Education & Training
- Master of Science in Clinical Investigation: Washington University in Saint Louis, 2024
- Postdoctoral Research Training: Washington University in Saint Louis, 2024
- Residency: Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2021
- M.D.: University of Kentucky, 2017
Major Awards
- TL1 Postdoctoral Research Scholar , Postdoctoral Research funding, 2022-2024
Areas of Clinical Interest
As an inpatient psychiatrist at Washington University, Dr. De Leon manages acutely ill patients on the inpatient units. Her patient care philosophy prioritizes diagnostic precision with appropriate psychopharmacology management to ultimately improve stability and well-being amidst profound mental health crises.
Research Interests
I am an early career scientist with an interest in advancing our understanding in the etiology and treatment of suicide as well as the role it plays in mood disorders. My work focuses on the use of nitrous oxide for the treatment of suicidal ideation as well as suicide markers in treatment resistant depression.
Recent Publications
-
Suicide characteristics in patients with marked treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: A RECOVER trial report
de Leon, V. C., Allen, R. M., Quevedo, J., Riva-Posse, P., Aaronson, S. T., Berger, M. A., Zajecka, J., Banov, M. D., Manu, L. M., Sheline, Y. I., Farrington, J., Eloge, J. C., Beard, J., Kriedt, C. L., Gott, B. M., Brown, H., Bunker, M. T., Lee, Y. C., Rush, A. J. & Sackeim, H. A. & 1 others, , Apr 1 2025, In: Journal of affective disorders. 374, p. 619-629 11 p.
-
Clozapine may consistently protect from suicidal behaviors while other antipsychotics may lack a specific protective effect: a comprehensive VigiBase study interpreted in the context of the prior literature
De las Cuevas, C., de Leon, V. C., Blasco-Fontecilla, H., Baca-García, E., Sagud, M., Sanz, E. J. & de Leon, J., 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Expert Opinion on Drug Safety.
-
Nitrous Oxide Reduced Suicidal Ideation in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression in Exploratory Analysis
de Leon, V. C., Kumar, A., Nagele, P., Palanca, B. J., Gott, B., Janski, A., Zorumski, C. F. & Conway, C. R., 2023, In: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 84, 5, 22BR14725.
-
Nitrous Oxide: an emerging novel treatment for treatment-resistant depression
Quach, D. F., de Leon, V. C. & Conway, C. R., Mar 15 2022, In: Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 434, 120092.
-
Predictors of response for vagus nerve stimulation in treatment-resistant depression
de Leon, V. C., Drysdale, A. T., Conway, C. R. & Aaronson, S. T., Nov 1 2019, In: Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry. 17-18, p. 32-36 5 p.