Steering Committee

Michael Asbach

DMSc, PA-C
Associate Medical Director
DENT Neurologic Institute

Dr. Michael Asbach, DMSc, PA-C is a doctorally trained Physician Assistant and Associate Medical Director at the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, New York. He earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Daemen University and his Doctor of Medical Science from A.T. Still University. He also holds the Psychiatry Certificate of Added Qualification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
A nationally recognized educator and CME speaker, Dr. Asbach specializes in treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, and emerging psychiatric therapies. He holds a faculty appointment with Shenandoah University’s Doctor of Medical Science program, teaches across multiple universities, serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, and is a co-chair of the Psych Congress PA Institute annual meeting.

Dr. Asbach’s work bridges clinical innovation, professional advocacy, and disruption in healthcare, with a focus on advancing psychiatry, elevating the PA profession, and shaping the future of collaborative care.

2026 Sessions

MasterClass: Could Glutamatergic Modulation be the Keystone of Durable Change in Treatment-Resistant Depression?

Treatment-resistant depression continues to highlight the limitations of traditional monoaminergic approaches and the need for novel therapeutic targets. This session explores the role of glutamatergic dysfunction in MDD, reviews the latest evidence supporting current and emerging glutamatergic therapies, and equips clinicians with practical strategies to incorporate these advances into evidence-based treatment planning for patients with TRD.<br><br>Supported by an educational grant from Johnson & Johnson.

Speaker

Tuesday, September 15 4:45–6:15 PM
Room Great Hall B
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Michael Asbach

DMSc, PA-C
Associate Medical Director
DENT Neurologic Institute

Dr. Michael Asbach, DMSc, PA-C is a doctorally trained Physician Assistant and Associate Medical Director at the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, New York. He earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Daemen University and his Doctor of Medical Science from A.T. Still University. He also holds the Psychiatry Certificate of Added Qualification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
A nationally recognized educator and CME speaker, Dr. Asbach specializes in treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, and emerging psychiatric therapies. He holds a faculty appointment with Shenandoah University’s Doctor of Medical Science program, teaches across multiple universities, serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, and is a co-chair of the Psych Congress PA Institute annual meeting.

Dr. Asbach’s work bridges clinical innovation, professional advocacy, and disruption in healthcare, with a focus on advancing psychiatry, elevating the PA profession, and shaping the future of collaborative care.

Neuromodulation for Depression: Matching the Right Treatment to the Right Patient

With expanding neuromodulation options, clinicians need clear frameworks to determine which modality best suits which patient. This case-based session will examine four distinct clinical scenarios, guiding participants through the decision-making process of selecting among TMS, ECT, VNS, theta-burst stimulation, and accelerated protocols. Faculty will review mechanisms, indications, comparative effectiveness, and sequencing, while demonstrating how each modality fits within a patient’s overall treatment plan based on diagnosis, comorbidity, and illness stage. Attendees will leave with practical criteria for choosing neuromodulation strategies and integrating them into outpatient and collaborative care settings.

Speaker

Friday, September 18 9:00–10:00 AM
Room Great Hall D
Interventional Psychiatry
Steering Committee

Michael Asbach

DMSc, PA-C
Associate Medical Director
DENT Neurologic Institute

Dr. Michael Asbach, DMSc, PA-C is a doctorally trained Physician Assistant and Associate Medical Director at the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, New York. He earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Daemen University and his Doctor of Medical Science from A.T. Still University. He also holds the Psychiatry Certificate of Added Qualification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
A nationally recognized educator and CME speaker, Dr. Asbach specializes in treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, and emerging psychiatric therapies. He holds a faculty appointment with Shenandoah University’s Doctor of Medical Science program, teaches across multiple universities, serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, and is a co-chair of the Psych Congress PA Institute annual meeting.

Dr. Asbach’s work bridges clinical innovation, professional advocacy, and disruption in healthcare, with a focus on advancing psychiatry, elevating the PA profession, and shaping the future of collaborative care.

Faculty

Lisa Harding

MD
Psychiatrist
Mood Institute, Milford, CT

Dr. Lisa Harding is a board-certified psychiatrist and internationally recognized expert in interventional psychiatry, specializing in the treatment of depression and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). She serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and is the Medical Director of the Mood Institute, an outpatient psychiatric practice focused on advanced, evidence-based treatments for mood disorders.

Dr. Harding completed her medical training at the Yale School of Medicine, where she served as Chief Resident of Interventional Psychiatric Services at Yale Psychiatric Hospital. She has performed thousands of interventional procedures, including IV ketamine, esketamine (Spravato®), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Her work focuses on translating emerging psychiatric therapeutics into real-world clinical care, with particular emphasis on access, implementation, and equity.

Dr. Harding received the prestigious Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents from the American Psychiatric Association. She lectures internationally on interventional psychiatry and has presented throughout the United States, Latin America, and Asia. She also serves as a principal investigator on clinical trials evaluating novel therapeutics, including psychedelic-assisted therapies.

In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Harding is a certified yoga teacher and wellness advocate whose approach integrates evidence-based psychiatry with mindfulness and whole-person care. Through her leadership, education, research, and mentorship, she continues to advance a model of psychiatric care that is innovative, accessible, and grounded in real-world impact.

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