David A. Lewis, MD

• ​UPMC Endowed Professor in Translational Neuroscience and Chair, Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

​David A. Lewis, MD was named chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC in September 2009.  A national expert in schizophrenia, Dr. Lewis’ research focuses on the neural circuitry of the prefrontal cortex and related brain regions and the alterations of this circuitry in schizophrenia. Dr. Lewis is the UPMC Professor of Translational Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine; professor of neuroscience in the School of Arts and Sciences; and director of the Translational Neuroscience Program at the University of Pittsburgh.  In addition to his academic responsibilities, Dr. Lewis serves as director of a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, which is focused on understanding the role of prefrontal cortical dysfunction in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Dr. Lewis received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology and his medical degree from The Ohio State University. After completing residencies in internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Iowa, Dr. Lewis received his research training at the Research Institute of the Scripps Clinic in California. He arrived in Pittsburgh in 1987 as associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience. He has been the UPMC  professor of translational neuroscience since 2006.

An author of more than 300 scientific articles, Dr. Lewis serves as deputy editor of The American Journal of Psychiatry and a section editor of Neurobiology of Disease. In 2007, he was appointed to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to the advancement of schizophrenia treatments and his efforts to bring the importance of this major public health issue to the forefront. He also has received the Leiber Prize from NARSAD, the Dean Award from the American College of Psychiatry and the Warren Award from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, each of which recognizes major contributions to advancing the understanding of schizophrenia. Dr. Lewis is the only investigator in the nation to have simultaneously held an NIMH Conte Center directorship, NIMH Senior Scientist and Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Awards, which provide long-term financial stability to researchers. In addition, he has twice received the American Psychiatric Association Kempf Award in recognition of his mentoring activities with young physician-scientists. He serves on the Scientific Council for NARSAD and is a member of both the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Council and the National Advisory Mental Health Council