Faculty Directory

Site principal investigator for multi-site VA study examining the processes involved in using telemedicine to collaborate with contract (Loma Linda University Medical Center) Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in the treatment of VA patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). This study is also referred to as RIPPLE ("Reaching Into Private Practice for Lasting Effects"). Project Principal Investigator: John Fortney, Ph.D, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System; Co-Principal Investigator: Skye McDougall, Ph.D., VISN 22 Chief Medical Officer. Research data kept in password-protected VA computer databases or locked files of the investigators'' offices at their respective VA facilities.

Implementing Telemedicine Outreach for Post Traumatic Stress in CBOCs. ( 0/2009 - Present )

Site principal investigator for multi-site VA study telemedicine-based collaborative care program to assist in providing evidence-based PTSD treatment to veterans in Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Project Principal Investigator: John Fortney, Ph.D. VA Central Arkansas Healthcare System. [HSR&D MHI 08-098-1].

Funded Research Project (CI)

Prazosin and Combat Trauma PTSD (PACT). PI: Murray Raskind, M.D., Elaine R. Peskind, M.D. Back up prazosin prescriber in study of the effectiveness of prazosin for treatment of nightmares in combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. VA Cooperative studies #563. ( 0/2009 - 0/2010 )

Fellowship Research Project, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California, 1993 to 1995, Implementing a Cellular Automata Simulator for the In Silico Exploration of Neuroendocrine Dynamics. Improved the Cellular Device Machine Development System neuroendocrine simulator in order to produce patterns of HPA hormone secretion mimicking human physiology. Performed "clinical trials" in silico for implementing simulator on the Internet World Wide Web. PI: Hans Sieburg, Dr. rer. Nat. Supported by National Institute of Mental Health grant MH18399. ( 7/1993 - 6/1995 )

Non-Funded Research Project

Clinical Research Fellow, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California, 1993 to 1995. ( 7/1993 - 6/1995 )

As part of research team, performed medical and psychological assessments (SCID, HAM-D, HAM-A) on patients entering pharmaceutical and government sponsored clinical research protocols (affective disorders).

Clinical Dispositions of Suicidal Patients in an Emergency Room: Neural Networks as Clinicians? University of California, San Francisco, Fresno-Central San Joaquin Valley Medical Education Program, Fresno, California, (Senior Residency Project). ( 0/1991 - 0/1992 )

Patients reporting suicidal ideation seen in the emergency department (ED) were modeled using a backpropagation neural network computer simulation to "train" neural nets to associate demographic/clinical data with clinical disposition from the ED (i.e, whether or not to hospitalize). Once the network was trained (through modification of "synaptic" strengths), demographic/clinical information for a "new" patient was then entered as input. The network was then allowed to "run" and render an output, viz., a recommendation whether to hospitalize the patient. This recommendation was then validated against the disposition that had actually been rendered by the clinician.

Summer Research Assistant ( 0/1986 )

Auditory and visual threshold perception in cats. Behavioral studies of multimodal sensory processing.

Pre-Medical Independent Study ( 0/1983 - 0/1984 )

Sound production and motor responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the forebrain of the toadfish.