Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion

Profile

Dr. Oslin is the Director of the VISN 4 Mental Illness, Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), and Chief of Behavioral Health at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC) in Philadelphia. In addition, he is a Core Investigator at the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) and a professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research has focused on two main areas: the development and implementation of measurement-based care practices and the application of genetics to clinical care in order to bring precision mental health care to Veterans and others. Oslin was a leader in integrating mental health care into primary care clinics. His work was key in the development of an integrated clinical program that has been used throughout VA and other health care systems. In 2015, the program received the Bronze Award for Health Innovations by the American Psychiatric Association. He also led the creation of a training curriculum used nationally by primary care mental health integration programs throughout VA, called Foundations for Integrated Care.

To support an integrated care program, Oslin developed specialized software to record and track patient outcomes in a standardized manner. Approximately 75% of VA health care facilities now use Oslin's Behavioral Health Laboratory software to track Veterans' mental health care. In the area of precision mental health care, he co-authored a paper in 2003 that introduced the concept of collecting biosamples to research alcohol use disorder. Today, almost every clinical trial of this disease now includes a genetic component.

He is leading VA's effort to study and implement pharmacogenetic testing in the management of mental illness, in order to customize drug treatments to an individual's genetic profile. He is the principal investigator for a multisite trial called Precision Medicine in Mental Health Care (PRIME Care) that looks at the utility of genetic tests for the treatment of major depression.  This work has demonstrated added utility of PGx testing in the treatment of Veterans.  This research hopes to not only establish the effectiveness of pharmacogenetic testing, but also to develop educational materials for providers and patients that can be used well beyond the study.

In 2020, Dr. Oslin received the John Blair Barnwell Award from the VA Office of Research and Development. The Barnwell Award is given each year to a VA investigator whose scientific contributions have changed clinical approaches to Veterans' health. The award is named after Dr. John Blair Barnwell, a highly regarded clinician, scientist, and educator who served at the Ann Arbor, Michigan VA in the post-World War II era.

Oslin is committed to mentoring and sharing his knowledge with other colleagues and with aspiring medical students, residents, and fellows. He actively participates in training medical students, residents, and nursing students at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also provided research mentoring to 33 junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows during his career. In his leadership role he has mentored many VA clinical leaders both locally and nationally.