Distinguished Lecture: "Depression and Suicide in Adolescents"

Abstract. Depression is common, debilitating, and typically onsets in adolescence. Although depression is robustly associated with suicide ideation and suicide planning, it shows a weaker relationship with suicide attempts. Dr. Auerbach’s research uses a multimodal approach for assessment (e.g., laboratory-based experiments, passive sensor monitoring, electrophysiology, and neuroimaging) to determine why depressive symptoms unfold and how self-injurious and suicidal behaviors develop. The presentation will highlight the role of both top-down (e.g., self-referential processing, prefrontal function) and bottom-up (e.g., anhedonia, reward learning, mesolimbic function) processes as it relates to depression and suicide vulnerability. Further, novel approaches to integrating trait (e.g., phenotypes, EEG/ERPs, fMRI) and state (e.g., ecological momentary assessment, passive sensor monitoring) markers will be discussed, particularly with the aim of improving short-term prediction of suicidal behaviors. 

Bio. Randy P. Auerbach, Ph.D., ABPP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the David Shakow Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in Clinical Psychology, Richard Abidin Early Career Award, and Theodore Blau Early Career Award.