Dr. Deanna Barch is a preeminent neuroscientist and leader in psychiatric research, currently serving as the Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry and Chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. She also holds professorial appointments in Radiology and serves as Vice Dean of Research at the institution, demonstrating exceptional leadership across multiple academic domains. Dr. Barch earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Northwestern University in 1987 and completed her Master's degree and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. Following a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine under Jonathan D. Cohen, she joined Washington University in St. Louis in 1998 where she has since built a distinguished career marked by significant academic advancement and leadership roles.
Dr. Barch's groundbreaking research focuses on understanding the interplay among cognition, emotion, and brain function to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. She employs functional MRI, structural MRI, and cognitive neuroscience methodologies to investigate disturbances in cognitive control and emotional processing in both clinical populations and those at risk for mental illness. Her work has significantly advanced the understanding of how early adversity, including poverty, stress, and healthcare disparities, shapes brain development and contributes to mental health challenges later in life. With over 117,000 citations according to Google Scholar, her research has been consistently supported by prestigious funding agencies including the National Institute of Mental Health, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, and National Science Foundation.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Barch has profoundly influenced her field through numerous leadership positions and professional service activities. She previously served as Editor of Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience and currently holds the position of Deputy Editor at Biological Psychiatry while serving on the editorial boards of multiple leading journals. Dr. Barch is immediate past President of the Society for Research in Psychopathology, serves on the DSM-V Revision Committee, and participates in the NIMH Research Domain Criteria initiative steering committee. Her exceptional contributions have been recognized with the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology, the Joseph Zubin Memorial Fund Award, and the 2024 Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Barch continues to guide the future direction of mental health research through her leadership in major initiatives and mentorship of the next generation of scientists.
