Third Annual Depression Conference

Searching for Solutions: Advances in the Treatment of Mood Disorders

October 8 and 9, 2009
Clifton Center, Louisville, Kentucky

• Public Presentation
  October 8, 2009

  Persons who suffer from mood disorders and related conditions, family members, mental health advocates, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and other mental health clinicians. Three hundred participants are expected.

• Professional Conference
  October 9, 2009

  Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, other mental health clinicians, and primary care practitioners. Two Hundred and Fifty participants are expected.

Conference Overview

Despite intense research and clinical efforts, many problems remain in the treatment of mood disorders. The rate of full remission from initial treatment of major depression is only 35-45%, recurrences of all mood disorders are very common, and rates of suicide appear to be increasing. A troubled economy has added to the stress that people with mood disorders must face. The aims of this conference are to help attendees learn about some of the newest and most promising ideas for treating mood disorders and to build specific skills in delivering effective therapies. Leading experts in biologically based treatments and psychosocial interventions will detail advances in neuroscience, genetics, psychopharmacology, and practical psychotherapeutic approaches to challenging problems.

Keynote Speakers:

• Paul E. Keck, Jr., M.D.

  Dr. Keck is the Craig and Frances Lindner Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Executive Vice Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. He is also President-CEO of the Lindner Center of HOPE, a state-of-the-science, comprehensive mental health center in Mason, Ohio. Dr. Keck has conducted extensive research in bipolar disorder and clinical psychopharmacology, supported by grants from the NIMH, NARSAD, the Stanley Foundation, and industry. He is the author of over 340 scientific papers in leading medical journals and was the 7th most cited scientist in the world published in the fields of psychiatry and psychology over the past decade.  Dr. Keck is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Gerald Klerman Senior Investigator Award from the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill (NAMI). He is listed as one of The Best Doctors in America and as one of the nation’s Best Mental Health Experts by Good Housekeeping Magazine.

• Judith Beck, Ph.D.

  Dr. Beck is one of the most highly regarded cognitive therapists in the world. Director of the Beck Institute in Philadelphia and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Pennsylvania, she is a leading force in developing effective psychotherapeutic strategies for mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions. Her book, Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond, which has been translated into 18 languages, is the classic reference on the fundamentals of this widely practiced psychotherapy. Her most recent books, The Beck Diet Solution and The Complete Beck Diet for Life are being used extensively to help people adopt healthy eating attitudes and habits. Dr. Beck is a gifted teacher who presents highly engaging lectures, courses, and workshops. One of her special interests is treating people with challenging and complicated symptoms – the subject of her keynote lecture at this conference.

• David A. Casey, M.D.

  Dr. Casey is Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville and a well known expert in geriatric psychiatry.  He lectures extensively on psychiatric treatment of older adults to national and international audiences.  Dr. Casey founded the geriatric psychiatry program at the University of Louisville and is the author of numerous publications on treatment of aging persons.  His effective blending of biological, medical, and psychosocial approaches to mental disorders has distinguished his career as one of America’s leading geriatric psychiatrists.  Dr. Casey’s numerous teaching awards attest to his highly developed skills in making effective presentations.  He has been chosen as one of Louisville’s top physicians by Louisville Magazine.

• Allan Tasman, M.D.

  Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville, Dr. Tasman is a Past-President of the American Psychiatric Association and currently serves as the President of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists. As Secretary for Education for the World Psychiatric Association, he chairs the committee that makes educational policy recommendations worldwide.  Dr. Tasman is the principal author of the textbook Psychiatry which had been described as “the best current textbook of psychiatry” by the New England Journal of Medicine and the “gold standard” by the American Journal of Psychiatry.  He also has authored or edited 30 other books and a large number of scientific publications.  Dr. Tasman’s research, using computerized electroencephalography brain mapping techniques, has focused on the neurophysiology of cognitive processes, especially related to depression and studies of the risk for development of alcoholism.  He has received many awards, including the University of Louisville’s President’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service and Fellowship in the Royal College of Psychiatrists of the United Kingdom.

Additional Faculty

• Bryan Carter, Ph.D.

  Dr. Carter is Professor of Child Psychology and Director of the Fellowship Program in Pediatric Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine.  Dr. Carter earned a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia, completed Residency in Clinical Psychology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, and a Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.  He has extensive experience in treatment of mood disorders in children and adolescents and has been very active in teaching residents, graduate students, and medical students about these conditions.  Dr. Carter received the Frank M. Gaines, M.D., Professional Award from the Kentucky Mental Health Association in 2006 and was named Psychologist of the Year in 2000 by the Kentucky Psychological Association.

• Virginia Evans, L.C.S.W.

  Among her many skills as a clinician, Ms. Evans is highly experienced in using multimedia programs for computer-assisted therapy and virtual reality software to augment treatment of patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She is a certified cognitive therapist who provides treatment in individual, family, and group formats. In all of these endeavors, she works to provide a highly engaging and stimulating learning environment.  Ms. Evans is a graduate of the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville and is the Director of the Computer-assisted Therapy Program at the U of L Depression Center.

• Christopher Peters, M.D.

  Dr. Peters is an Assistant Professor in the Child and Adolescent Division of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville and also serves as Medical Director of the Ackerly Inpatient Psychiatric Unit  at Kosair Children’s Hospital and Associate Residency Training Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Fellowship Program.  As the psychiatrist on the performance team at the University of Louisville and a cross-country and track participant in high school and college, he has broad experience in the role of athletics and exercise on human development and healthy living.

• Christopher M. Stewart, M.D.

  Dr. Stewart is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine.  He received his M.D., and completed Residency and Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship from the University of Louisville.  He is board certified in General Adult Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and Psychosomatic Medicine.  Dr. Stewart also serves as Medical Director for the Jefferson Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center.

• Jesse H. Wright, M.D., Ph.D.

  Dr. Wright is Professor and Associate Chairman for Academic Affairs and Director of the Depression Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville.  He is an internationally known clinician, author, teacher, and researcher on CBT applications and has written extensively on the interaction between pharmacotherapy and CBT.  Dr. Wright is the first author of six books on CBT, including Learning Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: An Illustrated Guide which is a standard text for training programs throughout the world.  His most recent book, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Severe Mental Illness, features newer approaches for difficult-to-treat problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and chronic depression. Dr. Wright’s computer program Good Days Ahead: The Multimedia Program for Cognitive Therapy, coauthored with Drs. Andrew Wright and Aaron Beck, has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression.

2009 Annual Conference Schedule

Public Presentation

Clifton Center, Louisville, Kentucky
October 8, 2009

Sponsored by:

University of Louisville Depression Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences UL Health Care Outpatient Center 401 East Chestnut Street