
Debby Tsuang, MD, MSc
Personal Statement
Over the past 20 years, my research has focused on the genetics of schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly on the use of clinical phenotyping and innovative genomic technologies to elucidate the complex genetic architecture underlying schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I currently serve as Director of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) and Co-PI of the Clinical Core of the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC). In these capacities, I direct multidisciplinary efforts to better understand the biology, genetics, etiology, prevention, and treatment of these disorders, and I provide clinical expertise for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders and treatment of behavioral disturbances in dementias.Education
Additional certification in geriatric psychiatry
Department Affiliations
Centers/Programs
Training Programs
Other Affiliations
University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Center \
Scholarly Expertise
Teaching Philosophy
I am interested in helping trainees to discover the patients and their diseases that capture their passions and curiosities. As they seek that niche, I believe it is critical to develop a comprehensive, holistic treatment approach to their patients. To that end, I hope to help trainees develop foundational knowledge concerning the complex medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial challenges that affect patients. I also believe that it is important to view those intersections in the context of the individual. When we see our patients as people who are part of a family and a web of connections beyond the self—and not just a patient ID number or DSM diagnosis—we are better able to understand both our patients’ illnesses and the ways in which their experiences of those illnesses affect them and their families. |
Recent Publications
Correction: Valcic et al. Determining Whether Sex and Zygosity Modulates the Association between APOE4 and Psychosis in a Neuropathologically-Confirmed Alzheimer's Disease Cohort. Brain Sci. 2022, 12, 1266.
(2022 Dec 29)
Brain Sci 13(1):
Valcic M, Khoury MA, Kim J, Fornazzari L, Churchill NW, Ismail Z, De Luca V, Tsuang D, Schweizer TA, Munoz DG, Fischer CE
(2022 Dec 29)
Brain Sci 13(1):
Valcic M, Khoury MA, Kim J, Fornazzari L, Churchill NW, Ismail Z, De Luca V, Tsuang D, Schweizer TA, Munoz DG, Fischer CE
African ancestry GWAS of dementia in a large military cohort identifies significant risk loci.
(2022 Dec 22)
Mol Psychiatry
Sherva R, Zhang R, Sahelijo N, Jun G, Anglin T, Chanfreau C, Cho K, Fonda JR, Gaziano JM, Harrington KM, Ho YL, Kremen WS, Litkowski E, Lynch J, Neale Z, Roussos P, Marra D, Mez J, Miller MW, Salat DH, Tsuang D, Wolf E, Zeng Q, Panizzon MS, Merritt VC, Farrer LA, Hauger RL, Logue MW
(2022 Dec 22)
Mol Psychiatry
Sherva R, Zhang R, Sahelijo N, Jun G, Anglin T, Chanfreau C, Cho K, Fonda JR, Gaziano JM, Harrington KM, Ho YL, Kremen WS, Litkowski E, Lynch J, Neale Z, Roussos P, Marra D, Mez J, Miller MW, Salat DH, Tsuang D, Wolf E, Zeng Q, Panizzon MS, Merritt VC, Farrer LA, Hauger RL, Logue MW
Sex Modifies the Associations of APOEɛ4 with Neuropsychiatric Symptom Burden in Both At-Risk and Clinical Cohorts of Alzheimer's Disease.
(2022)
J Alzheimers Dis 90(4): 1571-1588
Dissanayake AS, Tan YB, Bowie CR, Butters MA, Flint AJ, Gallagher D, Golas AC, Herrmann N, Ismail Z, Kennedy JL, Kumar S, Lanctot KL, Mah L, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Rajji TK, Tau M, Maraj A, Churchill NW, Tsuang D, Schweizer TA, Munoz DG, Fischer CE, PACt-MD Study Group
(2022)
J Alzheimers Dis 90(4): 1571-1588
Dissanayake AS, Tan YB, Bowie CR, Butters MA, Flint AJ, Gallagher D, Golas AC, Herrmann N, Ismail Z, Kennedy JL, Kumar S, Lanctot KL, Mah L, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Rajji TK, Tau M, Maraj A, Churchill NW, Tsuang D, Schweizer TA, Munoz DG, Fischer CE, PACt-MD Study Group
Non-REM sleep with hypertonia in Parkinsonian Spectrum Disorders: A pilot investigation.
