Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, MD

Program Chair
Titus H. Harris Chair
Professor and Chair
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas

Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, MD is the Titus H. Harris chair, and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston. Dr. Hirschfeld is known internationally for his research on the diagnosis and treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. He has made major contributions to our understanding of the classification of depression and bipolar disorder, their clinical course, relationship to personality and personality disorders, and treatment with medication and psychotherapy.

A native of Detroit, Dr. Hirschfeld received his bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1964, followed by a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1968. He earned a master of science degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1972, and completed his residency in psychiatry at Stanford University Medical Center during the same year. Dr. Hirschfeld has been board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology since 1975.

One of the nation's leading advocates for the mentally ill, Dr. Hirschfeld spent six years as chair of the scientific advisory board of the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (NDMDA). During that time, he played a key role in transforming the organization into America's most powerful voice for people suffering from depression.

Dr. Hirschfeld has authored more than 200 scientific papers and abstracts in leading scientific and medical journals, and has contributed book chapters to four major psychiatric textbooks on mood and anxiety disorders, as well as to nearly two dozen other books on psychiatry. He served as chair of both the original and the revision of the American Psychiatric Association's Workgroup to develop practice guidelines for treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. At the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), he served as chief of the Mood, Anxiety, and Personality Disorders Research Branch, and was the clinical director of NIMH's Depression/Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment (D/ART) Program.

Dr. Hirschfeld is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Nola Maddox Falcone Prize from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the Gerald L. Klerman Lifetime Research Award and the Jan Fawcett Humanitarian Award, both from the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, the Gerald L. Klerman Award for Panic Disorder from the World Psychiatric Association, the Administrator's Award for Meritorious Achievement, the Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Michigan, as well as the Outstanding Service Medal from the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration.

Dr. Hirschfeld serves on the board of directors of both the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, of which he is the former president. He also is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, and of the scientific advisory council of the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSD).