Dr. David Lewis is a distinguished leader in translational neuroscience and psychiatric research who has established himself as a preeminent authority on the neural basis of mental disorders. He currently serves as the UPMC Endowed Professor in Translational Neuroscience and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also directs the Translational Neuroscience Program and serves as Medical Director and Director of Research at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Lewis received his medical degree from the Ohio State University and completed dual residencies in internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Iowa, followed by research training at the Research Institute of the Scripps Clinic. His career has been defined by a strategic integration of clinical psychiatry and basic neuroscience that has positioned him at the forefront of mental health research for several decades.
Dr. Lewis's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia, with his systematic investigations into cortical circuitry representing some of the most influential contributions in the field. As Director of an NIMH Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders, he has elucidated critical mechanisms underlying cognitive impairments in schizophrenia through groundbreaking work on pyramidal neuron alterations, synaptic deficits, and transcriptomic profiles in primate prefrontal cortex. His laboratory's extensive publication record, comprising over 340 scientific articles, has established new frameworks for understanding how cellular and molecular abnormalities contribute to the pathophysiology of severe mental illness. These discoveries have provided essential insights for developing novel therapeutic approaches targeting the core cognitive deficits of schizophrenia rather than merely addressing psychotic symptoms.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Lewis has profoundly shaped the direction of psychiatric neuroscience through his leadership roles as a Deputy Editor of The American Journal of Psychiatry and Neurobiology of Disease, where he influences the standards for scientific excellence in the field. His membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and service on the National Advisory Mental Health Council demonstrate his impact on national research priorities and policy. Honored with prestigious awards including the Lieber Prize for Schizophrenia Research, the William K. Warren Award, and the Stanley Dean Research Award, Dr. Lewis has also been recognized for his exceptional mentorship through the APIRE/Kempf award from the American Psychiatric Association. Currently directing multiple innovative research initiatives, his laboratory continues to investigate the intricate relationship between cortical circuitry and cognitive function in mental disorders, maintaining his position at the vanguard of translational neuroscience research with significant implications for future treatment development.
