Joseph Pierre, MD
Professor
Psychiatry
School of Medicine

He has extensive clinical experience working with individuals with psychotic disorders, substance abuse, and those with “dual diagnosis” as well as research experience participating as a primary investigator and collaborator for clinical trials in schizophrenia and early intervention for young persons at high risk for psychosis.

Dr. Pierre has authored over 100 papers, abstracts, and book chapters related to schizophrenia, antipsychotic medications, substance-induced psychosis, delusions and delusion-like beliefs, auditory hallucinations and voice-hearing, and a variety of other topics including the neuroscience of free will and culturally sanctioned suicide. He is also the author of the Psych Unseen blog at Psychology Today and serves as an expert witness consultant in forensic/legal cases involving schizophrenia, the intersection of psychosis and religion, and delusion-like beliefs and conspiracy theories.

• Conspiracies gone wild: A psychiatric perspective on conspiracy theory belief, mental illness, and the potential for lone actor violence
  Terrorism and Political Violence 2024 Pierre JM.
• Conspiracy theory belief: A sane response to an insane world?
  Review of Philosophy and Psychology 2023 Pierre JM.
• Antipsychotic discontinuation and recovery: chicken or egg?
  Psychological medicine 2021 Pierre JM, Zito MF, Yang YS, Marder SR
• Diagnostic uncertainty, antipsychotic dosing, and optimal psychosocial interventions: Unanswered questions in first-episode psychosis.
  Schizophrenia research 2020 Pierre JM
• Mistrust and Misinformation: A Two-Component, Socio-Epistemic Model of Belief in Conspiracy Theories
  Journal of Social and Political Psychology 2020 Pierre JM.
• The psychology of guns: risk, fear, and motivated reasoning
  Nature: Palgrave Communications 2019 Pierre JM.
• Tattoos as a window to the psyche: How talking about skin art can inform psychiatric practice.
  World journal of psychiatry 2017 Roggenkamp H, Nicholls A, Pierre JM
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes: Impact on Weight, Quality of Life, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Veterans With Mental Illness.
  Military medicine 2017 Tessier JM, Erickson ZD, Meyer HB, Baker MR, Gelberg HA, Arnold IY, Kwan C, Chamberlin V, Rosen JA, Shah C, Hellemann G, Lewis MM, Nguyen C, Sachinvala N, Amrami B, Pierre JM, Ames D
• A Randomized, Controlled Multisite Study of Behavioral Interventions for Veterans with Mental Illness and Antipsychotic Medication-Associated Obesity.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2017 Erickson ZD, Kwan CL, Gelberg HA, Arnold IY, Chamberlin V, Rosen JA, Shah C, Nguyen CT, Hellemann G, Aragaki DR, Kunkel CF, Lewis MM, Sachinvala N, Sonza PA, Pierre JM, Ames D
• Detecting and Managing Adverse Effects of Antipsychotic Medications: Current State of Play.
  The Psychiatric clinics of North America 2016 Ames D, Carr-Lopez SM, Gutierrez MA, Pierre JM, Rosen JA, Shakib S, Yudofsky LM
• Cannabis-induced psychosis associated with high potency "wax dabs".
  Schizophrenia research 2016 Pierre JM, Gandal M, Son M
• Behavioral interventions for antipsychotic medication-associated obesity: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.
  The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2016 Erickson ZD, Mena SJ, Pierre JM, Blum LH, Martin E, Hellemann GS, Aragaki DR, Firestone L, Lee C, Lee P, Kunkel CF, Ames D
• Suicide, swords, and cultural sanctioning.
  The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology 2014 Pierre JM
• Nutritional counseling for adults with severe mental illness: key lessons learned.
  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2014 Kwan CL, Gelberg HAL, Rosen JA, Chamberlin V, Shah C, Nguyen C, Pierre JM, Erickson ZD, Mena SJ, King M, Arnold I, Baker MR, Meyer HB, Ames D
• The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue. Part 4: general conclusion.
  Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM 2012 Phillips J, Frances A, Cerullo MA, Chardavoyne J, Decker HS, First MB, Ghaemi N, Greenberg G, Hinderliter AC, Kinghorn WA, LoBello SG, Martin EB, Mishara AL, Paris J, Pierre JM, Pies RW, Pincus HA, …
• The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue part 2: Issues of conservatism and pragmatism in psychiatric diagnosis.
  Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM 2012 Phillips J, Frances A, Cerullo MA, Chardavoyne J, Decker HS, First MB, Ghaemi N, Greenberg G, Hinderliter AC, Kinghorn WA, LoBello SG, Martin EB, Mishara AL, Paris J, Pierre JM, Pies RW, Pincus HA, …
• The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue part 3: issues of utility and alternative approaches in psychiatric diagnosis.
  Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM 2012 Phillips J, Frances A, Cerullo MA, Chardavoyne J, Decker HS, First MB, Ghaemi N, Greenberg G, Hinderliter AC, Kinghorn WA, LoBello SG, Martin EB, Mishara AL, Paris J, Pierre JM, Pies RW, Pincus HA, …
• The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue part 1: conceptual and definitional issues in psychiatric diagnosis.
  Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM 2012 Phillips J, Frances A, Cerullo MA, Chardavoyne J, Decker HS, First MB, Ghaemi N, Greenberg G, Hinderliter AC, Kinghorn WA, LoBello SG, Martin EB, Mishara AL, Paris J, Pierre JM, Pies RW, Pincus HA, …
• Acute psychotic sequelae of "bath salts".
  Schizophrenia research 2011 Striebel JM, Pierre JM
• Psychosis, ivermectin toxicity, and "Morgellons disease".
  Psychosomatics 2011 DeBonis K, Pierre JM
• Nonantipsychotic therapy for monosymptomatic auditory hallucinations.
  Biological psychiatry 2010 Pierre JM
• Psychosis associated with medical marijuana: risk vs. benefits of medicinal cannabis use.
  The American journal of psychiatry 2010 Pierre JM
• Naming names: auditory hallucinations, inner speech, and source monitoring.
  Psychological medicine 2009 Pierre JM
• Self-limited erythema multiforme with risperidone.
  General hospital psychiatry 2008 Burke GV, Wong DA, Saunders CS, Pierre JM
• Hepatitis B and C among veterans on a psychiatric ward.
  Digestive diseases and sciences 2008 Tabibian JH, Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Guzik LH, Kisicki MD, Danovitch I, Mena SJ, Wirshing WC
• Psychotic episode associated with Bikram yoga.
  The American journal of psychiatry 2007 Lu JS, Pierre JM
• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of modafinil for negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
  The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2007 Pierre JM, Peloian JH, Wirshing DA, Wirshing WC, Marder SR
• Lack of insight in schizophrenia: impact on treatment adherence.
  CNS drugs 2007 Buckley PF, Wirshing DA, Bhushan P, Pierre JM, Resnick SA, Wirshing WC
• Community re-entry program training module for schizophrenic inpatients improves treatment outcomes.
  Schizophrenia research 2006 Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Wirshing WC, Guzik LH, Resnick SA, Goldstein D, Zorick TS
• Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in veterans with schizophrenia.
  Journal of psychiatric practice 2006 Meyer J, Loh C, Leckband SG, Boyd JA, Wirshing WC, Pierre JM, Wirshing D
• High-dose quetiapine in treatment refractory schizophrenia.
  Schizophrenia research 2005 Pierre JM, Wirshing DA, Wirshing WC, Rivard JM, Marks R, Mendenhall J, Sheppard K, Saunders DG
• Extrapyramidal symptoms with atypical antipsychotics : incidence, prevention and management.
  Drug safety 2005 Pierre JM
• Intranasal quetiapine abuse.
  The American journal of psychiatry 2004 Pierre JM, Shnayder I, Wirshing DA, Wirshing WC
• Understanding the new and evolving profile of adverse drug effects in schizophrenia.
  The Psychiatric clinics of North America 2003 Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Erhart SM, Boyd JA
• "Iatrogenic Malingering" in VA substance abuse treatment.
  Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) 2003 Pierre JM, Wirshing DA, Wirshing WC
• Sexual side effects of novel antipsychotic medications.
  Schizophrenia research 2002 Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Marder SR, Saunders CS, Wirshing WC
• Sleep apnea associated with antipsychotic-induced obesity.
  The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2002 Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Wirshing WC
• Delusions associated with quetiapine-related weight redistribution.
  The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2002 Wirshing DA, Boyd JA, Pierre JM, Saunders CS, Wirshing WC, Azizian K, Patel KR, Ashcraft JC, Darmandjian H, Feusner J
• Possible association of QTc interval prolongation with co-administration of quetiapine and lovastatin.
  Biological psychiatry 2002 Furst BA, Champion KM, Pierre JM, Wirshing DA, Wirshing WC
• Risperidone-associated new-onset diabetes.
  Biological psychiatry 2001 Wirshing DA, Pierre JM, Eyeler J, Weinbach J, Wirshing WC
• Bupropion-tranylcypromine combination for treatment-refractory depression.
  The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2000 Pierre JM, Gitlin MJ
• Benztropine for venlafaxine-induced night sweats.
  Journal of clinical psychopharmacology 2000 Pierre JM, Guze BH
• Tardive dyskinesia and serum iron indices.
  Biological psychiatry 1998 Wirshing DA, Bartzokis G, Pierre JM, Wirshing WC, Sun A, Tishler TA, Marder SR
• Hepatic encephalopathy associated with combined clozapine and divalproex sodium treatment.
  Journal of clinical psychopharmacology 1997 Wirshing WC, Ames D, Bisheff S, Pierre JM, Mendoza A, Sun A
• Sertraline and akathisia.
  Journal of clinical psychopharmacology 1994 Altshuler LL, Pierre JM, Wirshing WC, Ames D