R. Andrew Sewell MD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Biographical Info

Dr. Sewell graduated from University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1998, then completed a combined residency in Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine under Dr. Sheldon Benjamin in 2004. Following that, he went to McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School where he studied the subjective and endocrine response to acute nicotine and cocaine administration under the late Dr. Jack Mendelson. For the last three years he has worked in the Schizophrenia Research Group under Dr. Cyril D'Souza, studying the effects of psychotropic agents such as alcohol, delta-9-THC, amphetamine, iomazenil, and salvinorin A in human subjects. The primary focus of his research is exploring the effects of cannabinoids in areas relevant to PTSD such as extinction learning and also neuroimaging cannabinoid receptors with positron emission tomography (PET).

International Activity

• Lecture: "Human Psychopharmacology Research at Yale"
  Amsterdam, Netherlands (2010 - 2010)
  Lecture presented at Stichting Open
• Invited Speaker
  Basel, Switzerland (2008 - 2008)
  "Response of Cluster Headache to Lysergic Acid Amide". Presentation at World Psychedelic Forum, Basel, Switzerland.
• Speaker Panel
  Basel, Switzerland (2006 - 2006)
  "In the Midst of Darkness, Light: US Government-Approved Psychedelic Therapy Research". Seminar given at The Spirit of Basel: International Symposium on the Occasion of Albert Hofmann's 100th Birthday, Basel, Switzerland.
• Headache Research
  Toronto, Canada (2006 - 2006)
  "The Treatment of Cluster Headache with Psilocybin and LSD: A Series of 53 Cases". Presentation at the Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Education & Training

B.A.

Cornell University (1993)

M.D.

University of Connecticut School of Medicine (1998)

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Fellow

McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center (2004 - 2007)

Schizophrenia Research (MIRECC) Fellow

VA Connecticut Healthcare/Yale University School of Medicine, Schizophrenia Research Group, Department of Psychiatry (2007 - 2010)

Honors & Recognition

• John P. Spiegel Memorial Fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry
  Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture (1999)
• William R. Wadleigh Memorial Award for Excellence in Cultural and Cross-Cultural Studies.
  Center for International Community Health Studies, University of Connecticut School of Medicine (1996)
• Sigma Xi Honor Society
  Sigma Xi (1996)
• Bloomberg Award for Excellence in Psychiatry,
  University of Connecticut School of Medicine. (1998)
• Medical Student Teaching Award
  University of Massachusetts Medical School (2000)
• Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion Travel Award
  HealthEmotions Research Institute (2000)
• Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion Travel Award
  HealthEmotions Research Institute (2001)
• Second Place, “Draw-A-Clock” Contest
  Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School (2000)
• First Place, “Draw-A-Clock” Contest
  Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School (2001)
• U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress Eli Lilly Fellowship Program
  Eli Lilly (2001)
• Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion Travel Award
  HealthEmotions Research Institute (2002)
• First Place, “Draw-A-Clock” Contest
  Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School (2002)
• First Place, “Draw-A-Clock” Contest
  Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School (2003)
• Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion Travel Award
  HealthEmotions Research Institute (2004)
• American Pain Society Travel Scholarship
  American Pain Society (2004)
• “Cluster Headache Hero” Award
  Clusterbusters (2006)
• Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators Award
  American Psychiatric Association (2006)
• Junior Faculty Award
  “Toward Optimal Treatment for Co- Occurring Schizophrenia and Alcohol Use Disorder” Conference (2009)
• Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators Award
  American Psychiatric Association (2010)

Professional Service