introduction - the UIC Department of Psychiatry - University of Illinois ...

LETTER FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEADPerhaps most important to the residency applicantis the strong future of our department at UIC. Inaddition to our greatest strengths -- students andfaculty -- we have solid support from the College ofMedicine and the University. We have just completedmajor renovation of our NeuropsychiatricInstitute and development of state-of-the-art biologicallaboratories at our Psychiatric Institute. Anew building for the Institute for Juvenile Researchwill open in the fall. A new Magnetic ResonanceImaging Center is under construction.Joseph A. Flaherty, MDAshort 20 years ago the most important criterionin selecting a residency program wasthe school of thought that prevailed there.But back then, psychiatry was considered "soft" ora pseudoscience. Today, it is critical to choose aprogram founded on sound scientific footing. Yourfuture ability to assess, diagnose and treat patientsmust be informed by the latest data, which requiresthe capacity to analyze data and base your treatmenton the best evidence. This can only occurwhere faculty are involved simultaneously in cutting-edgeresearch as well as patient care.Psychiatry at UIC has strong historical roots in thedevelopment of psychosomatic theory, in sociologicaland psychological work on delinquency, and inearly work on biological treatments for depressionand schizophrenia.We have grown from those roots, integrating basicscience and clinical research with patient carewhile developing large data sets to guide treatmentand to inform public policy. A sampling of our currentefforts includes basic research into geneticand environmental influences in schizophrenia - infact, UIC is home to the country's longest runningstudy of schizophrenia. Other projects include alongitudinal study of preteens, looking for patternsin the development of drug use and conduct disorders,and testing interventions that may preventviolence, substance abuse and HIV. We are alsodeveloping important programs exploring the biomechanismsunderlying psychosis and stem celltransplantation as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.We are developing exciting new programs indevelopmental psychobiology, functional magneticresonance imaging and early- onset bipolardisorder.We have strong partnerships with key private andpublic agencies for our research, educational andclinical programs. With these vital partnerships, weare determined to make a difference: to discovernew knowledge and treatments to help mentally illpatients, reduce family suffering and disintegration,and improve the social fabric of communities.Training and educating the next generation is amission the UIC faculty takes quite seriously. Wetake pride in the accomplishments of our residentsin the program and after they graduate. And whileour central mission is to train psychiatrists, theireducation will be enhanced by working and learningalongside other trainees in psychology, socialwork, sociology, nursing, and the basic sciences.We believe we have an outstanding departmentpoised to be an agent for change in auspicioustimes for the future of psychiatry. You could be animportant part of our future. We invite you to lookthrough this brochure and to visit our program, ourfaculty and our department.Warmest regardsJoseph FlahertyProfessor and Head3