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Personal History
Trained in biological rhythms at the Section of Biological Rhythms of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD with Drs. Thomas Wehr and Norman Rosenthal. A graduate of the Cluj-Napoca Medical School in Romania, Dr. Postolache completed postgraduate studies in Medicine at the Vienna General Hospital (Vienna, Austria) and Broussais Hospital (Paris, France), and his residency training in Psychiatry at the Beth Israel Medical Center (New York, NY). Dr. Postolache is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and licensed physician in Maryland and the District of Columbia. In addition to chronobiology, Dr. Postolache is anchored in clinical psychopharmacology, having led the Psychopharmacology Consultation Service of the DC Department of Mental Health & St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, DC for 5 years prior to joininig the University of Maryland School of Medicine to lead the Mood and Anxiety Program. He is certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
In his chronobiology/psychopharmacology practice in Washington DC, Dr. Postolache treats anxiety and mood disorders, complicated by transmeridian travel, in employees from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and elite athletes. He has also conducted seminars for elite athletes, their coaches and their doctors on the relationship between alertness, sleep, circadian rhythms, and human performance.
In leading the Mood and Anxiety Program (MAP), Dr. Postolache emphasizes the necessary concentric nature in the exploration of phenomenology in mood disorders, keeping the program focused on essential questions but maximizing the levels of inquiry. For instance, the highly replicated finding of peaks of suicide in spring is being explored with large scale epidemiolocical studies in US and Denmark, in a clinical study in the Washington/Baltimore area, in a postmortem brain tissue study and in animal behavioral models for risk factors for suicide, such as depression, anxiety, aggression and sleep disturbance.
Dr. Postolache received a Laughlin award from the American College of Psychiatrists in 1996 and the 2000 Fellows Award for Research Excellence from NIH. Dr. Postolache was the finalist for the Endocrine Society 2004 International Award for Research Excellence (JCEM/ Pfizer). He also received the 2004 Walter Weintraub Award for Teacher of the Year: University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Training, the 2004 Teacher of the Year Award and the 2005 Mentor of the Year award from the St. Elizabeths Hospital Residency Training Program. In addition, in 2005 he was honored with the NARSAD Independent Investigator Award. Dr. Postolache is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Society for Neuroscience, and the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Dr. Postolache leads the discussions of the monthly Mood and Anxiety Disorders (MAD) focus group of the Program for Neuroscience as well as the Mood and Anxiety Program (MAP). For a current and detailed schedule please email Dr. Postolache at tpostola@psych.umaryland.edu.
Research Interests
My team's general interest is the interaction between the environment, mood and behavior.
We study a wide range of environmental stimuli (light, darkness, olfactory stimuli, inflammation; generated stimuli such as allergens, pathogens and pollutants; endogenously and exogenously generated weak electric fields) and their interaction with mood and behavioral regulation and dysregulation. We have a stratified approach at multiple levels.
Among our current research projects:
1) Toxoplasma serointensity and suicidal behavior (supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
2) Light treatment for winter-SAD treatment for winter-SAD:Improvement after one hour and clinical response after 4 weeks (NIMH, R34 supported)
3) The effects of light treatment on mood and metabolism
4) Seasonality of suicide and airborne allergens (NIMH, R01 supported) - A large scale epidemiological study on the spring peak of suicide, Mood worsening in spring in patients with depression and tree-pollen allergy
5) Intranasal immune challenge, brain cytokines and gender differences in depression (NIMH, R21 supported)
Spring depression and sleep disturbance; role of sensitization to seasonal aeroallergens
6) Postpartum depression and the role of inflammation
Grant Support:
2007-2010: Principal Investigator
"Light treatment for winter-SAD: Improvement after 1 hour and clinical response at 4 weeks"
National Institute Mental Health, R34
Direct costs: $ 450,000
Total costs: $675,000
The goal of this project is to evaluate the predictive value of the response to the first session of bright light treatment on response after a full course of treatment, and to investigate the potential of bright light treatment to reduce cardiovascular risk in depressed SAD patients.
2007-2009: Principal Investigator
"Seasonality of suicide and airborne allergens"
National Institute Mental Health, R01
Direct costs: $893.759.00
Total costs: $1,189.080.00
The goal of this study is to investigate epidemiologically the association between peaks in airborne allergens and seasonal peaks in suicide, and between suicide and allergy.
