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Joseph Kazan, MD

    Education & Training

  • BS - American University of Beirut
  • MD – American University of Beirut
  • T32 Postdoctoral Research Scholarship in Psychiatry – University of Pittsburgh
Research Summary

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most prevalent anxiety disorder in older adults and has been associated with worse quality of life and increased all-cause morbidity and mortality.  Identifying the neural mechanisms for late-life anxiety is crucial for a better understanding of disease pathophysiology and treatment outcomes. I aim to explore neuroanatomical correlates of anxiety and their relationship to cognition and brain aging.  

How was the Physician Scientist Incubator valuable to you in your research and overall career goals?

The BWF Incubator Program has been an essential component of my training as a physician-scientist. It has provided me with a foundation of skills and knowledge necessary to become an independent investigator. I specially appreciated the weekly sessions tackling a wide variety of valuable topics often relegated to the “hidden curriculum”. The program also servied as a supportive and collaborative space where I was allowed to discuss and improve certain research ideas and projects through cross-disciplinary discussions and feedback.

Representative Publications

Kazan, J., Karim, H. T., Banihashemi, L., Sibbach, B.M., Lo, D., Tudorascu, D.L., Butters, M., and Andreescu, C.. (2023, December 05). The Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST) Grey Matter and Late-Life Worry and Cognitive Reappraisal. Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol. 48. Campus, 4 Crinan St, London, N1 9xw, England: Springernature, 2023.

Kazan, J., Lyew, T., Croswell, E., Buysse, D. J., Gebara, M. A., Karp, J. F., Krafty, R. T., Rashied, A. A., Reynolds, C. F., 3rd, Rollman, B. L., Smagula, S. F., & Stahl, S. T. (2023). A digital health intervention to stabilize the 24-hour rhythm of sleep, meals, and physical activity for reducing depression among older bereaved spouses: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials, 124, 107016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2022.107016

Stahl, S.T., Kazan, J., Lazzari, T., Krafty, R.T., Reynolds C.F. III, Rollman, B.L., Smagula, S.F., Gebara, M.A.. (2023, Jun). Brief Report: Risk for Complicated Grief after the COVID-19 Death of a Marital Partner in Late Life. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry