The Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities
The Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities conduct scientific research into the causes of, and treatments for, major psychiatric disorders.
The program consists of two interconnected parts: the Division of Molecular Psychiatry for basic science research; and the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit specializing in clinical research with patients and healthy subjects.
A cooperative partnership between Yale University and the State of Connecticut, Ribicoff has been an integral part of Connecticut Mental Health Center since the Center’s founding in 1966.
Ribicoff’s mission is jointly supported by the State of Connecticut and through research grants obtained by Yale University faculty, making possible an innovative, cost-effective scientific program that has resulted in work of national and international scope and impact.
The program was named for Abraham A. Ribicoff, former Governor and U.S. Senator from Connecticut. Governor Ribicoff, along with other leaders of his time, notably Dr. Fritz Redlich, chairman of the Yale Psychiatry Department and future dean of the Yale School of Medicine, recognized the serious public and private burden of mental illness and envisioned an institution, Connecticut Mental Health Center, where clinical care would be combined with the rigorous pursuit of scientific knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
At Ribicoff, research activities are interwoven within a matrix of service and education. Ribicoff provides clinical care for patients through clinical trials and other investigations in which patients participate in the process of discovery and scientific advancement. Ribicoff researchers teach future leaders in the field including psychiatry residents, pre- and post-doctoral fellows, medical students, social work students, and nursing staff.
In an effort to inform the general public about the latest scientific advances in psychiatry, the program hosts an annual Neuroscience Symposium at the Yale School of Medicine.
Current Research
In the laboratories, numerous studies are underway:
- To understand the neurobiological basis of psychiatric conditions and symptoms;
- To identify genetic and biological markers of disease and treatment response;
- To understand the mechanism of current psychotropic drugs and study novel compounds as possible new treatments; and
- To collaborate with others to better understand the mechanisms of addiction.
Investigators
Throughout the Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, investigators with diverse perspectives conduct research with the shared goal of discovering the biologic processes that produce mental illness and addictions and of developing more effective methods for prevention and treatment of these conditions.
The Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities
Division of Molecular Psychiatry
Principal Investigators
Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD
Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit
Robert T. Malison, MD, Director
Principal Investigators
Gustavo Adolfo Angarita-Africano, MD
Deepak Cyril D'Souza, MBBS, MD