2006-2008: Principal Investigator
"Mood worsening in spring in women with depression and tree-pollen allergy"
National Institute Mental Health, R21
Direct costs: $247,500
Total costs: $367,538
The aim of this project is to investigate the association between IgE antibody, tree pollen and mood worsening in spring in women with major mood disorders.
2006-2008: Principal Investigator
"Allergy and suicide history in patients with mood disorders"
NARSAD, Independent investigator award
Direct costs: $92,540
Total costs: $99,944
To compare history of suicide attempts in patients with and without positive IgE antibody against common allergens.
2006-2008: Co-Investigator; Principal Investigator: L. Tonelli
"Intranasal immune challenge, brain cytokines and gender differences in depression"
National Institute Mental Health, R21
Direct costs: $247,500
Total costs: $367,538
To evaluate the behavioral and molecular effects of intranasal immune challenge, differentially, in female vs. male rats.
Grants Pending
2010-2012: Principal Investigator
"Toxoplasma serointensity and suicidal behavior"
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Direct costs $75,000
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Postolache T.T., Gautier S., Laloux B., Safar M., Benetos A. (1993). Positive correlation between the blood pressure and heart rate response to the cold pressor test and the environmental temperature in older hypertensives. American Journal of Hypertension 6:376-381.
Postolache T.T., Londono J.H., Halem R.G., Newmark M.D. (1995). Electroconvulsive therapy in tardive dystonia. Convuls Ther 11(4):275-9.
Postolache T.T., Londono J.H., Pinsker, S. Luccerini, L. Augustin, J. Chris Muran C. (1997). A study of religion and psychotherapy. Psychiatric Services, 48: 1592.
Aeschbach D., Matthews J.R., Postolache T.T., Jackson M.A., Giesen H.A., Wehr T.A. (1997). Dynamics of the human EEG during prolonged wakefulness: evidence for frequency-specific circadian and homeostatic influences. Neurosci. Lett 239(2-3):121-4.
Neumeister A., Turner E.H., Matthews J.R., Postolache T.T., Barnett R.L., Rauh M., Vetticad R.G., Kasper S., Rosenthal N.E. (1998). Effects of tryptophan depletion versus cathecholamine depletion in patients with seasonal affective disorder in remission with light therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry 55(6):524-530.
Postolache T.T., Hardin T.A., Meyers F.S., Turner E.H., Yi L.Y., Barnett R.L., Matthews J.R., Rosenthal N.E. (1998). Greater improvement in summer than with light treatment in winter in patients with seasonal affective disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry 155(11):1614-6.
Postolache T.T., Rosenthal R.N., Hellerstein D.J., Aromin R., Kelton G.M., Muran J.C., Londono J.H. (1999). Early augmentation of sertraline with methylphenidate. J Clin Psychiatry 60(2):123-4.
Aeschbach D., Matthews J.R., Postolache T.T., Jackson M.A., Giesen H.A., Wehr T.A. (1999). Two circadian rhythms in the human electroencephalogram during wakefulness. Am J Physiol. 277(6 Pt 2):R1771-9.
Postolache T.T., Doty R.L., Wehr T.A., Jimma L.A., Han L., Turner E.H., Mathews J.R., Neumeister A., No C., Kroger H., Bruder G.E., Rosenthal N.E. (1999). Monorhinal odor identification and depression scores in patients with seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders 56(1):27-35.
Aeschbach D., Postolache T.T., Sher L., Matthews J.R., Jackson M.A., Wehr T.A. (2001). Evidence from the waking electroencephalogram that short sleepers live under higher homeostatic sleep pressure than long sleepers. Neuroscience 102(3): 493-502.
Sher L.,Matthews J.R., Turner E.H., Postolache T.T., Katz K.S., Rosenthal N.E. (2001). Early response to light therapy partially predicts long-term antidepressant effects in patients with seasonal affective disorder. J. Psychiatry Neurosci 26(4):336-8.
