Letter From the SOBP President

Dear SOBP colleagues,

I am humbled, honored and excited to assume the Presidency of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and I look forward to working with all our members to build on our collective efforts to foster a dynamic and inclusive presence for our Society. This newsletter is intended to connect our members across the globe as we work together to enhance our members’ experience and our impact in the field of biological psychiatry.

This year is shaping up to be rather busy with major developments planned. Key amongst them are:

·      To re-design the Society’s website to enhance user experience with a modern, intuitive interface that prioritizes accessibility and engagement. This update aims to streamline the navigation, ensure it meets the latest web accessibility standards, and incorporates new interactive features that facilitate better communication and resource sharing among our members.

·      To revise the Society’s Strategic Plan to ensure it reflects our values, aligns with current member needs, and sets clear, achievable goals for the next five years (2025-2030). This revision will involve comprehensive consultations with members to gather insights and foster a collaborative approach to future challenges and opportunities

·      To increasing educational opportunities to enhance members’ experience

·      To deliver an outstanding program for our annual meeting taking place on April 24 – 26, 2025, at the Sheraton Toronto in Toronto, Canada. The meeting will address the powerful role of artificial intelligence for mental health practice and research.

I will continue to update you with progress reports and I encourage each of you to engage with the Society and to contribute your own ideas and perspectives. Thank you for your continued commitment and enthusiasm.

Warm regards,

SOBP MEMBERSHIP

Membership has its benefits! Don't forget to renew your 2024 SOBP Membership by logging into the SOBP website, updating your profile and pay your membership dues. 

Benefits of membership include:

• All members can register for the Society of Biological Psychiatry’s Annual Meeting at the reduced registration fee. This represents a significant savings from the full-cost, non-member registration fee.
• Reduced abstract submission fee of $0 vs $40 for non-members.
• All members will receive a subscription, both print and online, to Biological Psychiatry, the official publication of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, and online subscription to the new journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.  This is a $798 value!
• Leadership opportunities on committees.
• Sponsorship of abstracts or member applications.
• Access to members-only on-line tools.
• Recognition and affiliation with a premier organization.
• Networking and professional development.

Author Spotlight

Dr. Katrina Aberizk

"Relations of Lifetime Perceived Stress and Basal Cortisol With Hippocampal Volume Among Healthy Adolescents and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach"

We had the chance to catch up with doctoral candidate Katrina Aberizk, a graduate student in Dr. Elaine Walker’s laboratory at Emory University. In collaboration with senior author Dr. Benson Ku, and co-authors, Katrina led a recent paper in Biological Psychiatry that focused on associations between cortisol and hippocampal volume in youth at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Click here to read the full interview.

Brought to you by the CAWL Committee.

Interviewed by Jennifer S. Stevens, PhD.