Zubin Bhagwagar  MD, PhD, MRCPsych

 

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

1984-89	MBBS	Delhi University, India, Medicine
1991-94	MD	Delhi University, India
1995		Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board, United Kingdom, Licensed physician
1995-98	MRCPsych	Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom, Psychiatry
1999-04	D Phil (PhD)	University of Oxford, United Kingdom, Psychiatry
2004		Specialist Training Authority, United Kingdom, Licensed Psychiatrist

Positions

1991-94	Resident, Dept of Psychiatry, Delhi University
1995-98	Resident, Oxford Rotational Training Scheme in Psychiatry, Oxford, UK.
1998-99	Clinical Lecturer Grade, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
1999-01	Medical Research Council Clinical Training Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University Oxford
2002-05	Clinical Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK.
July 2005	Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven

Professional Memberships

Fellow, Calhoun College, Yale University; Member: Society for Neuroscience, Society of Biological Psychiatry, Human Brain Mapping, Neuroimaging Section, Association of European Psychiatrists, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, British Association for Psychopharmacology, Cochrane Collaboration for Depression Anxiety and Neurosis. Editorial Board: Clinical Schizophrenia and Related Psychosis

Honors & Awards

2007	American Psychiatric Institute of Research Education (APIRE): Young Minds in Psychiatry Award
2006	Wyeth Psychopharmacology Award: British Association of Psychopharmacology, UK
2006, 2003	NARSAD Young Investigator Award
2006	New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit (NCDEU) New Investigator Award
2004	European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology Fellowship Award
2004	World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry, Young Investigator Award
2004	Young Investigator Award, Bipolar Global Medical Conference, Rome
2002	National guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder, British Association of Psychopharmacology, UK
1998	Medical Research Council Clinical Training Fellowship UK
1997	Wellcome Training Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
1989	Best all around medical student, Delhi University, India

Travel Awards

2006	Emory University, Future Leaders in Psychiatry
2004	European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award
2004	American Psychiatric Association Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators
2003	Lilly Fellowship awarded by Society of Biological Psychiatry
2002	ACNP Memorial Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
2002	Lilly Fellowship from British Association of Psychopharmacology

Ad hoc Reviewer: American Journal of Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, Bipolar Disorder, Synapse, Psychopharmacology, Neuroimage, International Journal of Neuropsychiatry, Journal of Psychopharmacology, Neurobiology of Aging

