Navigating Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy: Risks, Treatments, and Gaps in Care
Description: Understanding OUD in Pregnancy
1. Epidemiology
2. Risks and Outcomes of OUD in Pregnancy
3. Latest Treatment Options and Risk-Benefit Review
4. Outpatient Treatment and Follow-up Care
Majd Alsayed Bio
Dr. Majd Alsayed is an addiction psychiatry fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, dedicated to advancing mental health care, particularly in the areas of addiction, trauma, and co-occurring disorders. He earned his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine and completed his general psychiatry residency at Charleston Area Medical Center/WVU, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Alsayed has contributed to research in psychopharmacology, neurogenetics, and schizophrenia, and has presented his work at numerous national conferences. A passionate educator, he received the Outstanding Resident Student Educator Award for his teaching contributions. He is also the recipient of the prestigious AAAP John Renner Award and an APA Diversity Leadership Fellow.
Majd Alsayed, MD
Address: 1601 23rd Ave S, Suite 3106
Nashville, TN 37232
Phone: +1 615-936-2488 Email: majd.alsayed@vumc.org
EDUCATION
University of Damascus School of Medicine, Damascus, Syria
Doctor of Medicine, MD Diploma (2006-2014)
POST-GRADUATE TRAINING
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Nashville, TN
Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program (July 2024-expected graduation June 2025)
CAMC/WVU School of Medicine-Charleston Division, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Charleston, WV
General Psychiatry Residency (July 2020-June 2024)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
• Diagnostic Rater, Keedy Lab, Clinical Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (March 2018-April 2020):
Conducted interviews with subjects based on The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-4 (SCID-4) to collect data for
BIPOLAR-SCHIZOPHRENIA NETWORK FOR INTERMEDIATE PHENOTYPES (B-SNIP) Study and joined the team
in weekly meetings and biweekly consensus meetings to discuss diagnoses and eligibility of subjects.
• Research Specialist, White Lab, Institute for Genomics & Systems Biology, Human Genetics Department at
The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (March 2017-August 2019):
Performed the library preparation for Ribosome Profiling (Ribo-SEQ) for PsychENCODE Consortium and joined the team
in weekly meetings to discuss obstacles and work towards a solution.
• Research Volunteer, Gershon-Liu Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at UIC & The
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (March 2017-February 2018):
Isolated proteins used in Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA), performed the library preparation for Ribosome Profiling
(Ribo-SEQ), and joined the team in all meetings, workshops and discussions.
PUBLICATION, PRESENTATION, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Case Report: Combined Pimavanserin and Maintenance Electroconvulsive
Therapy: A Novel Approach to Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis. Cureus. July 2024. 10.7759/cureus.64316
• Oral presentation: Atypical Presentation and Challenging Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis. Charleston
Area Medical Center Research Day. Charleston, WV, USA (April 2024)
• Oral Presentation: Human Trafficking in Health Care. WVU Student National Medical Association and Gold
Humanism Honor Society. Charleston, WV, USA (February 2024)
• Poster presentation: Identifying Factors in Peer Recovery Coach Interactions and Associations with Successful
Outcomes for Opioid Use Patients in Southern West Virginia. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry annual
Meeting. San Diego, CA, USA (December 2023)
• Poster presentation: Electroconvulsive Therapy for Patients with Parkinson-Related Psychosis with Bilateral
Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulator. American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA,
USA (May 2023).
• Poster presentation: Antibody-Negative Autoimmune Encephalitis Induced Psychosis _When Your life Becomes a
Movie Story/Book Tale. American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA (May 2023)
• Oral presentation: “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD)”
TED Talk presentation for American Psychiatric Association-West Virginia Chapter, Summer Meeting. Flatwoods, WV,
USA (August 2022)
• Peer-Reviewed Book Chapter: Neuroimaging in Aggression and IED. In E. F. Coccaro, M. S. Mccloskey (Ed.),
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (pp. 111-130). Chicago: Elsevier. (2019).
• Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstracts: Hallucination Severity and Stress in Individuals with Schizophrenia,
Schizoaffective Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. Society of Biological Psychiatry. May 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.691
• Poster presentation: Hallucination Severity and Stress in Individuals with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective
Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual meeting. Chicago, IL, USA. (May 2019)
• Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstracts: Comprehensive functional genomic resource and integrative model for
the human brain. Science. December 2018; 362(6420): 6-13. Cited in PubMed; PMID: doi:10.1126/science.
