VCU Department of Psychiatry

12/12/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Molly Hyer, who was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by Richmond Style Weekly Magazine for her work through the VCU Institute for Women's Health!

Director of Research Development and Innovation, VCU Institute for Women’s Health

12/10/2025

We are thrilled to announce that the Addiction Medicine Fellowship filled in the match! We had a very competitive recruitment season and matched three fantastic clinicians! Thank you to Brianna, our current fellows Brian, James, Jess, and the faculty recruitment team for all of your hard work!!

Kwame O. Affram, MD, PhD
PhD: Uniformed Services, Neuroscience
Residency: Piedmont Athens (GA), internal medicine

Joe Testa, MD
Residency: UCON, emergency medicine​
Fellowship: VCU, medical toxicology

Adrianna Uhlar, MD
Residency: VCU-Bon Secours: family medicine

11/13/2025

Nicole D. Cook, MSW, LCSW, our Behavioral Health Program Manager for the VCU Department of Psychiatry, was recently on the Brainwaves Unplugged: Real Talk on Mental Health podcast. Click below to listen!

"Behavioral Health Program Manager for the VCU Department of Psychiatry Nicole Cook, LCSW joins Grace Gallagher, Co Founder and Chair of the Board for the Cameron K Gallagher Foundation and host of the Conversations with CKG podcast, for a candid conversation titled Parenting with Trauma: Carrying Scars While Raising a Family. From unhealed wounds to moments of deep resilience, this discussion explores how trauma shows up in our parenting and how awareness and compassion can become powerful tools for healing. The conversation is honest, real, and full of hope, reminding us that while trauma may leave scars, it can also deepen our capacity for connection, strength, and grace."

Podcast Episode · Brainwaves Unplugged: Real Talk on Mental Health · 11/03/2025 · 46m

11/03/2025

09/19/2025

VCU HEALTH is sponsoring the 2025 NAMI Walk this year and we would love your support.

Here’s how you can do it: Donate and/ or come walk with us! VCU Health will have a table and we will be handing out water and tote bags.

I'm supporting NAMI!

09/12/2025

Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU opens Partial Hospitalization Program for youth in need of comprehensive mental health care.

Watch the Partial Hospitalization Program ribbon-cutting at VTCC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb1N883AL1c

Full article: https://www.chrichmond.org/blog/details/chor-opens-partial-hospitalization-program-for-youth-in-need-of-comprehensive-mental-health-care

Demand for pediatric mental health care remains high, but the needs cannot be met with a one-size-fits-all approach. CHoR leaders cut the ribbon today on the Partial Hospitalization Program, offering a new level of care at Virginia Treatment Center for Children on our Northside Campus.

09/10/2025

Are mental illnesses brain diseases? It's a big question that has puzzled psychiatrists since the field emerged 200 years ago. VCU's Kenneth Kendler, M.D., one of the most cited psychiatric researchers in the world and director of the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, weighs in on an age-old debate. Read the full article here:

Research & DiscoveryAre mental illnesses brain diseases?Psychiatric geneticist Kenneth Kendler, M.D., weighs in on an age-old question.By Catherine BrownWhen Kenneth Kendler, M.D., was working toward his medical degree at Stanford and completing his residency at Yale in the 1970s, the field of psych...

08/08/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Dimal Shah! Dr. Shah has been chosen as the recipient of the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation’s 2025 Salute to Service Award, Service by an Early Career Physician category. The Service by an Early Career Physician award is presented to a physician whose outstanding efforts have substantially improved patient care, either locally or abroad.

08/07/2025

2nd Annual 2025 CKG CMHRC Community Day a Success!

VCU Health hosted its second annual Mental Health and Wellness Community Day in Richmond, connecting families with free resources and services while breaking down barriers to mental health care.

07/23/2025

We are delighted to announce the winners of this year's Craig and Nancy Canning Education Enhancement Award. This award recognizes team members across disciplines - from housekeeping through clinical care - recognizing staff who take care of patients requiring inpatient hospital stays.

This year we have 3 awardees: Jason Boyce Draeger, Lead Clinical Social Worker on the adult inpatient units, Mike Francis, VCUHS Inpatient Psychiatry Geriatric Social Worker, and Dr. Ericka Crouse, clinical psychiatric pharmacist and professor of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science.

Jason was also an awardee in the past two years, and we have seen a great impact from his use of the award funding. His submission included plans to enhance the patient rooms on the inpatient units. Mike will utilize the funds to attend VCU's "Creating Interprofessional Readiness for Complex & Aging Adults" learning experience. Dr. Crouse will use the funds to attend the annual American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists conference, where she will present two posters and support a P2 pharmacy student, also presenting.

Please join us in congratulating our three awardees and in thanking our generous donors, the Cannings, for their support of our inpatient service.

06/23/2025

Congratulations to all of this year's graduates and honorees!

05/29/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Parna Prajapati on his promotion to Associate Professor!