Publications

• Bhagwagar Z, Wylezinska M, Jezzard P, Evans J, Ashworth F, Sule A, Matthews PM, Cowen PJ.  (2007)  Reduction in occipital cortex GABA concentrations in medication free recovered unipolar depressed and bipolar subjects. Biological Psychiatry 61(6):806-12..
• Hinz R, Bhagwagar Z, Cowen PJ, Cunningham V, Grasby PM (2007) Validation of a tracer kinetic model for the quantification of 5-HT2A receptors in the human brain with [11C]MDL100907. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 27(1):161-72..
• Rogers RD, Wakeley J, Robson P, Bhagwagar Z, Makela P. (2007) The effects of low doses of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol on reinforcement processing in the risky decision-making of young healthy adults. Neuropsychopharmacology 32(2):417-28..
• Taylor M, Freemantle N, Geddes J, Bhagwagar Z. (2006). Early onset of SSRI antidepressant action: systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of General Psychiatry 63; 1217-1223.
• Bhagwagar Z, Hinz R, Taylor M, Fancy S, Cowen PJ, Grasby PM (2006). Increased 5-HT2A receptor binding in euthymic, medication-free patients recovered from depression: A positron emission tomography study with [11C]MDL 100,907. American Journal of Psychiatry 163 (9): 1580-7.
• Muralidharan A and Bhagwagar Z (2006) Potential of levetiracetam in mood disorders: A preliminary review. CNS Drugs (in press).
• Makela P, Wakeley J, Gijsman H, Robson PJ, Bhagwagar Z, Rogers RD (2006) Low doses of ∆-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have divergent effects on short-term spatial memory in young, healthy adults. Neuropsychopharmacology Feb;31(2):462-70.
• Wood R, Rilling JK, Sanfey AG, Bhagwagar Z, Rogers R (2006). Effects of tryptophan depletion on the performance of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game in healthy adults. Neuropsychopharmacology 31(5):1075-84.
• Bhagwagar Z, Hafizi S, Cowen PJ. (2005) Increased salivary cortisol after waking in depression. Psychopharmacology 182(1), 54-57.
• Bhagwagar Z and Goodwin GM (2005) Lamotrigine in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2005 Jul;6(8):1401-8.
• Bhagwagar Z, Rabiner EA, Sargent P, Grasby PM, Cowen PJ (2004) Persistent reduction in brain serotonin 1A receptor binding in recovered depressed men measured by positron emission tomography with [11C]WAY-100635. Molecular Psychiatry, 9(4), 386-92.
• Bhagwagar Z, Arridge M, Taylor M, Jezzard P, Matthews P, Cowen PJ. (2004) Acute administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor increases brain GABA concentrations. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161( 2), 368-370.
• Bhagwagar Z and Goodwin GM (2004) Bipolar-spectrum disorders: an epidemic, unseen, invisible or unreal? Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 10, 1-3.
• Bhagwagar Z, Cowen PJ, Goodwin GM, Harmer CJ (2004) Normalization of Enhanced Fear Recognition by Acute SSRI Treatment in Subjects with a Previous History of Depression. American Journal of Psychiatry. 161(1):166-168.
• Bhagwagar Z, Goodwin GM (2004) Bipolar disorder: the neglected psychosis. Psychiatry 3 (10) 67-70.
• Rabiner EA, Bhagwagar Z, Gunn RN, Cowen PJ, Grasby PM. (2004) Preferential 5-HT1A autoreceptor occupancy by pindolol is attenuated in depressed patients: Effect of treatment or an endophenotype of depression? Neuropsychopharmacology 29(9):1688-98.
• Taylor M, Wilder H, Bhagwagar Z, Geddes J (2004) Inositol for depressive disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2:CD004049.
• Rogers RD, Lancaster M, Wakeley J, Bhagwagar Z. The effects of beta adrenoceptor blockade on components of human decision-making. (2004) Psychopharmacology 172(2), 157-64.
• Bhagwagar Z, Hafizi S, Cowen PJ (2003) Increased waking salivary cortisol in recovered depressed patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160; 1890-91.
• Bhagwagar Z, Montgomery AJ, Grasby PM, Cowen PJ (2003) lack of effect of a single dose of hydrocortisone on serotonin 1A receptors in recovered depressed patients measured by Positron Emission Tomography with [11C]WAY100635. Biological Psychiatry 54 (9) 890-895.
• Harmer CJ, Bhagwagar Z, Shelley N, Cowen PJ. (2003) Contrasting effects of citalopram and reboxetine on waking salivary cortisol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 167 (1); 112-4.
• Sharpley A, Bhagwagar Z, Hafizi S, Whale WR, Gijsman H Cowen PJ (2003) Risperidone augmentation decreases REM sleep and decreases wake in treatment resistant depressed patients. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; 64, 192-196.
• Rogers RD, Tunbridge EM, Bhagwagar Z, Drevets W, Sahakian BJ, Carter C (2003) Tryptophan depletion alters the decision-making of healthy volunteers through altered processing of reward cues. Neuropsychopharmacology, 28 (1); 153-162.
• Taylor M, Bhagwagar Z, Cowen P, Sharp T (2003) GABA & mood disorders. Psychological Medicine 33, (3); 387-393.
• Harmer CJ, Bhagwagar Z, Perrett D, Völlm B, Cowen PJ, Goodwin GM (2003) Acute SSRI administration affects the processing of social cues in healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology, 28 (1); 148-152.
• Bhagwagar Z, Whale R and Cowen PJ (2002) State and trait abnormalities in serotonin function in major depression. British Journal of Psychiatry; 180, 24-28.
• Bhagwagar Z, Hafizi S and Cowen PJ (2002) Cortisol modulation of 5-HT-mediated growth hormone release in recovered depressed patients. Journal of Affective Disorders; 72(3): 249-55.
• Bhagwagar Z, Hafizi S and Cowen PJ (2002) Acute citalopram administration produces correlated increases in plasma and salivary cortisol. Psychopharmacology 163, 118-120.
• Bhagwagar Z and Goodwin GM (2002) The role of lithium in the treatment of bipolar depression. Clinical Neuroscience Research. 2/3-4; 222 - 227.
• Bhagwagar Z and Goodwin GM (2002) Role of mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder. Expert Review in Neurotherapeutics 2(2); 239-248.
• Harmer CJ, Bhagwagar Z, Cowen PJ, Goodwin GM (2002) Acute administration of citalopram facilitates memory consolidation in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 163, 106-110.
• Whale R, Clifford L, Bhagwagar Z and Cowen PJ (2001). Decreased sensitivity of 5-HT1D receptors in melancholic depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178; 454-57.
• Bhagwagar Z and Goodwin GM (2001) Valproate: new option in the treatment of mania. Prescriber, 12 (22).
• Rabiner EA, Bhagwagar Z, Gunn R, Sargent P, Bench C, Cowen PJ and Grasby PM (2001) Pindolol augmentation of SSRI antidepressant efficacy: PET evidence suggests the dose used in clinical trials is too low. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 2080-2.
• Montgomery A, Bench C, Young A, Hammers A, Bhagwagar Z, Grasby PM (2001) PET measurement of the influence of corticosteroids on serotonin 1A receptors. Biological Psychiatry, 50; 668-676.
• Bhagwagar Z and Mawson D (2000) Velocardiofacial syndrome, violence and schizophrenia. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 11(2); 449-455.
• McCleery J, Bhagwagar Z, Smith KA, Goodwin GM, Cowen PJ (2000) Modelling loss: Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by an imagined bereavement. Psychological Medicine, 30, 219-223.
• Whale R, Bhagwagar Z and Cowen PJ (1999) Zolmitriptan induced growth hormone release in humans mediated by 5-HT1D receptors? Psychopharmacology, 145; 223-226.