(2022 Dec)
Sleep Med 100(): 501-510
Levendowski DJ, Walsh CM, Boeve BF, Tsuang D, Hamilton JM, Salat D, Berka C, Lee-Iannotti JK, Shprecher D, Westbrook PR, Mazeika G, Yack L, Payne S, Timm PC, Neylan TC, St Louis EK
(2022 Dec)
Sleep Med 100(): 501-510
Levendowski DJ, Walsh CM, Boeve BF, Tsuang D, Hamilton JM, Salat D, Berka C, Lee-Iannotti JK, Shprecher D, Westbrook PR, Mazeika G, Yack L, Payne S, Timm PC, Neylan TC, St Louis EK
Chronic neuropsychiatric sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: Protocol and methods from the Alzheimer's Association Global Consortium.
(2022)
Alzheimers Dement (N Y) 8(1): e12348
de Erausquin GA, Snyder H, Brugha TS, Seshadri S, Carrillo M, Sagar R, Huang Y, Newton C, Tartaglia C, Teunissen C, Håkanson K, Akinyemi R, Prasad K, D'Avossa G, Gonzalez-Aleman G, Hosseini A, Vavougios GD, Sachdev P, Bankart J, Mors NPO, Lipton R, Katz M, Fox PT, Katshu MZ, Iyengar MS, Weinstein G, Sohrabi HR, Jenkins R, Stein DJ, Hugon J, Mavreas V, Blangero J, Cruchaga C, Krishna M, Wadoo O, Becerra R, Zwir I, Longstreth WT, Kroenenberg G, Edison P, Mukaetova-Ladinska E, Staufenberg E, Figueredo-Aguiar M, Yécora A, Vaca F, Zamponi HP, Re VL, Majid A, Sundarakumar J, Gonzalez HM, Geerlings MI, Skoog I, Salmoiraghi A, Boneschi FM, Patel VN, Santos JM, Arroyo GR, Moreno AC, Felix P, Gallo C, Arai H, Yamada M, Iwatsubo T, Sharma M, Chakraborty N, Ferreccio C, Akena D, Brayne C, Maestre G, Blangero SW, Brusco LI, Siddarth P, Hughes TM, Zuñiga AR, Kambeitz J, Laza AR, Allen N, Panos S, Merrill D, Ibáñez A, Tsuang D, Valishvili N, Shrestha S, Wang S, Padma V, Anstey KJ, Ravindrdanath V, Blennow K, Mullins P, Łojek E, Pria A, Mosley TH, Gowland P, Girard TD, Bowtell R, Vahidy FS
(2022)
Alzheimers Dement (N Y) 8(1): e12348
de Erausquin GA, Snyder H, Brugha TS, Seshadri S, Carrillo M, Sagar R, Huang Y, Newton C, Tartaglia C, Teunissen C, Håkanson K, Akinyemi R, Prasad K, D'Avossa G, Gonzalez-Aleman G, Hosseini A, Vavougios GD, Sachdev P, Bankart J, Mors NPO, Lipton R, Katz M, Fox PT, Katshu MZ, Iyengar MS, Weinstein G, Sohrabi HR, Jenkins R, Stein DJ, Hugon J, Mavreas V, Blangero J, Cruchaga C, Krishna M, Wadoo O, Becerra R, Zwir I, Longstreth WT, Kroenenberg G, Edison P, Mukaetova-Ladinska E, Staufenberg E, Figueredo-Aguiar M, Yécora A, Vaca F, Zamponi HP, Re VL, Majid A, Sundarakumar J, Gonzalez HM, Geerlings MI, Skoog I, Salmoiraghi A, Boneschi FM, Patel VN, Santos JM, Arroyo GR, Moreno AC, Felix P, Gallo C, Arai H, Yamada M, Iwatsubo T, Sharma M, Chakraborty N, Ferreccio C, Akena D, Brayne C, Maestre G, Blangero SW, Brusco LI, Siddarth P, Hughes TM, Zuñiga AR, Kambeitz J, Laza AR, Allen N, Panos S, Merrill D, Ibáñez A, Tsuang D, Valishvili N, Shrestha S, Wang S, Padma V, Anstey KJ, Ravindrdanath V, Blennow K, Mullins P, Łojek E, Pria A, Mosley TH, Gowland P, Girard TD, Bowtell R, Vahidy FS
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