Mary E Bongiovi, MD, PhD

Mary E. Bongiovi, MD, PhD is an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and director of Four South, a clinical research unit at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City.

The General Clinical Research Unit (GCRU) is a 22-bed research unit that serves Brain Stimulation, Substance Use, Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, and is the medical back up for the PI Residents’ Clinic (PIRC) and Presbyterian 2 (PB2 formerly Eye 6) in the Department of Psychiatry and NYSPI. Research is currently on pause, and we continue to admit clinical patients who are medically cleared through the Comprehensive Psychiatry Emergency Program (CPEP). The unit’s mission is to deliver excellent patient care, to pursue state of the art clinical research, and to educate medical, nursing, social work, recreational therapy students, and nurse practitioner and psychology interns, and psychiatric residents.

The GCRU’s patients struggle with depression, and other mood disorders, suicidality, opioid and other substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Patients range in age from young adulthood to elderly. Once research recommences their patients are admitted based on their eligibility and agreement to participate in clinical research, which has been approved by the NYSPI Institutional Review Board (IRB). As above, clinical patients are evaluated in the CPEP and deemed appropriate for GCRU based on diagnosis, and willingness to be admitted voluntarily. No one receives a bill for their inpatient stay.

Dr. Bongiovi earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1981. She then received a combined medical and doctoral degree from The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon of Columbia University in 1990. She entered residency training at the Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute program that she completed in 1994 after having served as chief resident.

Dr. Bongiovi has been an attending on the inpatient unit of the Washington Heights Community Service, been unit chief of the Eating Disorders Research Unit on 4 Center and has been unit chief of the GCRU since 2017.

Dr. Bongiovi is a dedicated clinician, educator and administrator. She is currently the President of the Medical Staff at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, is involved in medical student, residency training, advanced practice nursing and psychology training and serves on multiple committees at NYSPI along with her responsibilities of managing an inpatient research unit.