Noshene E Ranjbar

Interests

Research

Integrative medicine; integrative psychiatry; culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed work with underserved, particularly American Indian community and refugees; mind-body medicine; physician wellness and burnout; medical student wellness and burnout; integration of indigenous and modern medicine and healing practices; PTSD and trauma-spectrum disorders

Teaching

Integrative medicine; integrative psychiatry; cultural competency particularly in working with Native American populations; mind-body medicine; physician wellness and burnout; medical student wellness and burnout; integration of indigenous and modern medicine and healing practices; PTSD and trauma-spectrum disorders

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Gachupin, F. C., Helmuth, C., Interpreter, C., Ranjbar, N. E., & Joe, J. (2019). Reducing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes. In Indigenous Peoples' Community Engagement >> and Successful Public Health Interventions.
• Gachupin, F. C., Helmuth, C., Interpreter, C., Ranjbar, N. E., & Joe, J. (2022). Reducing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes. In Indigenous Peoples' Community Engagement >> and Successful Public Health Interventions.
• Dube, S., Wheeler, C. E., & Ranjbar, N. E. (2021). Sleep and Mental Health Disorders. In Integrative Sleep Medicine. Oxford Publishing. doi:10.1093/med/9780190885403.003.0028
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2021). Integrating Psychology in Practice. In Integrative Rehabilitation Practice: The Foundations of Whole-Person Care for Health Professionals(pp 107-125). Singing Dragon Publishing.
• Ranjbar, N. E., & Erb, M. (2021). Deepening the Narrative. In Integrative Rehabilitation Practice: The Foundations of Whole-Person Care for Health Professionals(pp 164-177). Singing Dragon Publishing.
• Ranjbar, N. E., & Erb, M. (2021). Integrative Rehabilitation Practice and Mental Health. In Integrative Rehabilitation Practice: The Foundations of Whole-Person Care for Health Professionals(pp 410-424). Singing Dragon Publishing.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Otis, J., & Erb, M. D. (2020). The Biological Underpinnings of Resiliency. In Promoting Resiliency and Wellness among Physician Residents. Cognella Publishing.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2015). Integrative Approaches for Adolescent Depression. In Integrative Therapies for Depression: Redefining Models for Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention, CRC Press.

Journals/Publications

• Villagomez, A., Dunne, R., Brooks, A. J., Chen, M. K., Ricker, M., Kang, S., & Ranjbar, N. (2024). Evaluation of Integrative Medicine in Residency-Psychiatry Curriculum. Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry, 48(6), 587-592.
  More info

  This study describes knowledge change, self-assessed confidence in providing integrative medicine approach, and respondents' perspective on value and feasibility for the Integrative Medicine in Residency-Psychiatry (IMR-Psychiatry) curriculum, a 100-h elective offered during psychiatry training.
• Nanduri, A., Vasquez, M., Veluri, S. C., & Ranjbar, N. (2023). Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors. Health psychology research, 11, 89642.
  More info

  This scoping review explores the current research on PTSD interventions for Natural Disaster survivors. It includes fourteen randomized control trials (RCTs). The included interventions were, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, herbal supplements, CBT, yoga, narrative exposure therapy, acupuncture stimulation, web-based interventions, and a multimodal art and meditation program. CBT is considered the standard of care for general PTSD treatment and was also found to be effective for the treatment of natural disaster-related PTSD symptoms. However, higher-level clinical evidence is needed. There are inconsistencies with the use of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and herbal supplements, while there is insufficient clinical evidence to effectively determine the efficacy of yoga, acupuncture, art, and narrative exposure therapies. Factors like the availability of resources, cultural sensitivity, and values and preferences impact the effectiveness of interventions used to treat PTSD in natural disaster survivors. Clinical studies in this field need to be further expanded regardless of the study type.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2023). Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors. Health Psychology Research.
• Simkin, D. R., Swick, S., Taneja, K. S., & Ranjbar, N. (2023). Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Anxiety in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 32(2), 193-216.
  More info