Wehr T.A., Duncan W.C. Jr., Sher L., Aeschbach D., Schwartz P.J., Turner E.H., Postolache T.T., Rosenthal N.E. (2001). A circadian signal of change of season in patients with seasonal affective disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry 58(12):1108-14.
Postolache T.T., Wehr T.A., Doty R.L., Sher L., Turner E.H., Bartko J.J., Rosenthal N.E. (2002). Patients with seasonal affective disorder have lower odor detection thresholds than control subjects. Archives of General Psychiatry 59:1119-1122.
Aeschbach D., Sher L., Postolache T.T., Matthews J.R., Jackson M.A., Wehr T.A. (2003). A longer biological night in long sleepers than in short sleepers. J. Clin. Endocrinol Metab. 88(1):26-30.
Agumadu C.O., Yousufi S.M., Malik I.S., Nguyen M.C., Jackson M.A., Soleymani K., Thrower C.M., Peterman M.J., Walters G.W., Niemtzoff M.J., Bartko J.J., Postolache T.T. (2004). Seasonal variation in mood in African-American college students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Am. J. Psychiatry 161(6):1084-1089.
Tonelli L.H., Postolache T.T., Sternberg E.M. (2005). Inflammatory genes and neural activity: involvement of immune genes in synaptic function and behavior. Frontiers in Bioscience 10:675-680.
Postolache T.T., Stiller J.W., Herrell R., Goldstein M.A., Shreeram S.S., Zebrak R., Thrower C.M., Volkov J., No M.J., Volkov I., Rohan K.J., Redditt J., Parmar M., Mohyuddin F., Olsen C., Moca M., Tonelli L.H., Merikangas K., Komarow H.D. (2005). Tree pollen peaks are associated with increased nonviolent suicide in women. Molecular Psychiatry 10(3):232-5.
Tonelli L.H., Postolache T.T. (2005). Tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 and major histocompatibility complex molecules in the normal brain and after peripheral immune challenge. Neurol Res 27(7):679-84.
Stiller J.W., Postolache T.T. (2005). Sleep-wake and other biological rhythms: functional neuroanatomy. Clin Sports Med. 24(2):205-35, vii.
Postolache T.T.,Oren D.A. (2005). Circadian phase shifting, alerting, and antidepressant effects of bright light treatment. Clin Sports Med. 24:381-413.
Guzman A., Zebrak R., Rohan K.J., Sumar I.A., Savchenko S., Stiller J.W., Valadez-Meltzer A., Olsen C., Lapidus M., Soriano J.J., Postolache T.T. (2007). A prospective longitudinal study of seasonality in African students living in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ScientificWorldJournal 7:577-83.
Guzman A., Rohan K.J., Yousufi S.M., Nguyen M.C., Jackson M.A., Soriano J.J., Postolache T.T. (2007). Mood sensitivity to seasonal changes in African college students living in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ScientificWorldJournal 7:584-91.
Soriano J.J., Ciupagea C., Rohan K.J., Neculai D.B., Yousufi S.M., Guzman A., Postolache T.T. (2007). Seasonal variations in mood and behavior in Romanian postgraduate students. ScientificWorldJournal 7:870-879.
Volkov J., Rohan K.J., Yousufi S.M., Nguyen M.C., Jackson M.A. Thrower C.M., Stiller J.W., Postolache T.T. (2007). Seasonal changes in sleep duration in African American and African college students living in Washington, D.C. ScientificWorldJournal 7:880-887
Guzman A., Tonelli L.H., Roberts D., Stiller J.W., Jackson M.A., Soriano J.J., Yousufi S., Rohan K.J., Komarow H., Postolache T.T. (2007). Mood-worsening with high-pollen-counts and seasonality: a preliminary report. J Affect Disord. 101(1-3):269-274.
Reeves G.M., Tonelli L.H., Anthony B.J., Postolache T.T. (2007). Precipitants of adolescent suicide: possible interaction between allergic inflammation and alcohol intake. Int J Adolesc Med Health 19(1): 37-43.
Scrandis D.A., Sheikh T., Niazi R., Tonelli L.H., Postolache T.T. (2007). Depression after delivery: risk factors, diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. ScientificWorldJournal 7:1670-82.
Postolache T.T., Lapidus M., Sander E.R., Langenberg P., Hamilton R.G, Soriano J.J., McDonald J.S., Furst N., Bai J., Scrandis D.A., Cabassa J.A., Stiller J.W., Balis T., Guzman A., Togias A., Tonelli, L.H. (2007). Changes in allergy symptoms and depression scores are positively correlated in patients with recurrent mood disorders exposed to seasonal peaks in aeroallergens. ScientificWorldJournal 7:1968-77.
Tonelli L.H., Holmes A., Postolache T.T. (2008). Intranasal immune challenge induces sex-dependent depressive-like behavior and cytokine expression in the brain. Neuropsychopharmacology 33(5):1038-48.
McCloskey D. J., Postolache T.T., Vittone B.J., Nghiem K.L., Monsale J.L., Wesley R.A., Rick M.E. (2008). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: measurement of effect on platelet function. Translational Research 151(3):168-72.
Reeves G.M., Postolache T.T., Snitker S. (2008). Childhood obesity and depression: connection between these growing problems in growing children. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(2):103-114.
Kewalramani A., Bollinger M.E., Postolache T.T. (2008). Asthma and mood disorders. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(2):115-123.
Scrandis D.A., Langenberg P., Tonelli L.H., Sheikh T.M., Manogura A.C., Alberico L.A., Hermanstyne T., Fuchs D., Mighty H., Hasday J.D., Boteva K., Postolache T.T. (2008). Prepartum depressive symptoms correlate positively with C-reactive protein levels and negatively with tryptophan levels: a preliminary report. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(2):167-174.
Boker S.M., Leibenluft E., Deboeck P.R., Virk G., Postolache T.T. (2008). Mood oscillations and coupling between mood and weather in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(2):181-203.
Postolache T.T., Roberts D.W., Langenberg P., Muravitskaja O., Stiller J.W., Hamilton R.G., Tonelli L.H. (2008). Allergen specific IgE, number and timing of past suicide attempts, and instability in patients with recurrent mood disorders. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(3):297-304.
Postolache T.T., Langenberg P., Zimmerman S.A., Lapidus M., Komarow H., McDonald J.S., Furst N., Dzhanashvili N., Scrandis D., Bai J., Postolache B., Soriano J.J., Vittone B., Guzman A., Woo J.M., Stiller J., Hamilton R.G., Tonelli L.H. (2008). Changes in severity of allergy and anxiety symptoms are positively correlated in patients with recurrent mood disorders who are exposed to seasonal peaks in aeroallergens. Int J Child Health Hum Dev 1(3):313-322.
Tonelli L.H. , Stiller J., Rujescu D., Giegling I., Schneider B., Maurer K., Schnabel A., Mueller H.J., Chen H.H., Postolache T.T. (2008). Elevated cytokine expression in the orbitofrontal cortex of victims of suicide. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 117(3):198-206.
Postolache T.T., Komarow H., Tonelli L.H. (2008). Allergy: a risk factor for suicide? Curr Treat Options Neurol. 10(5):363-76.
Bikson M., Bulow P., Stiller J.W., Datta A., Battaglia F., Karnup S.V., Postolache T.T. (2008). Transcranial direct current stimulation for major depression: a general system for quantifying transcranial electrotherapy dosage. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 10(5):377-85.
Woo J.M., Postolache T.T. (2008). The impact of work environment on mood disorders and suicide: Evidence and implications. Int J Disabil Hum Dev. 7(2):185-200.
Tonelli L.H., Katz M., Kovacsics C.E., Gould T.D., Joppy B., Hoshino A., Hoffman G., Komarow H., Postolache T.T. (2009). Allergic rhinitis induces anxiety-like behavior and altered social interaction in rodents. Brain Behav Immun. 23(6):784-93.
Manalai P., Woo J.M., Postolache T.T. (2009). Suicidality and montelukast. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 8(3):273-82.
Kosak A., Rohan K.J., Nillni Y.I., Postolache T.T. (2010). Self-reported mood sensitivity to pollen, seasonality of mood and depressive symptoms in a college sample. Int J Child Adolesc Health 3(3):00-00. (In press.)
