Shanghai Mental Health Center/Shanghai Jiaotong University and UMass Department of Psychiatry

Key SMHC collaborators

Yifeng Xu, MD
Min Zhao, MD, PhD
Chunbo Li, MD, PhD
Jijin Wang, MD, PhD
Zhenghui Yi, MD, PhD 
Dengtang Liu, MD, PhD
Jianhua Sheng, MD, PhD

Ongoing projects

• Citalopram in first episode schizophrenia (R01 funded by NIMH, Donald Goff, MD, Xiaoduo Fan, MD, and Jijun Wang, MD, Jingping Zhao, MD): This is a multi-site placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 12-month trial of citalopram added to treatment with antipsychotics with the exception of clozapine in first episode schizophrenia patients. The primary aims are to examine the effect of citalopram treatment on depressive symptoms and negative symptoms. The study sites include MGH, NYU, Shanghai Mental Health Center, and the 2nd Xiangya Hospital in Hunan Province.
• Biomarker assessment in drug-naïve first episode schizophrenia (funded by NIH/China Natural Science Foundation, Donald Goff, MD, Xiaoduo Fan, MD, and Jijun Wang, MD): This is a two-site, open label, 8-week trial of risperidone treatment in drug-naïve first episode schizophrenia patients. The primary aim is to identify illness- and treatment-related biomarkers.

Potential projects

• Effect of naltrexone/bupropion combination treatment on weight loss and smoking cessation in obese, cigarette-smoking patients with schizophrenia (Xiaoduo Fan MD, Doug Ziedonis, MD, and Dr. Min Zhao’s Group). The Primary aims are to: 1) Assess the feasibility, acceptability and safety of treating both weight loss and smoking cessation with naltrexone / bupropion combination medication strategy in the study population using a randomized control design. 2) Determine relative effect size for reducing body weight and being tobacco abstinent comparing medication combination versus placebo. This study will provide needed evidence for a large R01 single or multisite study.
• Addressing Tobacco Through Organizational Change (ATTOC) (Doug Ziedonis, MD, Sun Kim, PhD, Xiaoduo Fan, MD, and Dr. Min Zhao’s group): The ATTOC intervention is designed to reduce health risks associated with smoking and improve health of the treatment population. We evaluate organizational changes in nicotine policies; staff-level changes in tobacco and nicotine knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and client-level changes in exposure to and utilization of tobacco and nicotine dependence treatment. In this project, we adapt our clinical tools and organizational change infrastructure materials (written and web-based) into Chinese and that culture; and pilot test these items using our ATTOC 6-month intervention. We have completed a pilot study with Sichuan University West China Hospital’s Mental Health Center, and would like to propose a similar pilot study at SMHC.
• Faculty observership program (Xiaoduo Fan, MD, Jeffrey Geller, MD, Doug Ziedonis, MD, Min Zhao, MD): Dr. Fan coordinated the first clinically oriented faculty observership program in the US targeting senior Chinese psychiatrists when he was at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard. The 3-year program provided observers structured, wide-range clinical and research exposure. This program was a great success, and has led to a solid, productive collaborative relationship between Dr. Fan and SMHC (see completed and ongoing projects listed above). Under the visionary leadership from Dr. Douglas Ziedonis, Chair of the UMass Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Fan has established a similar faculty observership program at UMass with unique resources and opportunities (e.g., a full-spectrum clinical service models and public sector psychiatry) which were not available in the previous observership program at MGH. We would be happy to consider colleagues from SMHC to come to UMass through this program.
• Bilateral exchange medical education (medical students, graduate students, residents CME workshops and symposia) (Sheldon Benjamin, MD, Doug Ziedonis, MD, Xiaoduo Fan, MD, Min Zhao, MD): Dr. Sheldon Benjamin, our Vice Chair for education, was the past president of American Association for Psychiatry Residency Training Directors, and the current president of American Neuropsychiatric Association. He is a national leader in psychiatry education, especially in developing novel education tools and technology. Dr. Benjamin met with Drs. Jijun Wang and Shunying Yu from SMHC during their visit at UMass in November 2012. We have discussed various training platforms such as joint video conferences, medical student and resident rotations. It is obvious that the bilateral exchange training model is mutually beneficial. More discuss is needed to develop concrete plans.

Completed projects

• Fan X, Liu E, Freudenreich O, Park JH, Liu D, Wang J, Yi Z, Goff DC, Henderson DC. Higher white blood cell counts are associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndrome and more severe psychopathology in non-diabetic patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 2010; 118, 211-217.
• Liu D, Fan X, Wang Y, Yang Z, Zhuo K, Song Z, Wu Y, Li C, Wang J, Xu Y. Deficient inhibition of return in chronic but not first-episode patients with schizophrenia. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 2010; 34, 961-967.
• Wang J, Liu E, Freudenreich O, Goff DC, Henderson DC, Fan X*. Phenotypic characteristics in metabolically obese but normal weight non-diabetic patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 2010; 124, 49-53.
• Yi Z, Fan X*, Wang J, Liu D, Freudenreich O, Goff DC, Henderson DC. Rosiglitazone and cognitive function in clozapine treated patients with schizophrenia: a pilot study. Psychiatry Research, 2012; 200, 79-82.
• Wang J, Fan X*, Liu D, Yi Z, Freudenreich O, Goff DC, Henderson DC. Physical activity, food intake and metabolic abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 2012; 140, 260-261.
• Zhuo K, Lu Y, Yang Z, Fan X, Song Z, Liao L, Ji C, Zhu D, Yu S, Yan C, Chan RCK, Goff DC, Xu Y, Liu D. Prospective memory performance in patients with drug-naïve, first-episode psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, in press.
• Sheng J, Li C, Wang J, Li J, Song X, Fan X*. Phenotypic characteristics in metabolically healthy but obese patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, submitted.
• Notes: 1) names in bold are key people; 2) * Senior and/or correspondence author.