Patricia Flynn, clinical research nurse coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry, has been named Nurse of the Year by the Missouri Nurses Association’s Third District.
Flynn, who has worked in the department for four years, received the award Nov. 30 in Jefferson City, Mo. The Third District includes St. Louis city and County.
With more than 20 years of experience as a clinical research coordinator, Flynn recently completed two National Institutes of Mental Health-sponsored clinical trials: a neuro-imaging trial that investigated brain changes in elderly people with depression and an electroconvulsive therapy trial for determining dosage and placement of stimulus.
In 2006, she completed a pivotal clinical trial that studied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for treating hard-to-treat depression in adults.
Flynn also is involved in treating post-partum depression using TMS, a strategy that seems to alleviate treatment-resistant depression in some patients by pulsing the brain with magnetic energy.
Keith S. Garcia, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, who is conducting the post-partum depression study, said Flynn’s recognition is well deserved.
“It is Patty’s concern for our research participants and her meticulous attention to detail that makes her an invaluable part of our team,” Garcia said.