Chia-Fen Tsai, M.D

Chief, Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry & Dementia Research Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Co-leader, Brain-Gut Lab, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Professional Summary

Dr. Tsai was born in Kaoshiung. After she completed the residency training of psychiatry at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, she went to USC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to learn with Dr. Helena Chui, who is the expert at Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in the U.S. Dr. Tsai is interested in topics of dementia with behavioral problems, interaction between body and brain, and psychosomatic medicine. She investigates brain-gut-microbiome axis, doing research on hepatic encephalopathy which is directed by Prof. Ching-liang Lu (Institute of Brain Science, NYMU) for her PhD degree. Over the past five years, she publishes more than 40 SCI articles, in which there are many accepted by high-impact journals (e.g. Gastroenterology, Journal of Hepatology, and American Journal of Psychiatry). Besides a clinician, she is a well-known writer of health education for dementia.

 

Current position：

Chief psychiatrist, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2018-)

Attending psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2009-)

Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University (2016-)

 

Education：

MD, School of Medicine, China Medical University

PhD, Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University

 

Experience:

Research fellow, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Southern California, U.S. (2008-2009)

Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2002-2009)

Intern, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2001-2002)

 

Certification:

Certified by Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry

Certified by Taiwanese Society of Geriatric Psychiatry

Recommended geriatric psychiatrist by Taiwan Dementia Society

 

Membership:

Board member, Taiwanese Society of Geriatric Psychiatry

Board member, Taiwan Alzheimer Disease Association

World Young leader in Dementia , Alzheimer’s Disease International

 

Expertise：

Dementia, senile depression, psychosomatic medicine, sleep disorders, emotional or behavioral problems comorbid with physical illness

 

* Selected publications:

1.     Tsai CF, Liu CJ, Chen TJ, Chu CJ, Lin HC, Lee FY, Su TP, Lu CL. Increased incidence of orthopedic fractures in cirrhotic patients: A nationwide population-based study. J Hepatol. 2013 Apr;58(4):706-14. (R/C= 4/76，Gastroenterology & Hepatology, SCI IF=11.336 )

2.     Wang YP, Chen YT, Tsai CF, Li SY, Luo JC, Wang SJ, Tang CH, Liu CJ, Lin HC, Lee FY, Chang FY, Lu CL. Short-term use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Am J Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 1;171(1):54-61(R/C=4/140, Psychiatry, SCI IF =12.295)

3.     Tsai CF, Wang SJ, Fuh JL. Moderate chronic kidney disease is associated with reduced cognitive performance in midlife women. Kidney Int. 2010 Sep;78(6):605-10.( R/C=4/78, Urology & Nephrology, SCI IF=8.563)

4.     Tsai CF, Lee YT, Lee WJ, Hwang JP, Wang SJ, Fuh JL. Depression of Family Caregivers Is Associated with Disagreements on Life-Sustaining Preferences for Treating Patients with Dementia. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 31;10(7):e0133711.  (R/C=8/56, Multidisciplinary sciences. SCI IF= 3.234)

5.     Tsai CF, Lee WJ, Wang SJ, Shia BC, Nasreddine Z, Fuh JL.Psychometrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and its subscales: validation of the Taiwanese version of the MoCA and an item response theory analysis. Int Psychogeriatr. 2011 Dec 12:1-8. (R/C=79/140，Psychiatry, SCI IF=1.934)

 

Popular Science Books:

1.     A dignified life the best friends approach to alzheimer's care a guide for family caregivers (Translated)

2.     Non-pharmacological therapy for Dementia

3.     Whatever you do remember, I love you