Translational Research on Affective Disorders and Suicide Laboratory

Presently, Randy P. Auerbach, PhD, ABPP is a tenured Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. Additionally, he serves as Co-Director of the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression at Columbia University and the Co-Director of the WHO, World Mental Health International College Student Initiative. Dr. Auerbach received his BA from Cornell University (2000) and PhD in Clinical Psychology from McGill University (2010). Dr. Auerbach’s research is committed to improving our understanding of depression and suicide in adolescents. His research is multidisciplinary and utilizes a multimodal approach for assessment (e.g., laboratory-based experiments, passive sensor monitoring, electrophysiology, neuroimaging) to determine why depressive symptoms unfold, how self-injurious and suicidal behaviors develop, and what changes in the brain during treatment. As a whole, the research aims to better understand the putative mechanisms that may improve early identification of and treatment for adolescent depression and suicidal behaviors. This work is funded by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation, Dana Foundation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Grant, and several private foundations, and to date, it has resulted in over 200 published scientific papers and book chapters. Dr. Auerbach is the recipient of a number of awards including the Joel Elkes Research Award, David Shakow Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in Clinical Psychology, the Richard Abidin Early Career Award, the Theodore Blau Early Career Award, and the Career Development Leadership Award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.