Our History
The Nash Family Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai evolved directly from the oldest Department of Neurology in New York City. Since 1900, the year our inpatient neurology service opened, Mount Sinai has contributed to basic and clinical research across neurology, psychiatry, and neurosurgery, trained generations of scientists and physicians, and held a reputation for innovation on the national and international stage.
In 1986, the Arthur M. Fishberg Research Center for Neurobiology of Aging was established as a basic science division to investigate the molecular underpinnings of aging related diseases.
In 2004, the basic neuroscience community at Mount Sinai was organized into an independent Department of Neuroscience, with John H. Morrison, PhD, as its founding chair. Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, was named chair in 2008, followed by Paul J. Kenny, PhD, who was appointed chair in 2016.
In 2019, the department was renamed The Nash Family Department of Neuroscience in recognition of several decades of transformative support from the Nash Family of neuroscience-focused research at Mount Sinai.
1887
Mount Sinai Hospital physician Bernard Sachs, MD, publishes first description in U.S. of ‘Familial Amaurotic Idiocy,’ later known as Tay-Sachs Disease.
1900
In-patient Neurological Service established; first in a New York hospital; 12 beds; Dr. Sachs made Attending.
1913
Mental Health Clinic formed, perhaps the first psychiatry clinic in a private general hospital; established at MSH by Clarence Oberndorf, MD.
1919
Leo Loewe, MD, and Israel Strauss, MD, describe the first experimental transmission of encephalitis lethargica.
1940
Sidney W. Gross, MD, is the first to use water-soluble contrast media in myelography.
1977
Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, a professor of medicine at Mount Sinai, receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the invention of the radioimmunoassay.
1980
Marion Orlowski and Sherman Wilk discover the proteasome (multicatalytic protease), the major regulated mechanism for protein degradation in the cell.
1986
James L. Roberts, PhD, recruited to Mount Sinai.
1986
Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Center for Neurobiology of Aging established as a basic science division to investigate the molecular mechanisms for various neurobiological phenomena particularly as they relate to aging.
1989
John H. Morrison, PhD, is recruited to Mount Sinai to serve as co-director of the Fishberg Center alongside James L. Roberts, PhD.
1998
Eric J Nestler, MD, PhD, is elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
2000
Dennis S Charney, MD, is elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
2001
Kenneth L Davis, MD, is elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
2004
The Fishberg Center and other neuroscience laboratories on campus joined to form the Department of Neuroscience, with Dr. Morrison serving as founding Chair.
2006
Patrick Hof, MD, named Vice-chair of the Department of Neuroscience.
2007
The Graduate School begins offering a new PhD program in Neuroscience.
2008
Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, named Chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Director of the newly formed Mount Sinai Brain Institute.
2008
Helen S Mayberg, MD, is elected to National Academy of Medicine.
2010
The naming of The Friedman Brain Institute is celebrated on May 4th; named for a founding gift by Susan and Richard A. Friedman.
2011
Lauren Friedman and fellow graduate students launch the Sinai Neuroscience Outreach Program (SNOP). In 2015, SNOP re-branded itself as MiNDS (Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery). The program hosts a series of public lectures, sheep brain dissections, laboratory tours, brain fairs, and classroom courses with the mission of reducing the barrier of entry into the sciences.
2011
Pamela Sklar, MD, PhD, creates the Division of Psychiatric Genomics within the Departments Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Genetics and Genomic Sciences.
2013
The Brain Imaging Center is created to serve as a bridge between The Friedman Brain Institute and the Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute.
2013
The Glickenhaus Center for Successful Aging established by Sarah and Seth Glickenhaus to understanding how the brain ages, why some people remain cognitively intact despite very advanced age.
2014
A new technique for administering ketamine, a drug that can effectively treat depression in a matter of hours, demonstrates that it can be rapidly effective in reversing suicidal thoughts, as founded by researchers led by Dennis Charney, MD.
2014
Art of the Brain - Founded and curated by Veronica Szarejko as part of Brain Awareness Week and Mount Sinai's Community Outreach Initiative, the "Art of the Brain" is an exhibition of photographs, sculptures and paintings that celebrates the depth and beauty of the brain as seen through the eyes of The Friedman Brain Institute’s leading researchers. This annual event increases public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research.