  An integrative approach to treating anxiety in children and adolescents takes a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. Early life stress may translate into anxiety via epigenetic mechanisms, the adoption of maladaptive coping tendencies (poor eating, sedentary lifestyle, substance use), and dysregulation of central autonomic nervous system function. Each of these mechanisms may increase inflammatory markers. This article will explore the efficacy of CIM interventions that work on these mechanisms through mind-body-medicine, acupuncture, nutrition, and supplements.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2022). Implementing a Mind-Body Skills Group in Psychiatric Residency Training. Academic Psychiatry.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Gleason, M., Erb, M., & Alexander, K. (2020). Medical-Legal Partnerships Addressing Family Separation at the Border: Trauma and Resilience. American Journal of Family Law, 34(1), 18-31.
• Ranjbar, N., Erb, M., Tomkins, J., Taneja, K., & Villagomez, A. (2022). Implementing a Mind-Body Skills Group in Psychiatric Residency Training. Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry, 46(4), 460-465.
  More info

  The burnout crisis in healthcare has led to interventions promoting resiliency and wellness among residents. One such intervention is a 10-week Mind-Body Skills Group including didactics and experiential exercises, self-expression, and small-group support. A Mind-Body Skills Group for residents and fellows in the University of Arizona-Tucson Department of Psychiatry aimed to teach skills for self-care and patient care.
• Gachupin, F. C., Caston, E., Chavez, C., Bernal, J., Cager, P., Harris, D., John, T., Remitera, J., Garcia, C. A., Romero, V. M., Gchachu, K. E., Gchachu, C. R., Garcia, K., Gchachu, V., Gchachu, B. M., Rens, E., Slowtalker, J., Blew, R., Tracy, K., , Figueroa, T., et al. (2021). Primary Disease Prevention for Southwest American Indian Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Camp in a Box. Frontiers in sociology, 6, 611972.
  More info

  The goal of the American Indian Youth Wellness Camp in a Box was to engage, educate and empower families to improve their health and overall well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Camp in a Box was a 9-week program, inclusive of a 1-week intensive camp component followed by an 8-week booster component with content focused on nutrition, mental health and physical activity education. The Camp in a Box is a Tribal/Urban Indian-University partnership, and materials were developed to replace an existing weeklong residential camp and to comply with social distancing guidelines. Fourteen American Indian families from Tribal/Urban Indian communities in the southwestern United States participated (36 children aged 2-18 years; 32 adults). The intensive camp week included daily materials for families to complete together, Monday through Friday. Materials were provided for approximately 4 h of activities per day. The booster sessions began after camp week and included approximately 4 h of supplementary activities designed to be completed at any time most convenient for the family over the course of the week. Activities were designed to encourage interaction among family members with materials and supplies for parents and youth to participate. Self-reported outcomes suggested that families changed their eating habits to include more vegetables, less sweets and junk food. Parents reported an increase in family physical activity and that the activities brought the family closer together. Our Camp in a Box program was feasible and well-received until school began. During camp week, 100% of recruited families participated; at Booster Week 8, ten families (71%) remained enrolled and active. Camp in a Box is a feasible alternative to residential camps for promotion of health behaviors associated with metabolic disease prevention among American Indian families. In contrast to residential camps for youth, Camp in a Box offers an opportunity to engage the entire family in health promotion activities.
• Gachupin, F. C., Gachupin, F. C., Roe, D., Roe, D., Caston, E., Thomson, C. A., Chavez, C., Hingle, M. D., Bernal, J., Ranjbar, N. E., Cager, P., Harris, D., John, T., Remitera, J., Garcia, C. A., Romero, V., Gchachu, K., Gchachu, C., Gchachu, V., , Garcia, K., et al. (2021). Primary Disease Prevention for Southwest American Indian Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Camp in a Box.. Frontiers.
  More info

  Gachupin FC, Caston E, Chavez C, Bernal J, Cager P, Harris D, John T, Remitera J, Garcia CA, Romero V, Gchachu KE, Gchachu CR, Gchachu V, Garcia K, Gchachu BM, Rens E, Slowtalker J, Blew R, Tracy K, Figueroa T, Thomson CA, Ranjbar N, Hingle M, O’Connor, Roe D, Grant V, Swick S, Joe JR. Primary Disease Prevention for Southwest American Indian Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Camp in a Box. Frontiers.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Erb, M., Tomkins, J., Taneja, K., & Villagomez, A. (2021). Implementing a Mind-Body Skills Group in Psychiatric Residency Training. Academic Psychiatry. doi:10.1007/s40596-021-01507-x
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020). Covid-19: A doctor behind the poetry. Thrive Global.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020). Mind-Body Medicine and Mental Health: The Unseen Needs of the Hour. Thrive Global.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020). Time to Prioritize Indigenous Youth: Mind, Body, Spirit, and Culture,”. University of Arizona Department of Psychiatry Newsletter.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020). Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Humility in the Mental Health Care of People From Minoritized Communities. FOCUS.
• Ranjbar, N., Erb, M., Mohammad, O., & Moreno, F. A. (2020). Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Humility in the Mental Health Care of People From Minoritized Communities. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 18(1), 8-15. doi:https//doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190027
  More info

