Robert Trestman, PhD, MD

Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Nursing, UConn Health (Affiliate)

Research Overview

Dr. Trestman has studied the neurobiology and treatment of people with severe mood and personality disorders, and currently conducts translational research on correctional mental health. He has published over 146 articles and book chapters, consults to the National Institute of Mental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, several branches of the US Department of Justice, the Vera Institute for Justice, is Board Chair of the Children’s Fund of Connecticut, and is a member of the American Psychiatric Association Council on Psychiatry and the Law. In addition, he serves as the Chair of the Research Committee for the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Institute For Education and Research.

His correctional mental health research includes work with epidemiology of mental illness (NIJ, BJS, NIMH funding); the development and dissemination of a validated mental health screening tool for jails (NIJ funding); the development and implementation of an evidence-based CBT skills training program (NIJ, NIC funding); the adaptation of psychopharmacology decision support in Bipolar Disorder treatment (NIMH funding); and community participatory research infrastructure development in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Correction (NIMH funding).

Education

9/1971-12/1974 B.S. (Chemistry and Psychology), Carnegie- Mellon University; Pittsburgh PA
9/1977-8/1981 Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology), University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN
9/1981-6/1985 M.D., University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis TN

Recent Publications