Dr. Nancy Andreasen is a world-renowned neuroscientist and psychiatrist whose transformative work has reshaped our understanding of mental illness and brain function. She currently holds the prestigious Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry at the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, where she also directs the Mental Health Clinical Research Center. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dr. Andreasen initially pursued a distinguished career in literature, earning a PhD in English literature and serving as a Professor of Renaissance Literature at the University of Iowa for five years before making a remarkable transition to medicine and psychiatry. Her unique interdisciplinary background has profoundly influenced her approach to studying the brain and mental health, bridging the humanities and neuroscience in innovative ways that have defined her exceptional career.
Dr. Andreasen pioneered the application of neuroimaging techniques to study schizophrenia, becoming one of the first researchers to utilize MRI technology in the mid-1980s to document brain changes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Her groundbreaking work established the foundation for modern understanding of the neurobiological basis of mental illness, transforming schizophrenia from a purely psychological construct to a recognized brain disorder with measurable structural and functional abnormalities. She has authored over 500 scientific articles and numerous influential books including The Creating Brain and Brave New Brain, which have shaped both academic discourse and public understanding of mental health. Her innovative three-dimensional image analysis techniques for integrating multi-modality neuroimaging have become standard methodologies in psychiatric research worldwide, enabling more precise mapping of brain structure and function in both health and disease.
As the former editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Psychiatry for twelve years, Dr. Andreasen has profoundly influenced the direction of psychiatric research and scholarship globally. Her leadership extends to numerous prestigious appointments including membership in the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, recognizing her exceptional contributions to science and society. In 2018, the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry established the annual Andreasen lecture series in her honor, celebrating her enduring legacy and continued impact on the field. Dr. Andreasen's ongoing research continues to explore the relationship between brain function and creativity while advancing neuroimaging methodologies, ensuring her influence will shape psychiatric neuroscience for generations to come.
