Interviews

Tennessee Voices: A conversation with Kristen Gilliland on youth and substance abuse

Kristen Gilliland of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery spoke with The Tennessean Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas.

Lab to Table by Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences: Teen Mental Health - Cultivating Wellbeing

Why have we seen such growth in mental health adversities for teens in the past few decades? What does neuroscience say about the development and treatment of these disorders? How does this impact brain development? What tactics and treatments exist for teens to cultivate wellbeing? How do we address this important issue societally?

Join Lisa Monteggia, Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and professor of pharmacology, as she delves into these questions and more during the Basic Sciences Lab-to-Table Conversation, “Teen Mental Health: Cultivating Wellbeing.” The event features panelists: Kristen Gilliland, director of outreach and advocacy programs at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt, Layne Grace, addiction treatment coordinator and mental health advocate, and Dr. Stephan Heckers, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Schizophrenia Research and chair and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt.

More Lab-to-Table Conversations can be found here!

MorningLine interview - Part II

WKRN: Vanderbilt film teaches kids to overcome addiction through mindfulness, self-compassion

Kristen Gilliland shares her story on the dangers of addiction and how to overcome with mindfulness and self-compassion.

Morning Line: Teen Mental Health and Addiction Prevention - Part I

With increasing cases of depression, anxiety, addiction, overdose, self-harm, and suicide amongst our youth in the United States - a paradigm shift is needed. Today on MorningLine, Nick Beres is joined by Kristen Gilliland, Director of Outreach and Advocacy Programs at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt University to talk about teen addiction, mental health and a new documentary called Speaking Through Me.

MorningLine interview - Part III

MorningLine interview - Part IV

You Are Not Alone Interview: Personal Experience with Addiction - Kristen Gilliland

Kristen Gilliland answers the question, “How has addiction personally impacted your life”. This interview is a part of a series sponsored by the Williamson Prevention Coalition (Anti-Drug Coalition) focusing on providing information, resources, and hope for individuals struggling with substance use disorder or mental health challenges. To find out more, click here!

Testimonials

“The Warren Center’s efforts on drug addiction showcase Vanderbilt’s dedication to crafting impactful solutions for society’s critical issues. With our exceptional scholars and partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, we’re shaping a transformative 21st-century university model that will have a global scientific impact.”

-C. Cybele Raver, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Vanderbilt University

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“Few programs and people have as timely and as helpful of a message as Dr. Kristin Gilliland who is the Director of Outreach and Advocacy and a Drug Scientist for the Warren Center at Vanderbilt University. We all intuitively know that there is a strong connection between emotions and substance abuse, but Dr. Gilliland has given us new and powerful tools in our arsenal to understand, decrypt, and most importantly fight addiction. She brings a wealth of knowledge and research to unpack the interaction between neuroscience, emotions, and substance abuse but she unpacks it in a way that is understandable, approachable, and most importantly actionable. Highly empathetic and kind, Dr. Gilliland is able to draw both students and parents in to boost our knowledge and insight around addiction that both empower and inspire us. It is hard to match a person like Dr. Gilliland, one of the world's experts in the subject who has harnessed her own personal story of a mother’s love that fuels her incredible mission and passion to help others. If you get the chance to have Dr. Gilliland share her research and story with your group - it will be a gift that keeps on giving.”

- Beth Eberl, Director of Counseling, K-12, University School of Nashville

“I am honored to have played a small role in this incredible evening. The work that Kristen and her exceptional team have done to communicate this life saving message should inspire all of us to make a difference.”

-Dr. Tyler Barrett, M.D., Executive Medical Director, Vanderbilt University Emergency Medicine

“It’s an absolute must watch for parents of young teens and young adults, and should be showcased in schools too, to continue these essential conversations on brain health and mental health.”