Email: linmarie_sikich@med.unc.edu

Phone: (919) 972-7500

Website: ASPIRE Research Program

Education:

B.A., English, Washington University
M.A., Neurobiology, Washington University
M.D., Washington University
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Psychiatry, Washington University
Resident, Psychiatry, Yale University
Clinical Child Psychiatry Fellowship, Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center
Fellowship, Child Psychiatry Research Training Program, Yale Child Study Center

Research Interests:

During Dr. Sikich’s  child psychiatry research training fellowship at Yale Child Study Center she focused on autism spectrum disorders. Since joining the UNC-CH faculty, she has also become interested in early onset psychotic illnesses. Today, the majority of her work is focused on evaluating and developing treatments for both disorders using standard efficacy measures, effectiveness measures that also consider the tolerability and acceptability of treatments, neurocognitive outcomes, and biomarkers.  She also studies ways to reduce the adverse effects associated with treatments and genetic factors that may influence response to specific treatments. Her future research goals include developing new ways to assess target engagement of the social motivation network and more objective outcome measures of social functioning in autism. Her research is funded by National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute for Mental Health NIMH), the Foundation of Hope, and Autism Speaks.  She also participates in industry sponsored trials of novel treatments for autism and schizophrenia.  She serves on the research advisory board for the Autism Treatment Network,  the data and safety monitoring board of the NICHD Rare Diseases of Clinical Research Network and the UNC Biomedical IRB Board.

Representative Publications:

1. Findling, R.L., Kafantaris, V., Pavuluri, M., McNamara, N.K., Frazier, J.A., Sikich, L., Kowatch, R., Rowles, B.M., Clemons, T.E., Taylor-Zapata, P. (2013). Post-Acute Effectiveness of Lithium in Pediatric Bipolar I Disorder. J. Child Adolesc. Psychopharmacol. 23(2): accepted 2/18/2013.
2. Christian, R.B., Sheitman, B.B., McKee, J., Wegner, S., Farley, J.F., Barnhill, L.J, Pfeiffenberger, T., Diamond, J., Best, R.M. Chrisman, A., Palmes, G., Sikich, L. (2013).  Initial Findings of the Antipsychotics Keep It Documented for Safety (A+KIDS) Program: A Web-based Registry for North Carolina Youth, An Alternative to the Prior Authorization Model.  Psychiatric Services accepted 2/27/2013.
3. King, B.H., Dukes, K., Donnelly, C.L., Sikich, L., McCracken, J.T., Scahill, L., Hollander, E., Bregman, J.D., Anagnostou, E., Robinson, F., Sullivan, L., Hirtz, D. (2013).  Baseline factors predict placebo response to treatment in a multi-site controlled trial in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.  Archives of Pediatrics accepted 1/25/3013.
4. Hallett V, Lecavalier L, Sukhodolsky DG, Cipriano N, Aman MG, McCracken JT, McDougle CJ, Tierney E, King BH, Hollander E, Sikich L, Bregman J, Anagnostou E, Donnelly C, Katsovich L, Dukes K, Vitiello B, Gadow K, Scahill L. (2013).  Exploring the Manifestations of Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J. Autism Dev. Disord. epub ahead of print 2/12/2013. PMID 23400347.
5. Dichter, G.S., Sikich, L., Song, A., Voyvodic, J. & Bodfish, J.W. (2012). Functional Neuroimaging of Treatment Effects in Psychiatry: Methodological Challenges and Recommendations.  The International Journal of Neuroscience 30: epub ahead of print 4/2012, PMID 22471393