Dr. Dost Öngür, chief of the Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital, was the 2016 Science Assembly Speaker. Noting the stigmas associated with mental illness, Dr. Öngür described mental illness as a public health issue affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Dr. Öngür is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of more than 80 articles on the neurobiology of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Dr. Öngür’s research, using brain-imaging techniques to study chemical abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and other institutions. Dr. Öngür has won awards from Harvard Medical School for his teaching and mentoring of medical students and residents. He also serves as the associate editor of JAMA Psychiatry.
“Mental illnesses are common. They are not a small thing we can ignore, but rather a significant public health issue, and people need help. The best way to deal with mental illness is head-on—the way we approach any other medical condition.”