Arling T.A., Yolken R.H., Lapidus M., Langenberg P., Dickerson F.B., Zimmerman S.A., Balis T., Cabassa J.A., Scrandis D.A., Tonelli L.H., Postolache T.T. (2009). Toxoplasma gondii antibody titers and history of suicide attempts in patients with recurrent mood disorders. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 197(12): 905-8.
Fang B.J., Tonelli L.H., Joseph J.Soriano J.J., Postolache T.T. (2010) Disturbed sleep: linking allergic rhinitis, mood and suicidal behavior. Frontiers in Bioscience S2:30-46. (in press.)
Postolache T.T., Mortensen P.B., Tonelli L.H., Jiao X., Frangakis C., Soriano J.J., Qin P. (2010). Seasonal spring peaks of suicide in victims with and without prior history of hospitalization for mood disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders. 121(1): 88-93. (In press.)
Books
Postolache T.T. (Ed.), Sports Chronobiology, Saunders, New York, 2005
Postolache T.T., Merick J. (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide Nova Science, New York. 2008
Book Chapters
Postolache T.T., Oren D.A. (2005). Circadian phase shifting, alerting, and antidepressant effects of bright light treatment. In T.T. Postolache (Ed.), Sports Chronobiology New York: Saunders.
Stiller J.W., Postolache T.T. (2005). Sleep-wake and other biological rhythms: functional neuroanatomy. In T.T. Postolache (Ed.), Sports Chronobiology New York: Saunders.
Postolache T.T., Hung T.M., Rosenthal R.N., Soriano J.J., Montes F., Stiller J.W. (2005). Sports chronobiology consultation: from the lab to the arena. In T.T. Postolache (Ed.), Sports Chronobiology New York: Saunders.
Postolache T.T. (2007). (collaborative author) Sleep and Biological Rhythms. In F.K. Goodwin & K.R. Jamison, Manic-Depressive Illness-Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression (2nd ed.) London: Oxford University Press.
Reeves G.M., Tonelli L.H., Anthony B.J., Postolache T.T. (2007). Possible interaction between allergic inflammation and alcohol intake. In: L. Sher, I. Kandel, & J. Merrick (Eds.),. Alcohol and Suicide. Research and clinical perspectives Victoria, BC: Int Acad Press.
Guzman A, Postolache T.T. (2008). Suicide and suicide risk factors in Hispanics. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merrick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science. (Invited).
Tonelli L.H., Postolache T.T. (2008). Molecular mediators of the allergy depression interaction. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science. (Invited).
Postolache T.T. (2009). Sleep and Chronobiology in Sports. In J.C. DeLee, D.D. Drez, & M.D. Miller (Eds.), DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (3rd ed.). New York: Saunders. (pp. 441-61).
Woo J.M., Postolache T.T. (2009). Chapter 12: Mood disorders and suicide. In S. Ventegodt & J. Merrick (Eds.), Health and Happiness from Meaningful Work New York: Nova Science.
Menick, T., Postolache T.T. (2009). Chapter 13: Travel and shift work. In S. Ventegodt & J. Merrick (Eds.), Health and Happiness from Meaningful Work New York: Nova Science.
Kewalramani A., Bollinger M.E., Postolache T.T. (2010). Chapter 7: Asthma and mood disorders. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Strassle P., Fuchs D., Lapidus M., Cabassa J.B., & Postolache T.T. (2010). Chapter 14: Indoleamine deoxygenase and tryptophan/kynurenine: Interfacing between the immune system, parasites or allergens and the brain. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Kosak A., Rohan K.J., Nillni Y.I., Postolache T.T. (2010). Chapter 15: Self-reported mood sensitivity to pollen, seasonality of mood and depressive symptoms in a college sample. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Balis T., & Postolache T.T. (2010). Chapter 19: Ethnic differences in adolescent suicidality. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Karnup S.V., Bikson M., Tonelli L.H., Radman T., Postolache T.T. Chapter 24: Brain derived endogenous electric fields feedback on neurons. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Guzman A., Koons A., Postolache T.T. Chapter 22: A review on suicidal behavior in Latinos, In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)
Woo J.M., Postolache T.T. Chapter 23: The impact of work environment on mood disorders and suicide. In T.T. Postolache & J. Merick (Eds.), Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide New York: Nova Science (in press)