  The prevalence and impact of trauma constitute a public health crisis that is complicated by the cultural heterogeneity of contemporary society and a higher rate of trauma among individuals from minoritized communities. A trauma-informed care approach can facilitate improved treatment of those who have experienced trauma, and trauma-informed care is increasingly viewed as potentially beneficial for all patients. This article outlines general principles of trauma-informed care and ways to enact it. Because the situations in which trauma arises, the ways in which it is conceptualized, and how patients respond to it are influenced by both culture and individual factors, a cultural humility approach is also described and recommended. Psychiatrists can navigate the complex terrain of cultures and social backgrounds in the clinical encounter and can promote healing when treating patients who have experienced trauma by adopting a trauma-informed care approach and an attitude of cultural humility.
• Maizes, V., Lebensohn, P., Ricker, M. A., Brooks, A. J., Amelia, V. K., & Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). A Needs Assessment for the Development of an Integrative Medicine Curriculum in Psychiatry Training. Global Advances in Medicine and Health.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care in Rehabilitation Clinical Practice. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). Assessing Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum Needs. Global Advances in Health and Medicine.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). Burn Bright I: Reflections on the Burnout Epidemic (Part One of a Two-Part Series). The American Journal of Medicine.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). Burn Bright II: Reflections on Solutions to Burnout (Part Two of a Two-Part Series). The American Journal of Medicine.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). The Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum: Development of an Innovative Model. Global Advances in Health and Medicine.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Gleason, M., Erb, M. D., & Alexander, K. (2019). Psychiatric–Legal Partnerships Addressing Family Separation at the Border and the Long-Term Effects of Trauma. American Journal of Family Law, 33(3).
• Ranjbar, N. E., Villagomez, A. K., & Ricker, M. A. (2019). The Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum: Development of an Innovative Model. Global Advances in Health and Medicine. doi:10.1177/2164956119847118
• Ranjbar, N., & Erb, M. (2019). Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care in Rehabilitation Clinical Practice. Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation, 1(1-2), 100003.
  More info

  Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to physical, behavioral, and mental health issues throughout the lifespan and, because of their prevalence, constitute a significant public health issue. Practitioners in all health care disciplines need to be knowledgeable about ACEs and prepared to address them. ACEs can contribute to conditions that lead patients to seek rehabilitation care, and therefore a framework is needed that enables rehabilitation professionals to understand the effects of ACEs and how to discuss them with patients. This article summarizes ACE research and its clinical relevance, presents an overview of the related topic of trauma-informed care, and introduces rehabilitation professionals to practical tools for incorporating ACE- and trauma-informed care into clinical practice. There is growing acknowledgement across all health care disciplines of the impact of ACEs. ACEs are understood as stressful, potentially traumatic events that may have lasting negative effects on health and well-being. Since the 1990s, when landmark research found striking associations between early life stress and adversity and a wide range of chronic physical, behavioral, and mental health issues, international attention to ACEs as a major public health issue has grown.1, 2 ACE-related research has identified strong correlations between chronic disease, stress, and prior experience. Eighty-six percent of health care dollars in the United States are spent on chronic diseases, and a population health strategy should include empowering, person-centered, low-risk, low-cost, self-management skill-building practices to help patients manage the stress response. Though a relevant consideration for all care provision, the biopsychosocial framework may be particularly important for understanding and working with chronic health conditions.4, 5, 6, 7 For example, chronic pain affects 116 million in the United States and may be a key force in driving patients to seek rehabilitation services. Patients need their providers to skillfully and comprehensively navigate the intersection of mental, emotional, and physical components of their healing process. Given the prevalence of ACEs and their potential contribution to chronic pain, among other conditions, rehabilitation professionals should be prepared to address ACEs in the clinical setting as a possible underlying contributor to the condition for which treatment is sought. This article provides an overview of ACEs research and the health effects that can result from ACEs and introduces a trauma-informed practical guide for rehabilitation professionals to use in clinical encounters.
• Ranjbar, N., & Ricker, M. (2019). Burn Bright I: Reflections on the Burnout Epidemic (Part one of a two-part series). The American journal of medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.09.036
• Ranjbar, N., Ricker, M., & Villagomez, A. (2019). The Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum: Development of an Innovative Model. Global advances in health and medicine, 8, 2164956119847118. doi:10.1177/2164956119847118
  More info

