News

Steven E. Hyman, MD, right, core institute member and director of the Program in Brain Health at the Broad Institute, was presented with the 2026 Yale Department of Psychiatry Mental Health Advocacy Award.

Sumeyra Tayfur, PhD, postdoctoral associate, attended the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) 2026 Annual Congress in Florence, Italy, where she presented two posters.

The annual Yale-NAMI Conference on Neuroscience, Mental Health and Society, sponsored by the Yale Department of Psychiatry, will be held Saturday, May 9, beginning at 8 am at The Anlyan Center Auditorium, 300 Cedar St., New Haven.

Laura Yoviene Sykes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the STEP Learning Collaborative, spoke to WTNH-TV about delusional thinking: how to recognize it, and how loved ones can help.

Walter (Stan) Mathis, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, has been appointed director of the Yale Fellowship in Public Psychiatry effective July 1.

A new study from the STEP Program in Connecticut found that cannabis use became more severe among individuals entering care for first-episode psychosis after legalization, with increases in daily and solitary use. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring, education, and prevention, especially for adolescents and those at risk for psychosis.

From clinicians coordinating care to families searching for answers, this first-person reflection from one of STEP’s Early Detection and Assessment Coordinator offers a rare look at what it means to be the voice on the other side of the phone, and why timely, compassionate access to early psychosis care matters.

Vinod Srihari, MD, professor of psychiatry, is guest editor for a special issue of the journal Schizophrenia Research. The issue includes contributions led by Yale affiliates Laura Yoviene Sykes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry; Walter S. Mathis, MD, associate professor of psychiatry; and Sumeyra Tayfur, PhD, postdoctoral associate.

2025 marked a major year of growth, collaboration, and measurable progress for the STEP Learning Collaborative (STEP LC), Connecticut’s statewide learning health system for early psychosis. As we reflect on the second year of implementation since launching in February 2024, we see both expanding reach and deepening engagement across clinical, educational, community, and systems-level workstreams. In this post, we share key impacts from 2025, alongside broader program activities that shaped the continued development of a coordinated, statewide approach to early psychosis care in Connecticut.