Talk

SNF Center for Precision Psychiatry & Mental Health at Columbia University: Transforming the landscape of therapeutic development for mental health

Friday June 23, 09:10, Stavros Niarchos Hall GNO

Dr. Markx presented two precision-based approaches to psychiatry. The first case addressed genetically caused schizophrenia in a projected clinical trial in 2024. The second case regarded patient Devine Cruz, a 21-year-old from Washington Heights in New York City who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. By June 2022, Cruz had taken seven psychotropic medications with 12 hospitalizations to no avail. With help from Dr. Anca Askanase at Columbia University, the cause of Cruz’s disorder was found to be (neuro)lupus. Since their discovery, Cruz has been treated specifically for the autoimmune disorder neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus. With precision medication and art therapy, Cruz tells her story of recovering with each treatment cycle and has been making her mark as a poet who is intending to pursue a degree in creative writing. Cruz’s case with precision medicine redefines what our standard is for psychiatry and mental wellness. Stay tuned until the end of the talk where Cruz performs her poem Shatter the Wall (more of her works can be found on Cruz’s poetry Instagram page @majesticpoetryy).