Indian-American psychiatrist Deepak Cyril D'Souza has been appointed as the inaugural Vikram Sodhi Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.
This named professorship, established by Vikram Sodhi, a Yale alumnus and managing partner of Sun Valley Investments, marks the first professorship at Yale's medical school to be named after a person from India.
D'Souza's work focuses on the potential of substances like psilocybin and ketamine to treat neuropsychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Sodhi said D'Souza's scholarship exemplifies Yale's mission and pioneering role in the field. “Dr. D'Souza has made significant contributions to exploring the therapeutic potential of different drugs for several neuropsychiatric conditions.”
"These efforts will hopefully drive the field forward in pursuit of solutions that will benefit society as a whole and change lives for the better,” Sodhi said expressing hope that his gift would advance understanding in this emerging field.
D'Souza holds several leadership roles at Yale, including director of the Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids and the Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group. His work at these centers focuses on understanding the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on mental health and neurodevelopment.
“Neuropsychiatric disorders account for a significant cause of global disease burden," D'Souza said emphasizing the importance of developing treatments that work faster, better, last longer, and are safe. Expressing his gratitude, he said he is “deeply honored” to receive the recognition from Sodhi.
"The generous support from Sodhi will allow me to devote more time and effort toward studying psychedelics and other drugs." He added that being the first endowed chair named after someone from India at Yale's School of Medicine made the honor especially meaningful.
D’Souza received his medical degree from John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India in 1986 and completed his psychiatric residency at State University of New York Downstate in 1992 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychopharmacology and Neurosciences at Yale University School of Medicine.
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