August 10, 2026
Dr. Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of population health sciences and assistant professor of population health sciences in psychiatry, has received the 2026 Michele Tansella Award from the World Psychiatric Association's Epidemiology and Public Health Section.
Presented biennially, the award celebrates outstanding researchers who are the first authors of a publication in epidemiological psychiatry, community psychiatry, or mental health services evaluation.
"I am grateful to receive an award named in honor of Michele Tansella, who dedicated his career to joining psychiatric epidemiology with the design of mental health services," said Dr. Xiao. Dr. Xiao was recognized for her JAMA publication examining addictive screen use trajectories among young people. Her research applies innovative computational and epidemiological approaches to advance the understanding of youth mental health and suicide prevention. She will deliver a plenary lecture at the Section's meeting in Cagliari, Italy, this September.
"Our study found that it is not the number of hours young people spend on screens that predicts suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, but the pattern of addictive use: losing control over when to stop, and feeling distress without it," she explained. "That distinction changes what we should be measuring, and what families and clinicians should be watching for."
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