2015
Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease established in memory of Daniel S. Loeb’s father, Ronald M. Loeb. Alison Goate, PhD, was recruited to Mount Sinai as founding Director of the Center.
2015
Joseph D Buxbaum, PhD, is elected to National Academy of Medicine.
2015
Barbara Vickrey named Chair of Neurology
2016
Alison M Goate, DPhil, is elected to National Academy of Medicine.
2016
Paul J. Kenny, PhD, is appointed Chair of the Department of Neuroscience.
2016
Rene Kahn named Chair of Psychiatry
2017
Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai (AIMS) established with Yasmin Hurd, PhD, named as its founding Director.
2017
Yasmin Hurd, PhD, elected to National Academy of Medicine.
2017
Several new Centers created by the Department of Neuroscience and The Friedman Brain Institute: Scott Russo, PhD, establishes and leads a new Center for Affective Neuroscience; Paul Slesinger, PhD, establishes and leads a new Center for Neurotechnology and Behavior; and; Anne Schaefer, MD, PhD, and Patrizia Casaccia, MD, PhD, establishes and leads a new Center for Glial Biology of Mount Sinai and CUNY.
2018
Helen S. Mayberg, MD, appointed Director of the newly established Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics as a novel joint effort by the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience and The Friedman Brain Institute.
2018
The Department of Neuroscience is renamed the Nash Family Department of Neuroscience in recognition of decades of transformational philanthropic support by the Nash Family.
2018
The Lipschultz Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
This Center will focus on understanding the neural mechanisms of higher cognitive function, and applying this knowledge to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of cognitive function in humans.
Director: Mark Baxter, PhD
2018
Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics
Advancing precision surgical treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders through the rapid translation of neuroscience and neuroengineering innovations that correct brain circuit abnormalities and restore mood, motor, and cognitive functioning.
Director: Helen S. Mayberg, MD
2019
The Nash Family Department of Neuroscience is ranked #1 in NIH funding.
2019
Anne Schaefer, MD, PhD, named Vice-Chair of the Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.
2019
Two new Centers are created by the Department of Neuroscience and The Friedman Brain Institute: Mark G. Baxter, PhD, establishes and leads the Lipschultz Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Kristen Brennand, PhD, establishes and leads the Alper Center for Neural Stem Cell Research.
2019
Center for Computational Psychiatry
Dedicated to deepening our understanding of how both algorithms and the brain’s biology can contribute to what we know about mental health issues such as addiction, eating disorders, autism, and personality disorders.
Director: Xiaosi Gu, PhD
2019
Bonnie and Tom Strauss Movement Disorders Center
This new Center (founded in late 2019), which is directed by Susan Bressman and Brian Koppell, will coordinate and integrate all research, education, and patient care around movement disorders within the Mount Sinai Health System.
Directors: Susan Bressman, MD Brian Kopell, MD
2019
Alper Center for Neural Development and Regeneration
The first human embryonic stem cell lines were grown by Dr. James Thomson in Wisconsin in 1998. These cells had the ability to make every cell type in the body, an unlimited source of material, but scientists couldn’t yet use them to study genetic disease.
Director: Nan Yang, PhD
2020
Kirstie Cummings, PhD awarded the 2020 Robin Chemers Neustein Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
2021
Center for Neural Epigenome Engineering
2021
Ian S Maze, PhD selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator
2021
Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation
This Center will advance multidisciplinary research, bringing together skin biology, immunology, and neuroscience.
Director: Brian S. Kim, MD
2021
Jeff and Lisa Blau Adolescent Consultation Center for Resilience and Treatment
The focus of the Blau Center will be on schizophrenia, one of the most debilitating conditions in the entire field of medicine. Over the past 15 years, a new understanding of its pathogenesis has emerged through genetics, epidemiology, and other disciplines.
Director: Alex Charney, MD, PhD
2021
Brain and Body Research Center
Our team of physicians and researchers will explore how the brain controls peripheral diseases and vice versa to better understand how the brain and body interact during multiples types of conditions.
Director: Scott J. Russo, PhD