John Krystal, MD
Biography
Research & Publications
Patient Care
News
Appointments
Biography
Dr. Krystal is a leading expert in the areas of alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. His work links psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and computational neuroscience to study the neurobiology and treatment of these disorders. He is best known for leading the discovery of the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine in depressed patients.
He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. He also serves in a variety of advisory and review capacities for NIAAA, NIMH, Wellcome Trust, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the Broad Institute, the Karolinska Institutet, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Dr. Krystal previously served on the National Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Advisory Council (NIAAA), the Department of Defense Psychological Health Advisory Committee, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Advisory Council, and the NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors (chair, 2005-2007). He has led the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (president, 2012), and International College of Neuropsychophamacology (president, 2016-2018).
Currently, he is co-chair of the Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders (NeuroForum) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and he edits the journal, Biological Psychiatry (impact factor: 13.382).
Education & Training
- ResidencyYale University School of Medicine (1988)
- MDYale University (1984)
- BAUniversity of Chicago, Behavioral Sciences (1980)
Activities
- Schizophrenia TreatmentTaichung, Taiwan, Taiwan (2013-2014)Consulting regarding novel treatments for schizophrenia and ketamine-related psychosis.
- Neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia and related disordersChengdu, Sichuan, China (2012-2014)Neuroimaging studies of brain structure and function associated with psychosis
- Rapid Acting Antidepressant TreatmentTaipei, Taipei, Taiwan (2012-2014)Consulting to a study conducted evaluating the antidepressant effects of ketamine, led by Dr. Tung-Ping (Tom) Su.
- Studies of the impact of sexual traumaBergen, Hordaland, Norway (2011-2016)I am collaborating with Iris Steine, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Bergen, as well has her mentors and colleagues, on studies on the clinical features and neurobiology of sexual trauma and its complications, including PTSD
- Ketamine PsychosisGuangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (2010-2014)Studying the phenomenology and genetics of ketamine psychosis in relation to schizophrenia
- Clinical Archives Project Cherite HospitalBerlin, Berlin, Germany (2006-2014)The Department of Psychiatry at Cherite Hospital in Berlin has long been a home to ethical and compassionate treatment of patients. However, in the period leading up to World War II, its psychiatry leadership involved the hospital in the emerging eugenics movement. This work, contributed to the emergence of the Nazi T4 Program, which introduced forced sterilization and then "euthanasia" for individuals with chronic mental illness. I serve on the External Advisory Board to a historical
Honors & Recognition
| Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders Research | Brain and Behavior Research Foundation | 2019 |
| Ulf van Euler Memorial Lecturer | Karolinska Institute | 2019 |
| Edward H. Ahrens, Jr., Distinguished Investigator Award | Association for Clinical and Translational Science | 2019 |
| E.M. Jellinek Award for Alcohol Research | E.M. Jellinek Foundation | 2016 |
| Henri Begleiter Award for Research Excellence | Research Society on Alcoholism | 2015 |
| Paul Hoch Research Award | American Psychopathological Association | 2014 |
| Exemplary Psychiatrist Award | National Alliance on Mental Illness | 2011 |
| Member | U.S. National Academy of Medicine | 2010 |
| Jack Mendelson Award for Clinical Research | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | 2010 |
| Stanley Dean Award for Schizophrenia Research | American College of Psychiatry | 2010 |
| Anna-Monika Prize in Depression Research | Anna-Monika Foundation, Munich, Germany | 2009 |
| Kempf Award for Contributions to Schizophrenia Research through Research and Mentorship | American Psychiatric Association | 2005 |
| Joel Elkes Award | American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | 2001 |
Professional Service
| Organization | Role | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Neuroscience Forum, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | Co-Director | 2018 - Present |
| International College of Neuropsychopharmacology | President | 2016 - 2018 |
| NIMH | NIMH National Mental Health Advisory Council | 2016 - Present |
| American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | President | 2011 - 2012 |
Departments & Organizations
- Adult Psychiatry
- Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcohol
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit
- Dean's Workshops
- Department of Psychology
- Diabetes Research Center
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, and Neurogenetics, Division of
- Neuroscience Research Training Program (NRTP)
- Neuroscience Track
- Psychiatry
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Medicine
- Yale Ventures
- Yale-Drug use, Addiction, and HIV prevention Research Scholars (DAHRS)