Christopher Pittenger
Biography
Research & Publications
Patient Care
News
Locations
Appointments
Biography
Chris Pittenger earned his MD and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, where his graduate work was done with Nobel Prize recipient Eric Kandel. He returned to Yale University, his undergraduate alma mater, for residency and research training in psychiatry in 2003. He joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2007 and is now a tenured Associate Professor and Assistant Chair for Translational Research in the Department of Psychiatry .
During his Ph.D. studies in basic neurobiology, he became fascinated by the brain's ability to go on autopilot -- to perform complex series of actions or thoughts, after sufficient rehearsal, with almost no conscious effort. Then, during his clinical training, he recognized how this process, when disrupted by disease, can lead to the maladaptive and disruptive automaticity seen in many neuropsychiatric disorders. His research, both with patients and in animal models, aims to elucidate the mechanisms of learned automatic behaviors and to better understand the consequences when they go awry, with the ultimate goal of developing new understandings and better treatments for a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions.
Dr. Pittenger's research and clinical work have been acknowledged by a number of prestigious awards, including grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, NARSAD, the Tourette Syndrome of America, the Doris Duke Charitable Trust, and other organizations. He has won a number of honorific awards, including from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Society for Neuroscience, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American College of Psychiatrists. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and Chair of both their Grant Review Committee and their Annual Research Symposium Planning Committee. He is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Neurological Association.
Education & Training
- McNeil Research FellowYale University (2007)
- Resident in Adult PsychiatryYale University (2007)
- MDColumbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (2003)
- PhDColumbia University (2002)
- MPhilColumbia University (1998)
- BSYale University (1994)
- MSYale University (1994)
- DiplomateAmerican Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Honors & Recognition
Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
---|---|---|
Senior Researcher Award | American Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | 2016 |
Lead, Committee on Adult Psychopharmacology | International OCD Accreditation Task Force | 2016 |
Eva King Killam Award for Outstanding Translational Research Contributions to Neuropsychopharmacology | American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | 2015 |
NARSAD Independent Investigator Award | The Brain and Behavior Research Fund | 2015 |
Fellow | American Psychiatric Association | 2015 |
Fellow | American Neurological Association | 2015 |
Allison Fellowship | Department of Psychiatry, Yale Unversity | 2012 |
YCCI Pilot Award in Translational and Interdisciplinary Research | Yale Center for Clinical Investigation | 2011 |
Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists | National Institute of Mental Health | 2010 |
NARSAD Young Investigator Award | NARSAD | 2010 |
Tourette Syndrome Association Young Investigator | Tourette Syndrome Association of the USA | 2009 |
SfN Career Development Award | Society for Neuroscience | 2009 |
YCCI Scholar | Yale Center for Clinical Investigation | 2009 |
Chairman's Award for Outstanding Clinical, Teaching, and Administrative Contributions | Department of Psychiatry, Yale University | 2009 |
Travel Award for the ASCP Workshop on Clinical Trials | American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology | 2008 |
DDCF Clinical Scientist Development Award | Doris Duke Charitable Foundation | 2008 |
Presenter at the NARSAD New York Gala | NARSAD | 2008 |
The Laughlin Fellowship | American College of Psychiatrists | 2007 |
APA/Wyeth MD/Ph.D. Research Fellowship | American Psychiatric Association | 2007 |
NARSAD Young Investigator Award | NARSAD | 2007 |
The Seymour L. Lustman Award for Psychiatric Research | Yale Univeristy | 2007 |
Laughlin Foundation Merit Award | Yale University | 2007 |
Memorial Travel Fellowship, ACNP | American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | 2006 |
The Seymour L. Lustman Award for Psychiatric Research | Yale University | 2006 |
NIMH Outstanding Resident Award | National Institute of Mental Health | 2005 |
Dean's Day Award for Medical Student Research | Columbia University | 2002 |
Ph.D. awarded with distinction | Columbia University | 2002 |
William H. Bean Award for Medical History or Humanities | American Osler Society | 2001 |
Dean's Day Award for Medical Student Research | Columbia Univeristy | 2000 |
Graduated cum laude with distinction, with simultaneous awarding of BS and MS degrees | Yale University | 1994 |
Poole Prize for Medical Writing | Columbia University | 1994 |
Professional Service
Organization | Role | Date |
---|---|---|
International OCD Foundation | Chair | 2020 - Present |
Yale University School of Medicine Faculty Advisory Council | Chair | 2019 - 2020 |
Yale University Scholar Awards Committee | Member | 2018 - Present |
Yale University School of Medicine Faculty Advisory Council | Vice Chair | 2018 - 2019 |
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | Fellow | 2018 - Present |
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | Member, Ethics Committee | 2018 - Present |
Bethany CT Board of Education | Chair | 2017 - Present |
International OCD Foundation Research Symposium Planning Committee | Founder and chair | 2016 - Present |
Yale University School of Medicine Faculty Advisory Council | Member | 2015 - Present |
Medical Staff Executive Committee, Connecticut Mental Health Center | Committee Member | 2014 - Present |
American Neurological Association | Fellow | 2014 - Present |
Anxiety and Depression Association of America | 2014 - Present | |
Amity Middle School - Bethany | Presenter/Speaker | 2013 - Present |
Czech Science Foundation | Reviewer | 2013 |
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation | Reviewer | 2013 - Present |
Association Francaise Contre les Myopathies | Reviewer | 2013 - 2014 |
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | Member | 2013 - 2017 |
Medical School Curriculum Revision Task Force, Yale University School of Medicine | Member | 2013 |
Yale Center for Clinical Investigation | Moderator | 2012 |
Israel Science Foundation | Reviewer | 2012 |
Southern Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair | Public Official | 2012 - 2014 |
American College of Neuropscyhopharmacology | Member, Education and Training Committee | 2012 - 2015 |
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | Reviewer | 2012 - 2014 |
Amity High School | Advisor | 2012 - 2014 |
North Carolina Biotechnology Center | Reviewer | 2011 |
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology | Associate Member | 2011 - 2012 |
Neuroscience Research Training Program, Department of Psychiatry, Yale Univeristy | Director | 2010 - 2014 |
Yale Center for Clinical Investigation | Coordinator | 2010 - 2011 |
International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation | Committee Member | 2010 - Present |
International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation | Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board | 2010 - Present |
Bethany CT Board of Education | Member | 2009 - Present |
National Institutes of Health | ad hoc reviewer - NIH Study Section ZMH1 ERB-S | 2009 |
Society of Biological Psychiatry | Member, Education and Training Committee, 2012-2016; Chair, Program Director Task Force, 2014-2016 | 2009 - Present |
Peer Review and Privileging Committee, Connecticut Mental Health Center | Member of Peer Review & Privileging Committee; Chair since 2014 | 2008 - Present |
Neuroscience Letters | Associate Editor | 2007 - Present |
International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation | Member | 2007 - Present |
Neuroscience Research Training Program, Yale University | Physician | 2006 - 2007 |
Society for Neuroscience | Honorific Awards Committee, 2012-2014 | 2006 - Present |
American Psychiatric Association | Member | 2006 - Present |
Connecticut Psychiatric Association | Member | 2006 - Present |
Neuroscience Research Training Program, Dept. of Psychiatry, Yale University | Director | 2000 - 2010 |
Departments & Organizations
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit
- Connecticut Mental Health Center
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, and Neurogenetics, Division of
- Neuroscience
- Neuroscience Research Training Program (NRTP)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Research Clinic
- Office of Cooperative Research
- Pittenger Lab
- Psychiatry
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Medicine
- Yale University