• Poster presentation: The Utility of 99mTc Sestamibi Thyroid Scan in Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis.
Endocrine Society. Orlando, FL, USA. (April 2017)
• Poster presentation: Plurihormonal Pituitary Adenoma. American Thyroid Association. Denver, CO, USA. (September
2016)
• Poster presentation: Obscure Causes of Hypercalcemia. Endocrine Society. Boston, MA, USA. (April 2016)
• “Eclampsia and its Management”
Composed a thesis on the Management of Eclampsia and defended it in front of a committee of Obstetricians at the
Damascus University Hospital. (July 2013)
CLINICAL TEACHING
• Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder
Course lecturer presented 3 times every academic year to fourth-year Vanderbilt University School of Medicine medical
students during their Integrated Science Curriculum.
• Psychiatry Review
Clerkship lecturer, presented 12 times every academic year to third-year West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
medical students during their psychiatry clerkship.
• Sleep Disorders
Clerkship lecturer, presented 6 times every academic year to third-year West Virginia University medical students during
their psychiatry clerkship.
• Psychopharm Review
Clerkship lecturer, presented 6 times every academic year to third-year West Virginia University medical students during
their psychiatry clerkship.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
• American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) John Renner Award (2024)
Presented for demonstrating interest in learning about substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric
disorders.
• American Psychiatric Association | American Psychiatric Association Foundation
Diversity Leadership Fellowship program (July 2023- June 2025)
• Outstanding Resident Student Educator Award (June 2022)
Presented for demonstrating excellence in teaching.
• The Helping Hand Award (June 2022)
Presented for demonstrating excellence in leadership and teamwork.
COMMITTEES MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
• APA Council on International Psychiatry and Global Health member (July 2023-June 2025)
• Chief Resident (July 2023-June 2024)
• Program Review Subcommittee member (October 2022- June 2024)
Graduate Medical Education subcommittee for residency programs’ evaluation and assessment.
• Advisor to Student National Medical Association (SNMA)/West Virginia University Charleston Campus
Chapter (September 2022- June 2024)
Participate in the establishment of the local chapter and its activities to help support minority medical students and
underserved communities.
• Mentor at Doctor Mentorship Network (DMN) (August 2022- June 2024)
Provide underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students with access to URiM mentors. Mentees are WVU Student National
Medical Association members.
• House Staff Council member (July 2022-June 2023)
Peer-selected representative of the psychiatry program. A liaison between residents and the institution, and between
residency programs.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
• Clinical Observer, Charleston Area Medical Center/West Virginia University, Charleston, WV (September
2019):
Observed clinical encounters and participated in case discussions and literature reviews with the consult liaison team.
Discussed differential diagnosis, treatment plans, and side effects of medications with Dr. Yahia Homsi, MD.
• Clinical Observer, Treatment-Resistant Mood Disorders Clinic at University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL
(November 2017):
Observed clinic encounters and management plan discussions of patients who had a long history of resistance and
developed tolerance to many medications with Dr. Elliot S. Gershon, MD.
• Clinical Observer, Endocrinology Associates, Scottsdale, AZ (December 2016-February 2017):
Observed clinic encounters, Thyroid Ultrasound, Percutaneous Ethanol Injections (thyroid cyst), and Fine Needle
Aspiration with Dr. Daniel S. Duick, MD. and Dr. Andrea Ferenczi, MD.
• Clinical Observer, Psychiatry, Chicago. IL (August-October 2016)
Observed clinic encounters, learned a variety of approaches to non-compliant patients, and participated in medical
diagnosis and management plan discussions with Dr. Majed Dalloul, MD.
• Clinical Observer, Advocate Christ Hospital Cardiology Department, Oak Lawn, IL (January-April 2014)
Observed clinic encounters with Dr. Pierrot Abi Mansour, M.D.
MEMBERSHIPS
• American Psychiatric Association member (2020-present)
• American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry member (2022-present)
• American Medical Association (2020-present)
• Basma Association, Damascus, Syria (2009-2011)
Volunteered in organizing fundraising events to support children with cancer.
• Al-Rajaa Society Volunteer, Damascus, Syria (2011-2012)
Organized entertainment sessions for people with disabilities.
• Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Damascus, Syria (2012-2013)
Performed basic first aid procedures for victims of conflicts and explosions.
LANGUAGES
Speaking Arabic (fluent), and English (fluent).
HOBBIES
Enjoy cooking, hiking, playing tennis, and swimming.
REFERENCE
Available upon further request.