Research interests
Background:
Dr. Weissman has a Ph.D. in Chronic Disease Epidemiology from Yale University, 1974 and clinical training. She was a Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at Yale and Director of the Depression Research Unit before coming to Columbia, where she is now a Professor of Epidemiology (in Psychiatry) and Chief of the Division of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology at New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Weissman is a faculty member in Epidemiology at the School of Public Health as well as in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia. She is the Director of a core in Psychotherapy Research as part of the Center grant in Child Psychiatry. Her office is at New York State Psychiatric Institute, just next door to the School of Public Health.
We have numerous fellows (both MD and PhD) and graduate (MPH and PhD) students joining us. The research represented in our Division focuses on depression and anxiety disorders but runs the gamut from descriptive epidemiology in primary care; children at high risk for depression (a three generation study); genetic linkage and sibpair studies of panic disorder and major depression respectively; statistical genetics methods (Susan Hodge and David Greenberg); health services research (Mark Olfson); and design and conduct of psychotherapy trials (Laura Mufson and Lena Verdeli).
We have large previously collected data sets from longitudinal (15-20 year studies) and community samples, which can be accessed for thesis. More recently, in collaboration with Myron Hofer, Eric Kandel and Brad Peterson's groups, we have been developing translation studies bridging clinical and basic sciences.
In the Fall, 2001, several new studies were started - a study of bipolar disorder in primary care; a study of the impact of September 11th on psychiatric symptoms and utilization in primary care; and a multi-site study examining the impact of successful treatment of maternal depression on psychopathology in offspring. We have received an NIMH minority supplement for our high risk study and welcome more. There is a good opportunity for a supplement in the new study.
References
Weissman MM, Fyer AJ, Haghighi F, Heiman G, Deng Z, Hen R, Hodge S, Knowles J. Potential panic disorder syndrome: Clinical and genetic linkage evidence. Am J Med Genet (Neuropsychiatr Genet) 96(1):24-35, 2000.
Weissman MM, Markowitz JC, Klerman GL. Comprehensive Guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Basic Books, New York, NY, 2000.
Weissman MM, Warner V, Wickramaratne PJ, Moreau D, Olfson M. Offspring of depressed parents: Ten years later. Arch Gen Psychiatry 54:932-940, 1997.
Weissman MM, Wolk S, Goldstein RB, Moreau D, Adams P, Greenwald S, Klier CM, Ryan ND, Dahl RE, Wickramaratne PJ. Depressed adolescents grown up. JAMA 281:1707-1713, 1999.
