MEDICAL SPECIALTIES AND SUBSPECIALTIES- Addiction Medicine (Board certified since 2010
- 2. General Psychiatry (Board certified since 1999)
- Psychosomatic Medicine (Board certified since 2008)
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS
Marriage Family Therapist (California licensed since 1986)
Registered Physical Therapist(California licensed since1989)
AFILITATIONS
Metropolitan State Hospital (since 1/2/2006)
Patton State Hospital
Loma Linda University, School of Medicine
M.D. degree in general medicine, Institution of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Timisoara, Romania 1980.
Residency training in Psychiatry at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles (1992-1996).
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
6/2/2013 – current
Staff psychiatrist Patton State Hospital
1/02/2006 –6/02/2013
Staff psychiatrist Metropolitan State Hospital
1996-2013
Research and clinical trials in schizophrenia
1996-2006
Research Faculty, University of Southern California
Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Orange County Mental Health
1992-1996
Residency training in general psychiatry at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The rotations in this program provided experience in child/adolescent, geriatric forensic, adult as well as emergency psychiatry in one of the busiest emergency rooms in the nation. The program also included extensive experience in psychiatric management of AIDS patients.
Research in chemical dependency at V.A. Medical Center in Los Angeles.
1989 – 1992
Worked as a registered physical therapist for South Pacific Rehabilitation Services in Encino, CA.
1984-1989
Worked as MFCC (family therapy) in private practice (Los Angeles) Provided family, group and individual therapy to adults and children.
Research in analytical psychotherapy at Carl Gustav Jung Institute Of Los Angeles. Developed Archives for Archetypal Symbolism and participated in the production of the documentary “Matter of Heart”, on life and work of C.G. Jung.
Research in psychopharmacology of depressive disorder in children and adolescents (University of Belgrade former Yugoslavia).
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
American Society of Addiction Medicine
American Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine
CINP (Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum)
VOLUNTARY PROJECTS
2000-Current
National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI)
1997-2007
Medical missions to Mexico
PUBLICATIONS
Assessment of the Effects of AZD 3480 on Cognitive Function in Patients with Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia Research, Schizophr Res. 2012 Jan;134(1):59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.10.004.
Targeted Intermittent Treatment in Chronic Schizophrenia; Front Psychiatry. 2013; 4: 13; Published online 2013 March 14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00013
Can Neurostimulation Prevent the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in Elderly Individuals with Schizophrenia? Frontiers in Psychiatry 2013 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00111
Perspective Article, Published in 2012; Schizophrenia report: making sense of the latest news in schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disorders; Adonis Sfera; Dysphrenia, doi: Dysphrenia. 2013;4(1):82-4.
Can psychiatry be misused again? Frontiers in Forensic Psychiatry, 2013,doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00101
A Century of Schizophrenia: Where We Came From, Where We Are Now and Where We Are Going Adonis Sfera, Stephen Stahl Romania Journal of Psychopharmacology 12/2012; 12(4):201-217.
What is going on in psychiatry when nothing seems to happen? Adonis Sfera, Front. Psychiatry, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00178.
Experimental Model of Ischemia-Induced Changes into the Glymphatic System of the Brain; Original Research; Adonis Sfera, Dragos Marinescu, Laurentiu Mogoanta, Roberto Gradini, Carolina Osorio and Adrian Preda; Romanian Journal of Psychopharmacology 2013; Volume 13,(4):243-251.
Opinion Article, Published in 2014; Non-neuronal cells, information processing, and neuropsychiatric syndromes; Adonis Sfera and Carolina Osorio; DYSPHRENIA
Water for thought: is there a role for aquaporin channels in delirium? Adonis Sfera, Carolina Osorio; Front. Psychiatry, 26 May 2014 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00057
Neurodegeneration Behind Bars: from molecules to jurisprudence; Adonis Sfera, Carolina Osorio, Roberto Gradini and Amy Price; Front. Psychiatry, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00115
Thinking Pattern East and West; Adonis Sfera and Carolina Osorio; SOJ Psychology .2014 Symbiosis. http://symbiosisonlinepublishing.com/psychology/psychology17.pdf
Poster presentation: American Delirium Society annual meeting; John Hopkins University Baltimore,MD June 05 2014 http://www.frontiersin.org/profile/image/_179/646
Poster Presentation: 2011 Neuroeducation Institute annual meeting in ColoradoSprings,CO; http://www.frontiersin.org/profile/image/Poster_Presentation/387
Blog postings: http://www.frontiersin.org/people/AdonisSfera/54993/blog
Treatment outcomes of chronic psychosis and the future of psychiatry; Health > Psychiatry > Behavioral Neuroscience; Posted by: Adonis Sfera on 10 Feb 2014
Brain Networks, the Matrix and the Mind, Brain cellular and molecular networks; Health > Psychiatry > Molecular Psychiatry; Posted by: Adonis Sfera on 06 Feb 2014
Non-neuronal Cells and Information Processing; Health > Neurology >Cellular Neuroscience; Posted by: Adonis Sfera on: 06 Feb 2014
Treatment outcomes of chronic psychosis and the future of psychiatry; Health
Psychiatry > Psychopharmacology; Posted by: Adonis Sfera on: 24 Oct 2013
ARE ELDERLY WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO
DEVELOP ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE? Health > Psychiatry > Alzheimer’s Disease Posted by: Adonis Sfera on: 29 Sep 2012
BEYOND LIPOSOLUBILITY: Novel ways of delivering therapeutic agent
across BBB; Posted by: Adonis Sfera on: 29 Sep 2012
RESEARCH AND COURSES
2002
Founded South Coast Clinical Trials in Anaheim, CA. (schizophrenia research institute).
2004
“Research Principles and Ethics” course, Institutional Review Board, University of Southern California (USC).
