Program Director, Baptist Health-UAMS Psychiatry Residency
Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)
Associate Director, Clinical Innovations
VISN 16/ CAVHS Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

Academic Interests

I have 20 years of experience in academic psychiatry with particular emphasis on administration, and research. My clinical and research expertise is in the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia with an emphasis on Apathy, a profound loss of motivation with far reaching consequences. I have conducted eight randomized controlled trials of apathy treatment. These studies were funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institute of Health and the Alzheimer’s Association. We have built an excellent psychiatry residency program at Baptist with well-rounded clinical exposure to both academic and private practice based patient care.

Clinical Interests

I am most interested in the management of treatment resistant mental illness using evidence based medicine. Use of interventional psychiatry is close to my heart along with treating mental illness in those with multiple medical comorbidities. On a one-on-one interaction with patients, my goal is to help them find the best version of themselves. Teaching psychiatry is my passion and I am thrilled to train future generation of psychiatrists to practice community psychiatry with an academic bent of mind.

Selected Publications

peer reviewed journals (from a total of 104 publications)

• Padala PR, Padala KP, Lensing SY, et al. Methylphenidate for apathy in community dwelling older veterans with mild Alzheimer’s disease: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Feb 1;175(2):159-168.
• Padala PR, Padala KP, Lensing SY, et al. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for apathy in mild cognitive impairment: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, cross-over pilot study. Psychiatry Res. 2018 Jan 5;261: 312-318.
• Padala PR, Jendro AM, Gauss CH, et al. Participant and Caregiver Perspectives on Clinical Research During Covid-19 Pandemic. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020;68(6):E14-E18.
• Padala PR, Boozer EM, Lensing SY, et al. Neuromodulation for Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Pilot Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020 Aug 30. doi: 10.3233/JAD-200640.
• Mintzer J, Scherer R, Rosenberg P, Hermann N, Lanctot K, VanDyck C, Padala PR, et al. Methylphenidate for apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease: Results from ADMET 2, a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurology (In press 2021).

Additional Competencies

Chair, Institutional Review Board, Omaha VA Medical Center 2009-11
Program Director, Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, Creighton University/Nebraska Medical Center 2006-11

Training

Medical School: Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, Karnataka, India 1998
Psychiatry residency: National Institute of Mental health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India 1999
Psychiatry Residency, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2003
Chief Resident, Psychiatry, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2002-03
Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2004
Masters in Clinical and Translational Research, UNMC 2009

Current Certifications

Triple boarded by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and added qualifications in healthcare administration.
General Psychiatry 2004-Present
Geriatric Psychiatry (ABPN) 2006-Present
Psychosomatic Medicine (ABPN) 2008-Present
Certification in Psychiatric Administration and Management
American Psychiatric Association 2007
Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)