Understanding Neuroplasticity and Its Link to Psychiatric support Conditions
Tarek Rajji, M.D., joined UTSW in October 2024 as Chair and Professor of Psychiatry, and his internationally recognized research explores the intersection between mental illness and the increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, dementia, and cognitive decline in older adults. Studying neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change itself in response to a treatment, an intervention, or an experience – he has explored the benefits of neuromodulation techniques, such as magnetic and electrical pulses, to potentially alter brain activity in hopes of preventing cognitive decline and dementia in older people with mental health conditions.
UT Southwestern’s interventional psychiatry team has been a leader for nearly two decades in the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a therapy that uses external magnets and coils to depolarize affected neurons and “reset” networks to relieve symptoms that don’t respond to medication. Kala Bailey, M.D., M.B.A., Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs for Psychiatry and Executive Clinical Director of Neurosciences, and Naveed Khokhar, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, are currently leading TMS clinical trials that are showing promise for patients with PTSD, drug addiction, and bipolar disorder.
Bolstering those efforts was the addition in 2025 of Andre Russowsky Brunoni, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Professor and Chief of the Division of Interventional Psychiatry, an expert in TMS as well as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to treat major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, and post-COVID cognitive symptoms.
With one of the largest and most multifaceted psychiatry departments in the country, OBI is forging discoveries in neuroscience and developing new treatments to meet the behavioral needs of the fast-growing North Texas community.
UT Southwestern’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care (CDRC), operating withing the Department of Psychiatry, has blended innovative research and community outreach since its establishment in 2015. Led by Director Madhukar Trivedi, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, the CDRC and its researchers have been involved in numerous clinical trials evaluating treatments for depression as well as clinical and biological markers that can predict effective response with antidepressants.
UT Southwestern has been a leader in the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, created by the Texas Legislature to pull together the resources of state universities to improve child mental health. Initiatives include the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network, led by Dr. Trivedi, which collects clinical data on youth depression and suicide risk and develops evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations. UT Southwestern also launched Youth Aware of Mental Health, a program that brings education into high schools to give students tools to deal with anxiety and depression. The program has reached more than 60,000 students since going statewide in 2022.
In addition, Jennifer Coughlin, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and OBI Investigator, who joined UTSW in 2024, has enhanced the understanding of brain marker changes in young adults, particularly in relation to schizophrenia.