A University of Iowa professor of psychiatry has received the University of California-San Francisco’s highest academic award at an April 29 Founders Day ceremony.

Nancy Andreasen, MD, PhD, is the Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry and director of the Neuroimaging Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.

She is among five recipients of the 2010 UCSF awards and is cited for her significant impact on improving both scientific and public understanding of mental illnesses and as a pioneer in the use of neuroimaging technology for the study of brain structure and function.

Andreasen received a doctorate in English literature from the University of Nebraska and became a professor at the University of Iowa. A severe illness following the birth of her first child spurred her interest in a medical career with a commitment to achieve something as important as the discovery of penicillin, the antibiotic that had saved her life.

Drawn to research and patient care, Andreasen received her medical degree from the University of Iowa and pursued a specialty in psychiatry. Today, Andreasen leads a team working on three-dimensional image analysis techniques to integrate multi-modality images and to develop innovative methods for conducting automated quantitative measurements.

She is past president of both the American Psychopathological Association and the Psychiatric Research Society and is the founding chair of the Neuroscience Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a fellow of the Society for Neuroscience and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

In 2000, Andreasen received the National Medal of Science from then President Bill Clinton. She served for 13 years as editor in chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry, and has authored, co-authored and edited more than 500 articles and 12 scholarly books.

The other recipients of the 2010 UCSF Medal are:

• Nancy Aossey, MBA, president and chief executive officer of International Medical Corps, a humanitarian organization that delivers lifesaving assistance to tens of millions of vulnerable people
• Melvin Grumbach, MD, a pioneering pediatric endocrinologist, national leader and member of the UCSF faculty for more than 40 years
• Herbert “Herb” Sandler, JD, and Marion Sandler, MBA, successful entrepreneurs and founders of Golden West Financial Corporation and the Sandler Foundation, which advances scientific research and human rights

Nancy Andreasen, MD, PhD

View Video Profile of Dr. Nancy Andreasen

UI Neurosciences