University of Arizona Psychiatry Department

University of Arizona Psychiatry Department researchers have received a $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the “mind after midnight” hypothesis, exploring how overnight wakefulness may affect emotional processing, decision-making and su***de risk.

The five-year study is led by Michael Grandner, PhD, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program and associate professor of psychiatry, alongside co-lead investigator Fabian-Xosé Fernandez, PhD, associate professor of psychology and neurology.

“Knowing that people are not at their best in the middle of the night really isn’t groundbreaking, but until now the neuroscience of exactly what is happening has been a mystery. Hopefully, this study can help us understand better what is going on and point the way toward reducing those risks,” Dr. Grandner said.

🔗 Read more about this exciting news: https://bit.ly/4vBEgNf

Our residents had a fantastic time at the 2026 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting in San Francisco in May! This conference is always a wonderful opportunity for our residents to connect with colleagues, learn from leaders in the field, and bring back new ideas and inspiration to our program. We’re looking forward to the 2027 APA meeting in New York City!

Join this Grand Rounds to learn how to recognize key components of a comprehensive approach for identifying and addressing substance use coercion in clinical settings + more!

Details & Zoom link at https://medicine.arizona.edu/events/addiction-medicine-grand-rounds-beyond-screening-implementing-response-substance-use

Congrats to our Assistant Clinical Professors of Psychiatry Mairead McConnell, PhD, and Magnolia Swanson, MD, for completing the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson's Spurring Success and Wellness in Medicine Fellowship. Dr. McConnell’s project was “Promoting Collaboration in Oncology Supportive Care,” and Dr. Swanson’s project was “Improving Resident Satisfaction with Faculty Feedback.”

Join us for a Grand Rounds on discussing and prescribing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Details & Zoom link at: https://medicine.arizona.edu/events/psychiatry-grand-rounds-prepping-prep

Clinicians of all backgrounds are encouraged to join us for this FREE, online, half-day, 4.5 credit conference!

Addiction Medicine for the Non-Specialist offers practical, real-world tips medical providers can implement immediately into practice to become confident in effectively and compassionately treating patients with substance use disorders.

Details & registration link at https://medicine.arizona.edu/events/addiction-medicine-non-specialist.

Join us for a presentation on addressing Kratom use disorder, withdrawal, and clinical treatments on Wed., June 3.

Details & Zoom link at: https://medicine.arizona.edu/events/psychiatry-grand-rounds-kratom-and-7-oh-natural-doesnt-mean-safe

We’re so fortunate to have the opportunity to host wellness events throughout the year! Our affiliated hospital system Banner Health has an initiative called Cultivating Happiness in Medicine (CHIM)—designed to support physician wellbeing and prevent burnout. With CHIM funds, our residents and faculty organize fully funded social events that allow everyone to enjoy time together outside of work.

Here are photos from our residents’ favorite recent events: our PGY3 class celebrating the completion of their second year and our PGY1s enjoying an evening at Topgolf!

Join us for Dr. Bayze's presentation on Wednesday to learn about clinical evidence for psilocybin-assisted therapy across major psychiatric conditions + more!

Details & Zoom link at: https://medicine.arizona.edu/events/psychiatry-grand-rounds-psilocybin-modern-psychiatry-clinical-evidence-therapeutic

To our outgoing Chief Residents: Thank you for your leadership, hard work, and dedication to our residency program. 🙏 Your impact on our residents, faculty, and department is deeply appreciated, and we are excited to see where your next chapter takes you! 🤩