Mental Health

In this issue, we bring you just a tiny slice of Georgetown’s work in the sphere of mental health. What we don’t mention can fill a library. Consider this the first part in an ongoing series as we take a look at physician wellness and burnout, student mental health, the neurobiology of altruism, and global cultural approaches to human well-being.

Read Editor Jane Varner Malhotra’s full letter »

Print Edition

Read the print edition of the Mental Health issue online.

Read print edition: https://today.advancement.georgetown.edu/georgetown-health-magazine/mental-health/#
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Match Day 2019 by the Numbers

Most popular specialities among School of Medicine students who matched:

Check Up: News and Research

rendition of viruses closeup

The immunotherapy that is revolutionizing treatment of many cancers appears to offer similar benefit to cancer patients living with HIV, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

person putting fingers thru chainlink fence

The health of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) is disproportionately affected by criminal justice disparities in the United States, notes School of Nursing & Health Studies professor Bette Jacobs…

dna helix

A new video from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center’s director of cancer genetic counseling Beth N. Peshkin offers advice on Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) DNA testing, including concerns around privacy, accuracy, and new-found relatives. “It sounds less exciting, but talking with your family members about their health history and then sharing it with your doctor can have a more positive effect on your health than a DTC test,” says Peshkin.

View video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HOI2YUcxVQ

On Campus

picture of doctors wheeling patient on bed thru hospital

Physicians know all too well that gun violence is a public health problem of epidemic proportions.

A Testimonial

petri dish with bacteria that look like the world map

“Contemporary science is a globalized enterprise and can’t be regulated merely by enacting a patchwork of national laws. International ethical standards have become a necessity.”

— Georgetown medical ethicist Daniel Sulmasy on World Health Organization’s announcement in December that it would examine global science and ethics questions around human gene editing. The announcement came in response to a Chinese scientist’s claim that he performed genetic editing to create twin girls who are resistant to HIV— the first known case of humans undergoing genetic editing before birth.

Alumni Connections

The self-proclaimed informal group of physicians—all trained by or connected with the School of Medicine and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital—fills an important social void for the D.C.-area retirees.

bill licamele

The child and adolescent psychiatrist retired in 2014 after nearly 40 years at Georgetown. He is father to three Georgetown alumni. His dedication to the university runs deep—including courtside at…

A Testimonial

small lung cancer cells

“With the addition of atezolizumab to chemotherapy, we have finally moved the needle in SCLC. It is now our charge to build upon these results and ensure that the next major advance is not another 20 years away.”

Stephen V. Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who co-led the clinical trial. A Georgetown-led study has contributed to the recent FDA approval of a drug for small cell lung cancer (SCLC)—the first in decades to improve survival.

young murray bowen
murray bowen pointing at chalkboard
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From the Archives: Murray Bowen, Georgetown’s Family Therapy Pioneer

The prolific, renowned psychiatrist Murray Bowen (1913-1990) was part of the Georgetown School of Medicine faculty from 1959 until his death. An innovator in the field of family therapy, he developed a systems approach to understanding the function of interdependent human relationships that foster emotional connection and support. The U.S. National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, houses a colorful collection of archival material from his family and from the Bowen Center (formerly the Georgetown University Family Center), including writings, videos, and oral histories—some of which can be found online at murraybowenarchives.org. Bowen is pictured above at age 25 outside his first medical office in Crossville, Tennessee. At right, he describes his family systems diagram.

A Testimonial

kerri layman

“I grew up in a small town and was first in my family to go to college. Georgetown made my world a whole lot bigger. I went into emergency medicine because it’s a little of everything, and the doctors are approachable. We have to establish rapport quickly, and we depend on each other. Our current space was built when emergency departments were emergency rooms. The new pavilion will nearly double our ED capacity, from 17 to 32 beds and rooms for consultations. We’re upgrading equipment, lighting, technology, plus the space will be quieter, more private, and more efficient. Better for us, better for teaching, and better for the patients.”

— Kerri Layman (F’00, M’06, R’09)

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