  The Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum (IPC) was developed to train psychiatry residents and fellows to apply an Integrative Medicine (IM) approach for patients presenting with psychiatric disorders. Launched in 2015, IPC includes interactive online courses, in-person experiential sessions, and a clinical component with supervision. Twenty-one residents and fellows have completed the curriculum. The purpose of the IPC is 2-fold: to enhance patient wellness through training residents and fellows in evidence-based whole-person care and to improve physician well-being through enhanced stress management and self-awareness utilizing the practice of mind-body skills within a supportive small group setting. Course participants are trained in a broad range of prevention and treatment options and learn about their evidence base; they then practice incorporating IM into diagnosis and treatment plans through supervised clinical experience. This article describes the development of IPC and its elements. Efforts are underway to further develop and standardize the offerings and increase the portability of the course, making it easier for Psychiatry training programs with limited faculty expertise in IM to provide the curriculum for residents and fellows. To reach the goal of disseminating such a curriculum for integrative psychiatry, further funding and collaboration with multiple residency training programs is needed.
• Ranjbar, N., Villagomez, A., Brooks, A. J., Ricker, M., Lebensohn, P., & Maizes, V. (2019). Assessing Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum Needs. Global advances in health and medicine, 8, 2164956118821585. doi:10.1177/2164956118821585
  More info

  Research on incorporating integrative medicine (IM) into medical training is increasing. Programs and organizations around IM have been established, but there has not previously been a needs assessment focused on integrating IM into psychiatry training.
• Ricker, M. A., Villagomez, A. K., & Ranjbar, N. E. (2019). The Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum: Development of an Innovative Model. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 8.
• Ricker, M., & Ranjbar, N. (2019). Burn Bright II: Reflections on Solutions to Burnout (Part Two of a Two-Part Series). The American journal of medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.09.014
• Bravata, D. M., Concato, J., Fried, T., Ranjbar, N., Sadarangani, T., McClain, V., Struve, F., Zygmunt, L., Knight, H. J., Lo, A., Richerson, G. B., Gorman, M., Williams, L. S., Brass, L. M., Agostini, J., Mohsenin, V., Roux, F., & Yaggi, H. K. (2011). Continuous positive airway pressure: evaluation of a novel therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Sleep, 34(9), 1271-7. doi:10.5665/SLEEP.1254
  More info

  New approaches are needed to treat patients with stroke. Among acute ischemic stroke patients, our primary objectives were to describe the prevalence of sleep apnea and demonstrate the feasibility of providing auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (auto-CPAP). A secondary objective was to examine the effect of auto-CPAP on stroke severity.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2011). Continuous Positive Airway Pressure: Evaluation of a Novel Therapy for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke. Sleep.
• Bravata, D. M., Concato, J., Fried, T., Ranjbar, N., Sadarangani, T., McClain, V., Struve, F., Zygmunt, L., Knight, H. J., Lo, A., Richerson, G. B., Gorman, M., Williams, L. S., Brass, L. M., Agostini, J., Mohsenin, V., Roux, F., & Yaggi, H. K. (2010). Auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure for patients with acute transient ischemic attack: a randomized feasibility trial. Stroke, 41(7), 1464-70. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.109.566745
  More info

  Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients are at risk of recurrent vascular events. The primary objectives were to evaluate among TIA patients the prevalence of sleep apnea and among patients with sleep apnea auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (auto-CPAP) adherence. The secondary objective was to describe among TIA patients with sleep apnea the recurrent vascular event rate by auto-CPAP use category.
• Bravata, D. M., Wells, C. K., Lo, A. C., Nadeau, S. E., Melillo, J., Chodkowski, D., Struve, F., Williams, L. S., Peixoto, A. J., Gorman, M., Goel, P., Acompora, G., McClain, V., Ranjbar, N., Tabereaux, P. B., Boice, J. L., Jacewicz, M., & Concato, J. (2010). Processes of care associated with acute stroke outcomes. Archives of internal medicine, 170(9), 804-10. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.92
  More info

