Dr. Achtyes’ work has focused on clinical translational work in patients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders
He has served as PI or co-PI on more than 10 clinical trials including several federally-funded research protocols from NIDA, NIMH, NIAAA and CMS including: a smoking cessation study for patients with schizophrenia that utilizes pharmacotherapy and group cognitive behavorial therapy (PI: Eden Evins); a study assessing the use of folate and vitamin B12 for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia (PI: Don Goff); RAISE, a study of patients experiencing a first episode psychosis (PI: John Kane); the ICRC study which is seeking utilize technological aids like cell phone and computer applications to prevent relapse and reduce the cost of care in patients with schizophrenia (PI: John Kane), and another study to decrease alcohol consumption in patients with schizophrenia (PI: Alan Green).
Dr. Achtyes also coauthored a paper on the risk of postpartum hemorrhage associated with SSRI use in pregnant women (PI: Soko Setoguchi). He has also been a co-PI on several studies of depression in outpatient populations, including a study of pharmacogenomics in depressed populations (PI: Kevin Furmaga) and, utilization of a new tool, the CAT-DI, to assess for depressive symptom severity in psychiatric outpatients (PI: Robert Gibbons). This study also sought to measure biomarkers of inflammation in depressed patients (co-PI: Lena Brundin). Dr. Achtyes also practices ECT, and has worked on a study of ECT for the treatment of behavioral disturbances in advanced dementia (PI: Brent Forester and Jack Mahdasian).
