On January 20, 2020, the first patient in the United States was diagnosed with COVID-19. By mid-March, the virus had hit all 50 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. When Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education Kaz Nelson, MD, saw what was occurring, she realized that something needed to happen at the U of M – fast.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, while sexual and gender minorities have many of the same health concerns as the general population, they experience certain health challenges at higher rates, and face several unique health challenges. Third-year post-doctoral researcher, Melissa Simone, PhD, agrees. As a queer woman, she is interested in understanding those differences, especially when it comes to her primary research focus area – eating disorders.
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which is part of the spectrum of tic disorders and is characterized by motor and vocal tics. It is a relatively rare disorder that impacts around one percent of people and has varying degrees of impact on the quality of life of those affected. It often comes along with co-occurring emotional, behavioral and psychological difficulties that can add additional challenges to wellbeing and functioning. Unfortunately, right now there is no cure for TS, and the best treatments that exist only help around 50% of patients.
Assistant Professor Jacquetta Blacker, MD, MA, has been studying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for years. Her research and involvement in treating individuals with PTSD has taught her that it is a complex condition that plays out differently in each person it touches.
Jacquetta Blacker, MD, MA, joined the Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Department on June 15, 2020, as an Assistant Professor. Before coming to the U, Blacker spent several years working for the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System in Rochester and Austin, MN, as an assistant professor in psychiatry and a senior associate consultant. Blacker is board certified in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry and will see child psychiatry patients in the inpatient service on the West Bank of the U of M.
The Mind Deconstructed: Mental Health and Wellness
Dr. Kaz Nelson, Associate Professor, along with host, George, serve as translators between the psychiatric field and the non-medical community. This series seeks to dispel myths, address listener questions, talk directly about serious topics, such as suicide, and inform the public about what they need to know to maintain mental health and a life worth living.