2003-Current
Trained in BACS, PANSS, Simpson Angus Scale, AIMS and many other Rating Scales used in research protocols.
2011
Master Psychopharmacology NEI Program (since 2011).
2002-2013
Participated in the following studies as Principal Investigator
Novartis AGO. “An 8 week, multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo and paroxetine study of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of agomelatine 25 or 50 mg given once daily in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) followed by a 28 week open label treatment with agomelatin 25 or 50 mg.”
Eisai ALF. “A 12 week Multi Center OPEN Label , Place study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Donepezil (Aricept) in Mild to Severe Alzheimers Disease residing in Assisted Living Facility.”
A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel group, active-controlled tolerability and safety study of MK-3756 (SM-13496/Lurasidone) in clinically stable schizophrenic outpatients (Merck: Protocol 021-00)
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and olanzapine-referenced, parallel-group efficacy and safety study of two fixed doses of bifeprunox in the treatment of schizophrenia. (Solvay/ Protocol S1543003/004/005)
A 28-week, randomised, open-label study evaluating the effectiveness of aripiprazole once-monthly versus paliperidone palmitate in adult patients with schizophrenia, Number: 2012-002785-12, Sponsor Protocol Number: 14724A, Lundbeck A/S
“A six-week, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of flexible doses of oral ziprasidone in outpatients with bipolar I depression.” (Pfizer/ Protocol A1281139)
“A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy, safety, and tolerability study of bifeprunox in the treatment of elderly subjects with psychosis and behavioral disturbances associated with dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type.” (Solvay /Protocol S1543016).
“Phase III Multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effect of daily treatment with MPC-7869 on measures of cognition, activities of daily living, and global function in subjects with mild dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.” (Myriad / Protocol MPC-7869-04-005.03).
“A Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, fixed-dose study of the effect on weight of bifeprenox versus olanzapine in the treatment of outpatients with schizophrenia.” (Wyeth/Protocol 3168A1-311).
A Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, fixed-dose study of the effect on weight of bifeprenox versus risperidone in the treatment of outpatients with schizophrenia.” (Wyeth/Protocol 3168A1-313).
An open-label extension study to evaluate the long-term safety and Tolerability Of Bifeprunox in the treatment of outpatients with Schizophrenia (Wyeth 3168A1-312, 314)
A Randomized, Multicenter, Double-blind, Parallel Group Study to Compare the Effects of Bifeprunox and Quetiapine on Weight Changes in Stable Schizophrenia Patients. (Solvay/ Protocol S154.3.021-Subinvestigator)
A multi-center, openl label, parallel group, randomized, flexible dose study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of switching from existing atypical antipsychotics to bifeprunox in subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder ( Solvay/Protocol S154.3.020-Subinvestigator) A multicenter, open-label, flexible-dose, parallel-group evaluation of the cataractogenic potential of quetiapine fumarate (SEROQUEL TM) and risperidone (RISPERDAL TM) in the long-term treatment of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (Protocol 5077IL/0089/AztraZeneca)
A Four-Week Double Blind Multi-Center Study Comparing the Efficacyand Safety of the Ziprasidone to Aripiprazole in Subjects With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder Needing Inpatient Care. (Sub investigator/Rater). Supported by Pfizer.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study With An Open-Label Extension Evaluating Extended Release OROS® Paliperidone in the Prevention of Recurrence in Subjects With Schizophrenia: Protocol: R076477-SCH-301 Extension Protocol: R076477-SCH-701. (Sub-investigator/Rater). Supported by Johnson & Johnson.
Zodiac Study. An International, Multicenter Large Simple Trial (LST) to Compare the Cardiovascular Safety of Ziprasidone and Olanzapine. (Principal Investigator). Supported by Pfizer.
Janssen RIS-OUT-173. “A prospective 2 year observational study of patients with schizophrenia, who initiate treatment with RISPERDAL CONSTA.”
Use of Depakote on agitated dementias. (Principal Investigator). Supported by Abbot.
Use of Reminyl in Lewy Body Dementia. (Principal Investigator). Supported by Jenssen.
Use of Aricept in dementia of Alzheimer type. (Coordinator during Residency) 2002.
A 48-Week, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Parallel-Group Evaluation of the Comparative Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability Of Exelon 10 and 15 cm2 Patch in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Showing Cognitive Decline during an Initial Open-Label Treatment Phase (Protocol No. CENA713D2340/Novartis).
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-blind, Parallel Group Phase II b Study of AZD 340 in the Treatment of Cognitive Deficits In Patients with Schizophrenia (Protocol No D3690C00011/AztraZeneca)
DSP Schizophrenia LTSS “Long-Term Safety, Tolerability, and Effectiveness of Lurasidone in Subjects with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder: A Randomized, Active Comparator-Controlled Trial” Protocol No. D1050237
DSP Alzheimer’s study “A Phase II, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Dose-Ranging Study Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of AC-3933 Tablets Twice Daily in Adults with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease”
Sanofi Aventis “A 24‑Week, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Parallel- Group, Dose Ranging Study of the Efficacy and Safety of oral doses of AVE 1625 5, 10, and 30 mg and placebo on top of an established treatment regimen of either olanzapine, risperidone/paliperidone,quetiapine or aripiprazole monotherapy in the treatment of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia”
A52-week,Multicenter,Open-labelStudyto Evaluate the Effectiveness of Aripiprazole Intramuscular Depot as Maintenance Treatment in Patients with Schizophrenia “ASPIRE OPEN-LABEL” (Aripiprazole Intramuscular Depot Program in Schizophrenia)
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled, Active-Referenced, Fixed-Dose Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of 3 Doses of LuAA21004 in Acute Treatment of Adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (Takeda Global Research)
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
Romanian, Croatian, Hebrew, Spanish, English