Passion and purpose to transform standards of care

Dr. Gerard Sanacora is a Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, the Director of the Yale Depression Research Program, and the Scientific Director of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Interventional Psychiatry Service. Dr. Sanacora is recognized as a leading translational neuroscientist in the area of mood disorders research. His work is concentrated largely on elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with mood and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Much of his recent research has focused on studies of the amino acid neurotransmitter systems (GABA and Glutamate) and their contributions to the neurobiology of mood disorders and the mechanism of rapid antidepressant action. His basic science laboratory employs a variety of rodent models to explore the effects of chronic stress on cellular and molecular biology, and to study the mechanisms of drug action. His clinical laboratory employs novel magnetic resonance spectroscopy methodologies and pharmacological challenge paradigms to study the amino acid neurotransmitter systems in individuals suffering from various neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, Dr. Sanacora has recently led several clinical trials studying novel antidepressant drugs.