Psychosis is a dimension of illness like schizophrenia which is thought to have its own pathophysiology. In psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, the part of the brain which processes memory (the hippocampus) is hyperactive, one of the only regions of brain which is hyperactive in schizophrenia. We have studied human hippocampal tissue by subfield comparing schizophrenia and healthy tissue, and find very clear pathology in hippocampus which could underlie this hyperactivity and plausibly mediate psychotic manifestations in the illness itself.
Lou and Ellen McGinley Distinguished Chair in Psychiatric Research
McKenzie Chair in Psychiatry
Chief of Translational Neuroscience Research in SchizophreniaScientific Council Member (Joined 1994)
University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical School
Scientific Council Member (Joined 1994)
2011 Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research
2010, 1988 Distinguished Investigator Grant
In broad terms, the work of Dr. Tamminga and her colleagues seeks to define predictors and understand the mechanism of treatment response; to crease and refine biomarkers, behavioral assessment and genetic variants that characterize psychotic disorders; to evaluate existing therapies for new indications; and, in collaboration with academic, industry and regulatory agencies, to hasten the development of more effective new treatments for psychotic disorders.
Prior to joining the faculty at UT Southwestern, Dr. Tamminga worked at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke (NINCDS) and the University of Maryland, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. She co-founded the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research and continues to direct its activities.
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
