The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology will present its 2025 Annual Research Symposium on April 22 at 9 a.m. featuring guest speaker Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico.

Witkiewitz’ interests include mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders, harm reduction and diverse pathways to recovery from substance use disorder, longitudinal data analysis and quantitative methods for studying behavior change, and integrated behavioral treatment for opioid use disorder and chronic pain. At the symposium on April 22, she will present, “Precision Medicine for Alcohol Use Disorders.”

“Substance abuse is an urgent public health concern across the country," said Shin-Ichi Kano, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Division of Behavioral Neurobiology. "Thus, it is exciting to have Dr. Witkiewitz, an expert in this area, for our Annual Research Symposium this year. Presentations by Dr. Witkiewitz and our department faculty and trainees will share cutting-edge knowledge on substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders with our UAB community broadly.”

The symposium will also feature presentations from research trainees and faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology including Jerri Edwards, Ph.D., professor and Heersink Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research, and Kirsten Schoonover, Ph.D., assistant professor. Edwards will present, “Cognitive Engagement vs. Cognitive Training: Effects on Cognitive Aging and Dementia Risk,” and Schoonover will present, “Laminar and Cell Type Analysis of the Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: Implications for Schizophrenia.”

Speaker presentations will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Wallace Tumor Institute 101. They will be followed by a poster presentation in the O’Neal Cancer Center Lobby from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided.