Joshua Gordon Returns to His Roots to Lead Columbia Psychiatry and New York State Psychiatric Institute

Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD, a visionary psychiatrist and neuroscientist, assumed his new role on August 15, 2024, as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), Executive Director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Dr. Gordon’s appointment follows a notable eight-year tenure as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the lead federal agency for research on mental illnesses, where he was at the forefront of mental health research and policy.

A significant homecoming

This new chapter marks a momentous return for Dr. Gordon. “As many of you know, I grew up here,” he wrote in an email to the Columbia/NYSPI community. “I am a psychiatrist who trained in the residency program at NYP and NYSPI and a neuroscientist whose science matured in the labs of the Kolb Annex,” Dr. Gordon said. “I’m honored to return to my roots, to lead this incredible organization and help continue its preeminent roles in mental health care, research, education, and policy."

Dr. Gordon joined VP&S in 2004 after completing his psychiatry residency at Columbia University/NYSPI. At Columbia, he led a National Institutes of Health-funded research program in basic neuroscience relevant to mental illness, taught students and residents, and maintained a part-time clinical psychiatry practice.

In September 2016, Dr. Gordon was appointed NIMH director, overseeing an institution with over 1,000 employees and a $2 billion annual budget. Under his leadership, NIMH made sizable research contributions to mental health practice and services, including new medications and interventions, screening and risk reduction strategies, and the rapid evolution of telemedicine.

Priorities at NIMH

During his NIMH tenure, Dr. Gordon championed the integration of neuroscience and clinical practice, advocating for precision medicine approaches to tailor treatments to patients based on their unique genetic, biological, and psychological profiles. Among many priorities, he focused on enhancing suicide prevention research and emphasized the importance of addressing disparities in mental health care, advocating for research that considers diverse populations and the social determinants of mental health.

Working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Gordon was instrumental in establishing the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia. This public-private partnership generates tools to significantly improve the success of early-stage interventions for patients at risk of developing schizophrenia.

Early research focus

Dr. Gordon earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Washington University and MD/PhD from the University of California, San Francisco. Before joining the VP&S faculty, he completed a research fellowship with René Hen, PhD, professor of pharmacology (in psychiatry), professor of neuroscience, and director of the Division of Systems Neuroscience at Columbia.

His early research at Columbia/NYSPI focused on understanding how genetic mutations influence neural activity in mouse models of schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and depression, using advanced imaging techniques to unravel the complex interactions within the brain that contribute to these conditions.

In addition to his research, Dr. Gordon also served as associate director of the CUIMC/NYSPI adult psychiatry residency program, where he oversaw the neuroscience curriculum and administered research programs for residents, including the Leon Levy Foundation Psychiatric Neuroscience Fellowship Program.

His work has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation’s Distinguished Investigator Grant, the A.E. Bennett Research Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry, and the Joel Elkes Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2018.

Dr. Gordon is married to Jennifer Greenfeld, an urban forester who is now a Deputy Commissioner in the NYC Parks Department. The couple lives in Riverdale, NY, and has two adult children, one in college and the other in Brooklyn.