and we are passionate about using our findings to learn more about causes and treatments. We reached out to Dr. Robin Aupperle, LIBR Principal Investigator, and Elisabeth Akeman, Licensed Professional Counselor and Lead Therapist and Clinical Research Coordinator in the Aupperle Lab, to share their knowledge about how alcohol affects the brain and mental health, how to know how much alcohol is too much, ways to reduce alcohol consumption, where to seek professional help and how LIBR is contributing to research on alcohol use. 

Does alcohol use impact mental health?
Absolutely – there is a complex relationship between alcohol use and mental health, as alcohol use can influence our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. This may be especially problematic for those who tend to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. When we experience intense negative emotions, it can be tempting to do things, such as using alcohol, to push away, minimize, or avoid those negative thoughts and emotions. Alcohol use may cause a temporary decrease in anxiety and negative emotions or even a temporary increase in positive emotions, which reinforces its use and leads people to use alcohol more frequently and at higher doses. This is an effect referred to as positive reinforcement. Continued use can prevent people from seeking out more adaptive ways of coping with negative emotions or negative life events – thus contributing to worse mental health in the long-term.
 
In addition, chronic alcohol use can lead to changes in the brain that contribute to reductions in the experience of positive emotions and worsening of mental health. In addition, alcohol withdrawal (experienced when someone who has been using alcohol chronically quits using the drug) can lead to symptoms of anxiety, irritability, decreased mood, in addition to physical withdrawal symptoms. Individuals then may start using alcohol again to avoid these symptoms – which is referred to as negative reinforcement. In summary, the use of alcohol is often reinforced in the short-term by temporary reductions in negative emotions, while chronic or excessive use often leads to worse mental health.
 
How does alcohol impact your brain?
Alcohol affects the brain in a multitude of ways with both short- and long-term effects. Alcohol acts as a depressant, inhibiting neurotransmission and leading to decreased attention, drowsiness, and mood and memory alterations that occur when using alcohol. Alcohol is also thought to suppress inhibitory neurotransmitter systems, which contributes to reductions in social inhibitions. At higher levels, alcohol can cause acute confusion, sensory impairment, and even coma or death. Heavy and long-term alcohol use can also cause memory, attention, and processing speed issues. These effects may relate to the impact of alcohol on prefrontal “executive” systems as well as medial temporal lobe memory systems. However, these cognitive functions improve again for most people after long periods of abstinence.
 
Alcohol also impacts the motivational systems of the brain in a way that contributes to continued use and impacts mental health. Alcohol use leads to temporary increases in neurotransmitters involved in the experience of reward, including dopamine and opioid neurotransmitters. Chronic and excessive alcohol use is thought to “hijack” the brain’s reward system such that it does not respond as much to other more natural rewards (e.g., social connection). This can lead to less engagement with these natural reinforcers and further use of alcohol to get that experience of reward or positive emotions.
 
How do I know if I’m drinking too much?
Alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of short- and long-term health risks. Risks may be related to safety (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, violence, sexual risk behaviors, etc.), as well as physical health consequences (e.g., high blood pressure, types of cancer, etc.). To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the CDC recommends that adults drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men or 1 drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed.
 
In addition to mental and physical health risks, it is important to consider how you feel that your alcohol use is serving you and how it does or does not meet your expectations. While some may report short-term positive consequences of alcohol use (e.g., I feel less anxious), sometimes the long-term consequences of use may not be as helpful (e.g., I am late to work the morning after drinking). To help determine how alcohol is serving you, ask yourself the following questions:

1. How does alcohol change what I do?
2. How much does alcohol change how I feel (positive and negative emotions)?
3. How does using alcohol help me in my typical day? What do I get out of it?
4. Does my alcohol use meet my expectations? In what ways does it or does it not help in the way I expect it to?
5. Does alcohol use cause any problems in my life? You can consider the following areas: financial, social, family, health, work, school, or other ways.

 
What can I do instead of drinking?
Alcohol use can lead us to not being present in our lives in the way that we would like to and even lead to withdrawing or avoiding certain things. This can ultimately get in the way of us living in line with our values and achieving our goals. When decreasing alcohol use, it is important to get engaged in our lives again! The best way to do this is to choose to do things that are important to YOU and that you notice have a positive impact on your mood. Re-discover your hobbies, surround yourself with friends and family, and engage in healthy self-care activities. Changing behaviors, especially those which may be more problematic, can be difficult and take a lot of effort. Setbacks are common but can be learned from. Start with small, manageable steps that lead you closer to living your most meaningful life. Don’t forget to celebrate your progress!
 
I need help with my drinking. What resources are available?
If you would like to reduce or quit drinking, don’t do it alone. Regardless of your level of intake prior to reducing, it is important to surround yourself with a variety of resources. Informal sources of support, such as friends and family, are as critical as formal sources of support (e.g., evidence-based therapy, medication, mutual support groups, etc.). A variety of resources at both local and national levels exist to support you on your journey. Rethinking Drinking, provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), is a great place to start as it provides education, tools, and lists of resources.
 
Reducing or quitting drinking may lead to physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, with rare cases leading to more severe symptoms requiring immediate medical attention. Call 911 or present to a local emergency room if you or someone you know is experiencing withdrawal symptoms.   
 
How is LIBR contributing to research related to alcohol use?
Dr. Robin Aupperle, the NeuroCATT Lab team are collaborating with researchers at the University of California, San Diego (Dr. Charles Taylor) and University of California, Los Angeles (Dr. Kate Wolitzky-Taylor) on research related to the treatment of problematic alcohol use.  The study is examining the impact of a novel psychotherapy intervention focused on increasing the experience of positive emotions for individuals who are experiencing problematic alcohol use as well as symptoms of anxiety or depression. Results from a previous pilot feasibility study and case series can be accessed here.
 
The NeuroCATT Lab is recruiting participants for the ongoing randomized clinical trial with the new psychotherapy intervention. Those interested in participating can learn more about this and other studies by visiting our website www.laureateinstitute.org. To find out if you are eligible to participate, you may sign up here https://www.laureateinstitute.org/ongoing-studies.

*Photo Credit: Clay Behavioral Health Center