Leaders with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced Dr. Joshua Gordon as the new director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), beginning this September.
In his new position, Gordon will be responsible for overseeing the federal agency as it researches options for mental illness patients. He will be in charge of a yearly budget that amounts to an estimated $1.5 billion, supporting over 2,000 research contracts and grants at various institutions and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Additionally, the intramural research program at NIMH supports an estimated 300 scientists who are collaborating on NIH campuses.
NIMH’s purpose is to change how people treat and understand mental illnesses. The scientists use clinical and basic research to make new discoveries for preventions, recovery programs and cure regimens for mental illnesses.
Gordon will be located in New York City. He is currently an associate professor of psychiatry teaching at Columbia University Medical Center. He is also a research psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
“Josh is a visionary psychiatrist and neuroscientist with deep experience in mental health research and practice,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the NIH, said. “He is exceptionally well qualified to lead the NIMH research agenda to improve mental health and treatments for mental illnesses. We’re thrilled to have him join the NIH leadership team.”
