Robert Schloesser, M.D. selected as first Executive Director of newly formed psychiatric research organization
The first Executive Director of the new Sheppard Pratt-Lieber Research Institute (SPL), formed in January, has been hired to lead the game-changing joint venture focused on translating scientific advances in genetics and brain research into clinical practice, by uniting research efforts with clinical care. Robert Schloesser, M.D., will officially take the reins on July 1, 2015.
Chosen in part for his background in neuroscience, genetics and clinical psychiatry, including both patient-oriented and genetics/biomarker psychiatry research, Schloesser also trained with leaders at both the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Sheppard Pratt Health System, the entities making up SPL.
Schloesser, native to Hannover, Germany, attended Ludwig Maximilian University Medical School in Munich, Germany, and Medical School Hannover in Hannover, Germany, before coming to the United States for postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). He subsequently began his residency at University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Training Program, which he will complete in June of this year.
As a resident, Schloesser spent his training in clinical/translational “bench to bedside” settings, working to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of mental disorders and examining psychiatric disorders from a neuroscience perspective. This was in an effort to develop improved modalities for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness as part of the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Training Program.
His research experience includes work with the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at NIMH, Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, among others.
“My passion is to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of mental disorders and to examine psychiatric disorders from a neuroscience perspective in order to develop improved modalities for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness,” said Dr. Schloesser. He continued, “SPL is the perfect setting to make my vision a reality.”
Schloesser has been honored with several awards including the 2015 Travel Fellowship Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry; the Irving J. Taylor, M.D. Award for Excellence in Psychiatric Research by a Resident; and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, among many others.
“Robert is more than a perfect fit for this position, both on an academic and clinical level,” said Steven Sharfstein, M.D., president and CEO of Sheppard Pratt Health System. “He also brings a drive and quiet leadership to marry these two established institutions. His work to date has been impressive, to say the least.”
“We are delighted that Robert will lead this important new joint venture for us,” said Daniel Weinberger, M.D., Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD). “SPL will help ensure our research is informed directly by work with patients and hasten our progress toward developing more effective treatments. Robert’s contributions will be essential.”
The Executive Director role will include scientific research, leadership and management, fundraising and communications, planning and new business components. He will be leading a team of employees, including specialists in data management, experts in state of the art patient assessments, clinical research nurses and technicians as well as postdoctoral research fellows in neuroscience and neuropsychology, many of which will be filled in the coming weeks.
Schloesser resides just South of Baltimore with his wife Keri Martinowich, a principal investigator at LIBD.
“There’s great potential to bring together genetics and neuroscience to advance biological psychiatry in a way that’s never been done before,” said Dr. Schloesser, acknowledging that psychiatry research is behind and this endeavor is well-warranted. “It is rare to find a new research setting that has two well-established ‘parents’ as SPL is offering, and I couldn’t be more proud to take the lead on this endeavor.”
A Board of Directors will collaborate with and advise the Executive Director, in conjunction with an Independent Scientific Advisory Board.
About the Sheppard Pratt-Lieber Research Institute, Inc.
Sheppard Pratt Health System and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) joined to form Sheppard Pratt-Lieber Research Institute to unite research with clinical care. Infused with an initial $2 million from the founding partners, SPL seeks to develop new treatments and therapies through research efforts with human patients, including adults with autism, and people with traumatic brain injuries, the study of genetics, the creation of a patient registry with digital records, and extensive biobank, the use of advanced brain imaging technology and clinical trials for both new and repurposed medications. SPL is located in newly renovated space on the Towson campus of Sheppard Pratt Health System.
About Sheppard Pratt Health System
Sheppard Pratt Health System is a pioneer and the largest private U.S. provider of non-profit mental health services with more than 1.2 million patient encounters, a net revenue of $336 million and $15 million provided in charity health care annually across two free-standing psychiatric hospitals, 14 special education residential and day schools, and numerous outpatient and telepsychiatry sites in Maryland. Sheppard Pratt maintains three main arms of research, including the Stanley Research Program at Sheppard Pratt, the Department of Clinical Research Programs and the Sheppard Pratt-Lieber Research Institute.
Sheppard Pratt offers a full range of mental health, addiction, special education and community support services including its specialized programs, which allow the grouping and treatment of patients by individual diagnosis or population, so that patients are comfortable in their environment. This includes the Neuropsychiatry Program, the Trauma Disorders Program and The Center for Eating Disorders, all which accept insurance. The Retreat is our only private pay-only program. For more information, visit: www.sheppardpratt.org.
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.