  Many processes of care have been proposed as metrics to evaluate stroke care. We sought to identify processes of stroke care that are associated with improved patient outcomes after adjustment for both patient characteristics and other process measures.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2010). Auto-Titrating Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Patients With Acute Transient Ischemic Attack. Stroke.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2010). Processes of Care Associated With Acute Stroke Outcomes. JAMA.
• Sonnino, R. E., Ranjbar, N., & Denney, J. (1998). Structural assessment of intestinal grafts preserved with phospholipase A2 inhibition.. Transplantation proceedings, 30(6), 2639. doi:10.1016/s0041-1345(98)00761-1

Presentations

• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, April 2020). Decolonizing integrative medicine: Dignity, diversity and health systems disparities. International Congress for Integrative Medicine and Health.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, April 2020). Integrative Psychiatry Research, Training, and Clinical Practice. International Congress for Integrative Medicine and Health.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, September). Integrative Approaches to Women’s Mental Health: Evidence-base and Applications for Underserved Communities. Integrative Medicine for the Underserved.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, June 2020). An Integrative Approach to Mental Health. Sparking Wholeness Podcast Interview.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, June 2020). Cultural Humility, Empowerment and Advocacy in Psychiatry. Integrative Psychiatry InstituteIntegrative Psychiatry Institute.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, June 2020). Post-Traumatic Growth: Empowerment and Advocacy,”. Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, October). Mind-Body Medicine: The Science and Clinical Practice. Association for Medicine and Psychiatry Annual Meeting.
• Lebensohn, P., Ranjbar, N. E., & Ricker, M. A. (2019, April). Teaching Integrative Medicine in Psychiatry Residency. Integrative Mental Health Conference. San Francisco, CA: University of Arizona, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2018, September). Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum Development. University of New Mexico Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Albuquerque, NM: UNM.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2017, October). Integrative Medicine in Residency - Psychiatry. Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine. San Diego, CA: AIHM.
• Ranjbar, N. E., & Brown Bull, E. (2017, August). Integrative Mental Health for Indigenous Communities. Integrative Medicine for the Underserved. Chicago: University of Chicago Feinberg School of Medicine.

Poster Presentations

• Ranjbar, N. E. (2020, October). Development and Implementation of Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Golpakrishnan, S., Suhale, S., & Villagomez, A. (2019, February/Spring). Development and Implementation of Integrative Psychiatry Curriculum into Residency and Fellowship Training. AADPRT. San Diego, CA: AADPRT.
• Ranjbar, N. E., Villagomez, A. K., & Murzl, C. (2017, September). Evaluation of a Blended-Learning Elective Curriculum in Integrative Psychiatry. University of Arizona Medical Education Research Day. Tucson, AZ: Academy of Medical Education Scholars.
• Brooks, A., Ranjbar, N. E., Villagomez, A., Ricker, M. A., Lebensohn, P., Maizes, V., & Erb, M. (2015, December). Effect of an Integrative Medicine Curriculum with Mind-Body Skills Training on Resident Wellbeing.. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 26th Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium. Huntington Beach, CA: American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Other Teaching Materials

• Ranjbar, N. E., & Villagomez, A. K. (2020. Introduction to Integrative Mental Health (2020-2022). University of Arizona.
  More info

  I designed, wrote, and implemented a 9.25 hour CME course for the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. This course was designed for individual residents and physicians with no Integrative Medicine background to have an introduction to an integrative approach to the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions. It included novel design elements including gamefication, videos and quizzes to extend the learning experience.
• Ranjbar, N. E., & Villagomez, A. K. (2017. Introduction to Integrative Mental Health (2018-2020). University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
  More info

  I designed, wrote, and implemented a 7 hour CME course for the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. This course was designed for individual residents and physicians with no Integrative Medicine background to have an introduction to an integrative approach to the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions. It included novel design elements including gamefication, videos and quizes to extend the learning experience.

Others

• Ranjbar, N. E. (2018, March). This Nowruz, I stand with the Protests in Iran with Hope. Los Angeles Review of Books.
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2017, December). President Trump's Slur Against American Indians. Scientific American. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/president-trumps-slur-against-american-indians/
• Ranjbar, N. E. (2015, November). Integrative Approaches to Adolescent Depression. Integrative Therapies for Depression.