Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

From the Chair

Jonathan E. Alpert M.D., Ph.D.Welcome to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System!

Drawing upon the historic leadership of Einstein-Montefiore in neuroscience, population health and social justice, the department’s mission is:

  • To deliver culturally attuned, scientifically informed patient care for the Bronx and nearby communities as well as for individuals and families regionally, nationally and internationally who require expert psychiatric and psychological consultation and treatment
  • To provide exceptional undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate medical education in psychiatry and psychology for future academic clinicians, researchers, and leaders in healthcare
  • To advance understanding of the complex neurobiological, genetic, psychological, social and cultural contributions to mental illness and addiction and the pervasive impact of psychiatric disorders on individuals and communities
  • To improve the lives of those who suffer from mental illness and addiction through the development, evaluation and dissemination of novel treatments and therapeutic programs

Montefiore is the largest employer and healthcare provider in the Bronx, one of the most diverse counties in the United States. With 11 hospitals, an ambulatory network with nearly 200 locations, two home health agencies, a school of nursing, affiliate locations in Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counties, the nation’s first and leading academically-affiliated behavioral management service organization, and the country’s largest and most comprehensive school-based health program, Montefiore is truly a beacon for innovative healthcare and community engagement. And the recent integration of the College of Medicine with Montefiore further reinforces and harmonizes our robust educational, research, clinical and community missions across campuses as we anticipate the future of science and healthcare.

Within a short commute of Manhattan and the outstanding school systems of the Westchester suburbs, the notably collaborative and vibrant Einstein-Montefiore community invites creative partnerships among its clinical and basic science departments. Joining with our colleagues across fields, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences enthusiastically supports integrated behavioral healthcare, interdisciplinary medical education, and collaborative research that improves the health and well-being of individuals and families whose life challenges include a psychiatric condition.

Our department is fortunate to count among our academic faculty distinguished clinician teachers, clinician administrators and scientists who advance care and knowledge in the labs and classrooms of the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus of the medical school, at Montefiore’s Moses, Wakefield and Einstein campuses, in the adult and pediatric primary care practices of the Montefiore Medical Group located throughout the Bronx and nearby communities, in the addiction programs of the Division of Substance Abuse and the Substance Abuse Treatment Program, at the Montefiore Behavioral Health Center at Westchester Square, at Montefiore Mount Vernon, Jacobi Hospital, North Central Bronx Hospital, Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Bronx Psychiatric Center, and the New York City Children’s Center, and within the Montefiore Care Management Organization and University Behavioral Associates.

We are particularly inspired by and devoted to our more than 70 impressive psychiatry residents, psychology externs and interns, and clinical and research fellows who join us from leading medical schools and graduate programs in our collective mission.

Our new Psychiatry Research Institute of Montefiore Einstein (PRIME) will provide an organized infrastructure and mentorship for a steadily growing research enterprise spanning work that harnesses a variety of approaches including optogenetics, induced pluripotent stem cells, behavioral models and neuroimaging; clinical trials aimed at developing and evaluating promising new pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and neurostimulation-based treatments; and studies that focus on health disparities and multicultural mental health.

Psychiatric disorders are a highly prevalent form of human suffering, disability, and premature death in our local communities and globally. They are increasingly treatable but all too often inadequately treated. The faculty, staff and trainees of Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences are grateful to work within this unique community of clinicians, educators, researchers and medical center leaders who have long recognized the central importance of what we do. We are proud to build on the sacred legacy of science, humanism, social responsibility and excellence at Einstein-Montefiore as we carry out our vital mission.

Whatever your reason for browsing our website, we sincerely appreciate your interest in our department and we look forward to hearing from you if you would like to learn more.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan E. Alpert M.D., Ph.D.

Jonathan E. Alpert M.D., Ph.D.
Dorothy and Marty Silverman University Chair
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Professor of Psychiatry, of Neuroscience and of Pediatrics

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