Chair’s Introduction

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine offers a wide array of exceptional clinical, educational, and research programs aimed at optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders, and advancing our understanding of the causes and pathogenesis of these disorders. The department is nationally recognized for its excellence in clinical care and teaching, and is ranked in the top third of medical school departments of psychiatry for research funding by the National Institutes of Health.

The clinical programs of the Department provide inpatient and outpatient care at three affiliated medical centers: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, and Children's Memorial Hospital. In these programs, we emphasize expert diagnosis, early intervention and continuity of care. 

The Department's educational programs include undergraduate and graduate medical education, a PhD program in clinical psychology, clinical and research fellowships, and continuing education for practicing mental health professionals. The Psychiatry Residency Training Program is among the nation’s top psychiatry residency programs in psychiatry.

The Department features several nationally recognized research programs. Within the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders, clinical and basic neuroscientists, including William Gilmer, M.D., Mark Reinecke, Ph.D., Eva Redei, Ph.D., and Jelena Radulovic, Ph.D., work to improve our understanding of mood disorders and their treatment. The Neurobiology of Psychotic Disorders Program, directed by John G. Csernansky, M.D. is focused on improving our understanding of the neurocognitive deficits associated with psychotic disorders, their basis in neuroanatomy and treatment and clinical faculty scientists in the field of depressive disorders. The Psycho-Legal Studies Program, directed by Linda Teplin, Ph.D., is focused on improving our understanding of the criminalization of the mentally ill, the antecedents of violence, and juvenile delinquency. The Mental Health Services and Policy Program, directed by John Lyons, PhD, develops innovative programs to improve mental health services across the lifespan. The Center for Genetics in Psychiatry, directed by Pablo V. Gejman, M.D., conducts research to identify the genes that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia and other major mental disorders. The Center on Outcomes, Research and Education (CORE), directed by David Cella, PhD, works to improve the measurement of quality outcomes.