Hello and Welcome!

Some of you may know us well, some of you may have only heard of us, and some of you are learning about us for the first time. We are the Resiliency & Well-being Center (R&W Center) here at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences and this is our inaugural quarterly newsletter. Look for the next issue in April!

We're pleased to announce that Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS, has been named interim director and chief wellness officer (CWO) of the R&W Center, effective Jan. 1. Dr. Frame is an associate professor in the Departments of Clinical Research & Leadership and Physician Assistant Studies, and she previously served as the associate director of the R&W Center. In her new administrative roles, she will be responsible for leading the R&W Center’s operational and administrative functions. She is also co-director of the Frame-Corr Lab.

Darshana Bhattacharyya, MD, was named medical director of the R&W Center, effective in a few weeks, on Feb. 1. Dr. Bhattacharyya is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health. In her new, part-time administrative role, she will be responsible for the administration of the clinical services provided by the R&W Center.

Viktoriya Karacheyeva, MD, MS, NCC, LCPC-SP, LCADAS, the R&W Center's behavioral services director moves into the leadership position of associate director.

Watch the video below to learn more about us!

Be well,

The R&W Center Team 

By Viktoriya Karakcheyeva, MD, MS, NCC, LCP, LCPC-SP, LCADS
Director, Behavioral Health, GW Resiliency & Well-being Center

As the seasons change, many of us notice shifts in mood and energy. These shifts are triggered by reduced daylight and colder weather, making it harder to stay upbeat and motivated during fall and winter. While some experience mild “winter blues,” others face a more intense condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Why Do Seasons Affect Our Mood?

Shorter days and limited sunlight disrupt our body’s circadian rhythms. Reduced sunlight lowers serotonin levels, which helps regulate mood. At the same time, melatonin, which helps regulate sleep, may increase, making you feel sluggish. Combining this with colder weather and fewer opportunities to get outside, feeling contained, isolated, lonely, it’s easy to see how seasonal changes can weigh us down.

Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you’re feeling the effects of winter blues or SAD, focus on small, manageable changes.  

Taking Care of Yourself Through the Seasons

Winter Blues don’t have to take over your season, however, don’t brush off feelings of sadness or low energy. If your symptoms feel overwhelming or persist, reach out to a healthcare professional for support. By recognizing and addressing SAD, you can take steps to improve your whole health and embrace the changing seasons with greater ease.

Learn more about self-care from the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center. Dr. Karakcheyeva is giving a 15-minute online talk on SAD during A Mindfulness Experience (AME) at 2 p.m. Friday, January 24. Register now! 

 Join the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center (R&WC) at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13, 2025, for a Women's Well-being Lecture Series talk on "Cardiovascular Disease in Women" with Icilma V. Fergus, MD, FACC, director of Cardiovascular Disparities at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, N.Y.  Prior to that she served as chief of the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Harlem Hospital Center and director of Non-Invasive Cardiology of New York Hospital Queens. Her current academic appointment is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Fergus has authored numerous articles related to heart disease and congestive heart failure in peer-reviewed journals and is a co-author in the new book entitled “Cardiovascular Disease in Ethnic Minorities.” Her current research interests involve cardiovascular disparities, hypertension and diastolic dysfunction as well as heart disease in women. She has been an investigator in several clinical trials including NHLBI sponsored trial evaluating acute ischemia in young women entitled “VIRGO” and a DOH sponsored grant for Harlem Healthy Eating and Living.

The Women's Well-being Lecture Series is supported by the Rosemary Bowes, PhD, Women's Mental Health Fund. Learn more about the R&WC's Women's Well-being Initiative.

The GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health (OIMH) recently announced that Valter Longo, PhD, renowned expert in aging and disease, director of the USC Longevity Institute, and developer of the fasting mimicking diet, is returning to GW to give a presentation on his fasting and cancer research during the 8th Annual Patrick & Marguerite Sung Symposium: Intermittent Fasting for Well-being on Friday, March 28, 2025, from 1–5 p.m.

Organized by OIMH, this free online symposium explores the scientific foundations and practical applications of fasting as a tool for enhancing well-being. Dr. Longo, author of "Fasting Cancer: How Fasting and Nutritechnology Are Creating a Revolution in Cancer Prevention and Treatment," is returning to the Sung Symposium for the second time.

In line with our mission to advance integrative approaches to health, the Sung Symposium brings together leading experts in clinical practice, research, and education to foster dialogue on emerging and impactful topics in integrative health. The 2025 theme of time-restricted eating offers valuable insights to health professionals and healthcare consumers alike. 

The symposium features four expert presentations and an interactive panel discussion moderated by Leigh Frame, PhD, MHS, chief wellness officer, GW Medicine, executive director, OIMH, director and research director, Resiliency & Well-being Center, and associate professor of Clinical Research & Leadership and Physician Assistant Studies, and co-director, Frame-Corr Lab at GW.

Interested in learning about the gut microbiome, how it impacts the body's organ systems, and the impact nutrition has on it? You can now take a 2-hour self-study course "Integrative Approaches to Gut Health: Bridging Nutrition & Immunity" from GW Medicine Chief Wellness Officer Leigh Frame, PhD, MHS!

Offered through the online learning nonprofit PESI, the course gives you the opportunity to earn continuing education credits (2.0 CE hours) by taking the course that is designed for physicians, NPs, PAs, and other healthcare professionals and accredited by AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA).

A nutrition scientist and recognized expert on the gut microbiome as well as Integrative Medicine, Dr. Frame designed the comprehensive online course to give learners in the health professions the tools to provide patient care through scientifically-backed integrative methods. Dr. Frame is also the executive director of the GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health, director and research director of the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center, associate professor in the departments of Clinical Research & Leadership and Physician Assistants Studies, and co-director of the Frame-Corr Lab at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Enroll now to gain practical tools and insights into: 

Housed in the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, the Resiliency & Well-being Center (R&W Center) takes an evidence-based, whole person approach to the health and wellness (well-being) services it provides to the GW medical enterprise community. The R&W Center provides services at the individual, departmental, and institutional levels.  For more information about us, please go to our website or contact Janette Rodrigues, the R&WC's administrative director, at jrodrigues@gwu.edu. 

Copyright © 2024, GW Resiliency and Well-being Center, All rights reserved.