2000
In Review
John M. Oldham, M.D.
Director
The year 2000 represented an exceptional
year of productivity and progress at the New York State Psychiatric
Institute, capped by the announcement from Stockholm, in November, that
Eric Kandel was one of this year's recipients of the Nobel Prize in
Physiology or Medicine. This well-deserved international recognition
of Kandel's pioneering research, elucidating the distinct molecular
mechanisms of short-term and long-term memory, was an exciting and important
event at NYPI and at Columbia, as well as for psychiatry itself and
the rapidly moving frontier of neuroscience. A major celebration was
held at NYPI honoring the work of Kandel and his colleagues.
Another
notable development during the year was the establishment of the Sackler
Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, made possible by the generosity
of the Mortimer Sackler family; Myron Hofer was named the first Sackler
Professor of Psychiatry. Support from the Quentin Kennedy family made
possible the establishment of a new professorship in the area of substance
abuse, and Fran Levin was appointed the Q.J. Kennedy Associate Professor
of Clinical Psychiatry. Research funding continued to grow steadily during
the year, so that total research awards reached an all-time high. Seventeen
new federal research career development awards were received by investigators
at NYPI, bringing the total number of research scientist development awards
to 42. In addition, six new independent investigator awards and 11 new
young investigator awards were received from NARSAD. Recognition of the
work of NYPI's researchers and of the importance of this research to New
York State was signaled by a visit to the Institute by New York Lt. Governor
Mary Donohue, accompanied by Commissioner James Stone and Executive Deputy
Commissioner Sharon Carpinello. New collaborations are developing as well,
such as the joint program being developed between Peter Jensen and colleagues,
in NYPI's Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health, and
Chip Felton and co-workers, in OMH's Center for Performance Evaluation
and Outcomes Management.
The following
areas were among the many research developments during the year, led by
the identified researchers listed, and their colleagues:
*Cohen: study of
changes in women's roles, and associated well-being
*Lisanby and Sackeim:
use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a treatment for depression
*Devanand: identification
of an olfactory deficit as a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease
*Hen: development
of a mouse model to turn off the mutant Huntington's gene
*Glassman: study
of relationship of major depression to cardiac disease
*Greenhill: launching
of a grant to study ADHD in preschoolers
*Olfson: study of
mental health services in colleges and universities
*Abi-Dargham: first
report of increased occupancy of D2 receptors by dopamine in patients
with schizophrenia
*Mellins: study
of risk and resilience in youth with HIV+ mothers
*Malaspina: recognition
of advanced paternal age as risk factor for schizophrenia
*Mann: Conte Center
to study the neurobiology of suicide
*Oquendo: pharmacotherapy
of high-risk bipolar disorder
*Stanley: replication
study of dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder
*Nunes: New York/
Long Island Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network
*Fischman: development
of a sustained-release depot form of naltrexone
*Schneier: identification
of low D2 binding in patients with generalized social phobia
*Fallon:
progress in developing a center for the study of Lyme disease
Honors and awards were
plentiful during the year, so that only a sampling can be mentioned. David
Shaffer received the Ittleson Award from the American Psychiatric Association,
and Clarise Kestenbaum received the Alexander Gralnick Award from the
Child Welfare League of America. Bob Spitzer received the Thomas William
Salmon Medal from the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Joseph Zubin
Award from the American Psychopathological Association. Herb Pardes received
the Van Gieson Award from NYPI, William Fifer was elected President of
the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, Jean Endicott
served as President of the American Psychosomatic Society, and John Mann
received the Office of Mental Health 2000 Research Award.
Among many new faculty
and staff to join us this year, Laurie Flynn, former Executive Director
of NAMI, joined our child psychiatry division to head a new Unit to Improve
Child Mental Health Policy. Vimla Patel joined us from McGill, to create
a new effort in Medical Informatics, and David Greenberg has launched
a program in statistical genetics. At NYPI, we are delighted that Andy
Skodol assumed his new role as Deputy Director, David Hellerstein joined
us from Beth Israel Hospital to become the new Clinical Director at NYPI,
and Amy Bennett-Staub became our new Director of Quality Assurance. In
turn, David Strauss became full-time Director of the NYPI IRB, and Ruth
Corn assumed a new role as Director of the Office of Research Protection.
Educational programs
remain enormously strong, with outstanding trainees in psychiatry, psychology,
social work, nursing, and OT/RT. Research fellowship programs are functioning
at capacity, led by Ron Rieder and by numerous scholars, researchers,
and mentors, and our residents received a total of 15 national awards
and fellowships this year. The new Columbia/Cornell Residency in Psychiatry
and the Law, under the leadership of Elizabeth Tillinghast, was accredited
by the ACGME and is attracting outstanding applicants.
The day-to-day superior
functioning of the Institute would not be possible without the steady
efforts of all, particularly the nursing staff, ably led by Marcia Michaelson.
Clinical services to the community continue to be provided by the Washington
Heights Community Service, led by Francine Cournos. And without the outstanding
contributions of the entire range of administrative and support staff,
under the able leadership of Steve Papp, Frank Mucha, Linda Timmons, Peter
Reynolds, and many others, NYPI could not function.
From left to
right, Commissioner James Stone, Dr. Eric Kandel, Lt. Governor Mary
Donohue,
Executive Deputy Commissioner Sharon Carpinello, and Dr. John Oldham
Executive Deputy Commissioner Sharon Carpinello, and Dr. John Oldham