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Ronald Duman
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Ronald Duman, PhD

Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Neuroscience; Director, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities

Contact Information

Ronald Duman, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Psychiatry

    34 Park Street

    New Haven, CT, 06508

    United States

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Ronald Duman
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Appointments

Biography

Dr. Duman’s obituary can be found at this link.

Dr. Duman received his doctorate degree from the University of Texas in Houston and conducted postgraduate work at Yale University before joining the faculty there. He has written and/or co-authored over 300 original papers, reviews and book chapters, and has presented over 250 invited lectures.

Dr. Duman was also on the editorial board of several prestigious journals and served as a consultant for a number of biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Duman received several awards for his work, including the Anna-Monika Prize, Nola Maddox Falcone Prize, Janssen Prize, NIMH MERIT Award, and a NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award.

Studies from Dr. Duman’s laboratory have contributed to characterization of the molecular and cellular actions of stress, depression, and antidepressant treatments, providing the basis for a neurotrophic and synaptic hypothesis of depression. He also studied the role of the innate immune system in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. These findings represent major advances in our understanding of the effects of antidepressants and provide a framework for the development of novel therapeutic agents.

Education & Training

  • PhD
    University of Texas (1984)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow
    Yale University School of Medicine
  • Postdoctoral Fellow
    University of Texas, Houston

Activities

  • Molecular Mechanisms of Stress & Antidepressants
    Japan 2008
    Ronald Duman is collaborating with a number of Japanese researchers to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the actions of stress and antidepressants.
  • Neurotrophic Factors and Antidepressants
    India 2008
    Professor Duman collaborates with a former student on the emphasis on the influence of early postnatal stress and the long-term effects of such stress on the adult animal. This focuses on interests in antidepressants and identifying mechanisms for developing better therapeutic agents. One of the actions that Dr. Duman has found is that antidepressants increase neurotrophic factors in the brain. Neurotrophic, as the name implies, means that these factors provide support for the survival as well as function of neurons. There is growing evidence, from their work, as well as others, that decreases in the survival and function of neurons contributes to depression and that antidepressants work in part by blocking or reversing these effects.

Honors & Recognition

AwardAwarding OrganizationDate
Elected to the National Academy of MedicineNational Academy of Medicine2016
Congress of International Neuropsychopharmacology Research AwardCINP2006
Dr. Paul Janssen Prize for PsychopharmacologyJanssen Pharmaceutical Company2003
NARSAD-Nola Maddox Falcone PrizeNARSAD2002
Anna-Monika Award for outstanding research in depressionAnna-Monika Foundation2001

Departments & Organizations

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