Buxbaum, Joseph D., MSc, PhD
Title: Professor
Department: Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Institution: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mailing Address: One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029-6574
Phone: (212) 241-0026
joseph.buxbaum@mssm.edu
Joseph D. Buxbaum, Ph.D., is a professor of psychiatry, neuroscience, and genetics and genomic sciences at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he is also director of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment. He is a world-renowned molecular geneticist and spearheads research into human psychiatric and neurological diseases. As Vice Chair for Research in Psychiatry, Dr. Buxbaum helps set the research direction for the Department, which is ranked among the top 20 psychiatry departments in the country in NIH funding.
In the area of autism, Dr. Buxbaum and his colleagues are employing techniques of molecular genetics to identify, and ultimately characterize, genes that contribute to autism susceptibility. He heads the Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, which has taken the findings of the causes of autism and translated them into animal models where therapeutic approaches can be evaluated. In this context, Dr. Buxbaum has established the Autism Model Systems Initiative, which makes use of multiple experimental systems to develop and evaluate novel therapeutics in autism spectrum conditions.
Dr. Buxbaum is also part of several large consortia that are focused on this area of research. As part of his role in the Seaver Autism Center, Dr. Buxbaum oversees clinical studies evaluating therapeutic options for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. He also serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Molecular Autism.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Dr. Buxbaum has received numerous awards, most recently the Joel Elkes International Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the Richard Todd Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. Dr. Buxbaum received his Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at The Rockefeller University.