Introduction

I am honored to be nominated for a position on the ANPA Council. I completed the Brown University combined residency in neurology and psychiatry in 2001, a NIMH Extramural research fellowship at Brown in 2003, and since then, have been the Rhode Island Hospital Division Director of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology. I am a fellow of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Neurology, and a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association. I was the inaugural co-chair of the International League Against Epilepsy Nonepileptic Seizures (NES) Task Force and of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) NES Task Force. I served as a steward on the NINDS / AES Benchmarks for Epilepsy committee. My principal research interests include neuropsychiatric aspects of epilepsy, somatic symptom disorders, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). With my research team, I have developed non-pharmacologic treatments for patients with seizures and am studying biomarkers for TBI and seizures using wearable devices, serologic measures and neuroimaging.

Statement

In 1994, I applied only to neurology-psychiatry dual residencies because the only way neuropsychiatric disorders made sense to me was from a combined perspective. I matched at Brown University and was trained over the next 6 years in the neuropsychiatric approach and mentored in the residency by Steve Salloway, who was an officer in ANPA.  He suggested I join ANPA, as a resident, and from the first annual meeting that I attended in Pittsburgh PA, I was struck not only by the content, but also by the members. I learned that ANPA is where residents and trainees could discuss ideas, concepts and cases with the organization leadership. As a senior resident, I was nominated to be on the ANPA committee on research (CoR), and was assigned the task of reviewing herbal alternative medicines used in neuropsychiatric conditions. Preparing the manuscript and having it critiqued by leaders in the field of neuropsychiatry who were on the CoR further reinforced my great appreciation for the excellence and approachability of the organization members. During my research fellowship, I was awarded the 2003 ANPA Career Development Award, where Jeff Cummings and Stuart Yudofsky were my distance mentors. Over the years, the formal and informal mentorship from the ANPA leaders and serving on the ANPA CoR has served as the foundation for my approach to neuropsychiatric research, clinic and teaching.  From those experiences, I have continued to encourage students, residents and colleagues to join ANPA, noting it is the place where seasoned experts, interested neophytes and young faculty gather to discuss and think about brain/behavior disorders and patients. I will bring this experience with and appreciation for ANPA to serve the organization on Council.

Introduction

I am Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. My focus is on the neuropsychiatry of traumatic brain injury. I am senior editor (along with Tom McAllister and David Arciniegas) of the “Textbook of Traumatic Brain Injury,” which is now in the Third edition, and Consulting Editor for the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

Statement

I am honored to have been nominated to be on the ANPA Council. I have been a Fellow of ANPA since 2001, and served as President of ANPA from 2003-2005. Under my term at ANPA, we were able to achieve recognition of Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry as a subspecialty by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties. I have been chair of the examination committee since its inception, and have been certified in BN&NP since 2006.

After a decade-long hiatus from ANPA activities, I believe it’s time to re-engage and add my perspectives to continue the growth of this important organization.