Dennis S. Charney

Biography

Dennis S. Charney, MD, is a world expert in the neurobiology and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.  He has made fundamental contributions to the understanding of the causes of human anxiety, fear and depression and the discovery of new treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. More recently, his pioneering research has expanded to include the psychobiological mechanisms of human resilience to stress.

Dr. Charney’s work in depression has led to new hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of antidepressant drugs and discovery of new and novel therapies for treatment resistant depression including Lithium and Ketamine.  The work demonstrating that Ketamine is a rapidly acting antidepressant has been hailed as one of the most exciting developments in antidepressant therapy in more than half a century.

Dr. Charney’s studies on human resilience have culminated in the identification of ten key resilience factors for building the strength to weather and bounce back from stress and trauma.  This work is summarized in an inspiring new book “Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges” co-authored by Steven Southwick and published by Cambridge University Press in 2012.

As Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Charney unveiled Mount Sinai’s $2.25 billion strategic plan, laying the foundation for the robust 15-institute structure that Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is known for today.  Today these institutes are hubs of scientific and clinical enterprise, working together to challenge the limits of science and medicine.  Within—and across—them, scientists and physicians, who themselves are members of the teaching faculty, can facilitate the development of effective treatments for the most serious medical conditions.  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai now stands among the most innovative of the top medical schools in the United States and is a beacon for advances in education, transformative biomedical research, and personalized, compassionate, world-class clinical care.

During Dr. Charney’s tenure, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai rose to and has maintained its strength among the top 20 institutions in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, and it currently ranks third in funding per faculty member from the NIH.  The institution is also listed consistently among the top 20 medical schools in the country according to U.S. News & World Report, and in 2009, it received the Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Even within the confines of tight city streets, the campus itself has grown—and continues to grow.  The Hess Center for Science and Medicine, opened in the fall 2012, provides over a half-million square-feet of state-of-the-art research and clinical space.  This allows Mount Sinai to expand its capabilities as a center for innovation and discovery.

Dr. Charney's career began in 1981 at Yale, where, within nine years, he rose from Assistant Professor to Professor of Psychiatry, a position he held from 1990 to 2000.  While there, he chaired the NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors, which advises the institute’s director on intramural research programs.  In 2000, NIMH recruited Dr. Charney to lead the Mood and Anxiety Disorder Research Program — one of the largest programs of its kind in the world — and the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch.  That year he was also elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.  His scientific research has been honored by every major award in his field.

In 2004, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recruited Dr. Charney as Dean of Research.  In 2007, he became the Dean of the School and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Medical Center.

A prolific author, Dr. Charney has written more than 700 publications, including groundbreaking scientific papers, chapters, and books.  He has authored many books, including Neurobiology of Mental Illness (Oxford University Press, USA, Third Edition, 2009); The Peace of Mind Prescription: An Authoritative Guide to Finding the Most Effective Treatment for Anxiety and Depression (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004); The Physicians Guide to Depression and Bipolar Disorders (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006), Resilience and Mental Health: Challenges Across the Lifespan (Cambridge University Press, 2011), and, as mentioned, Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, for lay audiences (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

In the News

Dr. Charney and his work diagnosing and treating depression were recently profiled in The Daily News feature The Daily Check Up. View the PDF

Dr. Charney and his work treating mood and anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were profiled in The Daily News feature, The Daily Checkup.  View story