Department of Psychiatry Faculty

Christopher H. van Dyck, MD Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Geropsychiatry) and Neurobiology Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit (ADRU) Tel: 203-764-8100 Fax: 203-764-8111 Email: christopher.vandyck@yale.edu

Education

1978, B.A., Yale University
1984, M.D., Northwestern University Medical School

Research Interest

Our current research focuses on the therapeutics, neuroimaging, and genetics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and aging. Therapeutic studies are conducted as part of national academic consortia (e.g., the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, ADCS) and collaborations with industry. Neuroimaging studies include the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI, multicenter consortium) and several Yale-based studies utilizing Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Current PET and SPECT studies examine alterations in serotonin-2A receptors and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in subjects with AD and subjects at risk for AD. Genetic studies are conducted in collaboration with Joel Gelernter (Department of Psychiatry) and examine polymorphisms of interest for AD and phenotypic differences among AD patients.

Area of Expertise

Alzheimer’s disease
Aging
Neuroimaging

ADRU Staff and Trainees

Rajesh Tampi, MD, Assistant Professor
Martha MacAvoy, PhD, Research Coordinator
Theresa Hofmeister, Administrator
Shannon Savarese, Administrative Assistant
Traci Frye, Research Assistant
Kristina Estok, Research Assistant
Brian Juras, Research Assistant
Charmaine Rohde, Research Assistant
Laurel Bifano, Research Assistant
Traci Rightmer, Research Assistant
Sigrid Wiemers, MSN, Clinical Rater
Helena Chmielowicz, MSN, APRN, Clinical Rater
Effie Mitsis, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Matthew Malone, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Heath Penland, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kirsten Wilkins, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kristina Zdanys, MD student
Lekshmi Santhosh, Yale undergraduate student
Susanna Poppick, Yale undergraduate student

Achievements and Honors

Publications of Note

Basso M, Gelernter J, Yang J, MacAvoy MG, Varma P, Bronen R, van Dyck CH. Apolipoprotein E e4 is associated with atrophy of the amygdala in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging, 2005 in press.

Best SE, Sarrel PM, Malison RT, Laruelle M, Zoghbi SS, Baldwin RM, Seibyl JP, Innis RB, van Dyck CH. Striatal dopamine transporter availability with [123I]ß-CIT SPECT is unrelated to gender or menstrual cycle. Psychopharmacology 2005;183(2):181-189.

Mitsis EM, van Dyck CH. Neuroimaging in Alzheimer’s disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment, in Sun M-K (ed): Research Progress in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Nova Science, New York, 2005.

van Dyck CH, Malison RT, Jacobsen LK, Seibyl JP, Staley JK, Laruelle M, Baldwin RM, Innis RB, Gelernter J. Increased dopamine transporter availability associated with the 9-repeat allele of SLC6A3 gene. J Nucl Med 2005;46:745-751.

van Dyck, CH, Malison RT, Staley JK, Jacobsen LK, Seibyl JP, Laruelle M, Baldwin RM, Innis RB, Gelernter J. Central serotonin transporter availability measured with [123I]ß-CIT SPECT in relation to serotonin transporter genotype. Am J Psychiatry 2004;161(3):525-531.

van Dyck CH, Seibyl JP, Malison RT, Laruelle M, Zoghbi SS, Baldwin RM, Innis RB: Age-related decline in dopamine transporters: Analysis of striatal subregions, nonlinear effects, and hemispheric asymmetries. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2002; 10:36-43.

van Dyck CH, Quinlan DM, Cretella LM, Staley JK, Malison RT, Baldwin RM, Seibyl JP, Innis RB: Unaltered dopamine transporter availability in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry 2002;159(2):309-312.

van Dyck CH. Neuroimaging in Alzheimer’s disease: relevance for treatment. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2001;3:13-19.

van Dyck CH, Newhouse P, Falk WE, Mattes JA: Extended-release physostigmine in Alzheimer's disease: a multicenter, double-blind, 12-week study with dose-enrichment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000;57:157-164.

van Dyck CH, Malison RT, Seibyl JP, Laruelle M, Klumpp H, Zoghbi SS, Baldwin RM, Innis RB: Age-related decline in central serotonin transporter availability with [123I]ß-CIT SPECT. Neurobiol Aging 2000;21:497-501.

van Dyck CH, Tan P-Z, Baldwin RM, Amici LA, Garg PK, Ng CK, Soufer R, Charney DS, Innis RB: PET quantification of 5-HT2A receptors in the human brain: a constant infusion paradigm with [18F]altanserin. J Nucl Med 2000;41:234-241.

van Dyck CH, Gelernter J, MacAvoy MG, Avery RA, Criden M, Okereke O, Varma P, Seibyl JP, Hoffer PB: The absence of an apolipoprotein E e4 allele is associated with increased parietal rCBF asymmetry in Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol 1998;55:1460-1466.

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