About Daniel Z. Lieberman, M.D.
Photo by AlessandraNicole.com
Dan was born in Buffalo, NY and did his undergraduate work at St. John’s College, which is known for its Great Books Program. After graduation he spent the next two years in Tokyo, Japan, teaching English to Japanese businessmen and women who were involved in international trade.
While living in Japan he read a number of books by C. G. Jung, and decided to go to medical school to study the human mind.
Following medical school, Dan spent four years training to be a psychiatrist at New York City’s famous Bellevue Hospital, known as the “Noah’s Ark” of psychiatric illnesses. Many of his patients were living with schizophrenia, an illness associated with an imbalance in a brain chemical called dopamine, and characterized by hallucinations and delusions.
In 1996 he joined the faculty of George Washington University as part of a team treating patients addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Addiction is another dopamine-related condition, causing people to experience craving so intense that their free will is compromised. Later, Dan contributed to a textbook on bipolar disorder, a condition featuring dopamine over-activity that results in heightened states of energy, euphoria, enthusiasm, and creativity. He noted that relatives of people with bipolar disorder, who share some of the genes associated with the illness, are more likely than others to become artists, actors, and entrepreneurs.
This led to a question: How can dopamine be associated with such a broad range of characteristics, from mental illness to business acumen and imagination? His research uncovered a web of connections that included such far-flung topics as love, sex, genius, greed, and even the genetic roots of political ideology.
Currently, Dan divides his time among teaching, writing, and patient care. In addition to being a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University, he also serves as the Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs. He’s a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a recipient of the Caron Foundation Research Award and the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D. Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education. He has spoken on psychiatric topics to audiences around the world as well as at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy.
While living in Japan he read a number of books by C. G. Jung, and decided to go to medical school to study the human mind.
Following medical school, Dan spent four years training to be a psychiatrist at New York City’s famous Bellevue Hospital, known as the “Noah’s Ark” of psychiatric illnesses. Many of his patients were living with schizophrenia, an illness associated with an imbalance in a brain chemical called dopamine, and characterized by hallucinations and delusions.
In 1996 he joined the faculty of George Washington University as part of a team treating patients addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Addiction is another dopamine-related condition, causing people to experience craving so intense that their free will is compromised. Later, Dan contributed to a textbook on bipolar disorder, a condition featuring dopamine over-activity that results in heightened states of energy, euphoria, enthusiasm, and creativity. He noted that relatives of people with bipolar disorder, who share some of the genes associated with the illness, are more likely than others to become artists, actors, and entrepreneurs.
This led to a question: How can dopamine be associated with such a broad range of characteristics, from mental illness to business acumen and imagination? His research uncovered a web of connections that included such far-flung topics as love, sex, genius, greed, and even the genetic roots of political ideology.
Currently, Dan divides his time among teaching, writing, and patient care. In addition to being a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University, he also serves as the Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs. He’s a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a recipient of the Caron Foundation Research Award and the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D. Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education. He has spoken on psychiatric topics to audiences around the world as well as at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy.