Research Support

Ongoing

Levetiracetam in the management of bipolar disorder

SMRI 05T-681Bhagwagar: PI              10/5/05 - 9/6/08
Stanley Medical Research Institute     $431,571.

The major goals of this project are to investigate the efficacy of levetiracetam add-on treatment in bipolar depressed patients via a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

NARSAD Young Investigator Award: A Proton MRS study of GABA and 5-HT Interactions.

Principle Investigator
$60,000
7/1/06 – 6/30/08
The major goals of this project are to investigate the interaction between serotonin and GABA in depressed patients via tryptophan depletion and proton magnetic spectroscopy (MRS) scans

Stanley Medical Research Institute

Ceftriaxone in the management of Bipolar Depression.

Principle Investigator
$529,552
3 years (dates pending IRB approval)
The major goals of this study are to investigate the effects of modulation of glutamatergic transmission using ceftriaxone on depressive symptoms in bipolar depressed patients.

American Psychiatric Institute on Research Education (APIRE) Young Minds in Psychiatry Award

Glutamatergic modulation of bipolar disorder
$45,000

Yale Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) Scholar Award

This is an 18 month award for salary support ($90,000 per year) and research funds ($30,000 per year)

Pending

National Institutes of Health

1K23MH077914-A1: A study of GABA and 5-HT interactions to test a molecular model of vulnerability.

National Institutes of Health

1R01MH082024-01: SPECT Imaging of Beta-2 containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Major Depression

Completed

NARSAD Young Investigator award 2003- 2005: Role PI. $60,000.

Medical Research Council (UK), Clinical Training Fellowship 1999-2001: Role: PI. £125,000 (GB Pound sterling)

Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee (UK) grant: Role: PI. £4000 (GB Pound sterling)