Additional Titles & Roles
- Inpatient Attending
- ECT Attending
- Vice Chair – Education
- Director – Psychiatry Residency Training Program
Education & Training
- Residency: Washington University in St. Louis, 1993
- M.D.: Washington University in St Louis, 1989
- B.A.: Washington University in St Louis, 1985
Major Awards
- Resident Mentoring Award, 2015
- Excellence in Teaching Award, 2013
- Excellence in Teaching Award, 1993
- The Sandoz Award, In recognition of superior academic achievement and contribution to health care., 1989
Areas of Clinical Interest
psychosis, ECT, Alzheimer’s disease, intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, major depression, psychopharmacology
Research Interests
My research focuses are both clinical and basic science. Clinically I am currently studying the use of ketamine for treatment resistant depression. Our current goal is to evaluate the utility of a 96-hour subchronic dosing approach. I am also exploring the potential use of propofol to treat MDD. In basic science I focus on the ability of neuroactive chemicals/compounds, prescribed drugs, and abused drugs to injure/kill neurons and glia in the CNS. Most of these agents appear to produce injury by inhibiting neuronal activity (e.g. NMDA antagonists, GABA mimetics, anticonvulsants). Other agents (e.g. solvents) have a less clear mechanism. Techniques used in the lab are pharmacological, histochemical (light and EM), neuroanatomical and cognitive/behavioral in nature. Results could be important for understanding childhood developmental disorders like mental retardation, autism, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as adult disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.
Recent Publications
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Investigating the impact of electroconvulsive therapy on brain networks and sleep: An observational study protocol
Kafashan, M. M., Lebovitz, L., Greenspan, R., Zhao, S., Kim, T., Husain, M., Hershey, T., Cristancho, P., Hogan, R. E., Palanca, B. J. A. & Farber, N. B., Mar 7 2025, In: BMJ Open. 15, 3, e098859.
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Propofol enhancement of slow wave sleep to target the nexus of geriatric depression and cognitive dysfunction: Protocol for a phase i open label trial
Rios, R. L., Green, M., Smith, S. K., Kafashan, M., Ching, S., Farber, N. B., Lin, N., Lucey, B. P., Reynolds, C. F., Lenze, E. J. & Palanca, B. J. A., May 30 2024, In: BMJ Open. 14, 5, e087516.
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Ketamine for postoperative avoidance of depressive symptoms: the K-PASS feasibility randomised trial
Fritz, B. A., Tellor Pennington, B. R., Dalton, C., Horan, C., Palanca, B. J. A., Schweiger, J. A., Griffin, L., Tumwesige, W., Willie, J. T. & Farber, N. B., Mar 2024, In: BJA Open. 9, 100245.
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Movements and central positive complexes during an ECT-induced seizure: A video-EEG case
Nayak, C. S., Kafashan, M. M., Nascimento, F. A., Farber, N. B., Palanca, B. J. A. & Hogan, R. E., Oct 2023, In: Epileptic Disorders. 25, 5, p. 795-796 2 p.
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Change in patient-centered outcomes of psychological well-being, sleep, and suicidality following treatment with intravenous ketamine for late-life treatment-resistant depression
Vanderschelden, B., Gebara, M. A., Oughli, H. A., Butters, M. A., Brown, P. J., Farber, N. B., Flint, A. J., Karp, J. F., Lavretsky, H., Mulsant, B. H., Reynolds, C. F., Roose, S. P. & Lenze, E. J., Jul 2023, In: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 38, 7, e5964.