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Director’s Update
October 12, 2006

Prestigious Lieber Prize for Research Awarded to Jeffrey A. Lieberman, M.D.

NIMH-funded researcher Jeffrey A. Lieberman, M.D., of Columbia University was awarded the Lieber Prize for Schizophrenia Research by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) at the group's annual gala dinner in October 2006. NARSAD is one of the largest donor-supported organizations that funds research on the brain and behavioral disorders. NIMH and NARSAD also collaborated to help launch the Schizophrenia Research Forum, an online resource which aims to advance research in schizophrenia and related diseases. The prestigious Lieber Prize is given in recognition of notable contributions to the understanding of the causes, prevention, and treatment of schizophrenia.

Dr. Lieberman is currently the Lawrence E. Kolb Chairman of Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. His research has focused on the neurobiology and treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. In this context, his work has advanced the understanding of the natural history of schizophrenia, how the disease affects functioning, and the mechanisms of action and clinical effectiveness of antipsychotic medications. In extension of his personal research goals, Dr. Lieberman served as Principal Investigator of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness Research Program (CATIE) sponsored by NIMH. CATIE was the largest, longest, and most comprehensive study of its kind, directly comparing a first-generation antipsychotic with several second-generation antipsychotics in patients with chronic schizophrenia. CATIE is part of an overall NIMH effort to conduct "practical" clinical trials that address public health issues important to those persons affected by major mental illnesses in real world settings.