Charleston VA Psychiatrist Recognized Nationally by the National American Psychiatric Association for Groundbreaking Research

Press Release

A Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System psychiatrist has been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for making important strides in treatments and understanding to the field of psychiatry.

Mark S. George, M.D., the Charleston VA psychiatrist being recognized, has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 APA Award for Research in Psychiatry. He is being highlighted at a national level for his research of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and other brain stimulation treatments. TMS is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. This alternative to medication is widely used as a safe treatment when certain patients do not respond to, or experience harmful side effects from, the normally prescribed depression drugs.

First awarded in 1949 as the Hofheimer Prize, the Award for Research in Psychiatry recognizes a single distinguished contribution, a body of work, or a lifetime contribution that has had a major impact on the field and/or altered the practice of psychiatry. The award covers the full spectrum of psychiatric research.

Dr. George has been involved in TMS research and training for over thirty years and, according to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, he pioneered the use of TMS as a probe of mood-regulating neuronal circuits. He conducted some of the first clinical trials of TMS as a treatment for persistent depression, which was FDA-approved in 2008. This research has included extensive research into suicide and depression at the Charleston VA.

“VA support has been a keen part of this story for me, with the first ever accelerated TMS study for suicide happening in the VA and Walter Reed,” said George. “With this award I think they [APA] are moving toward accepting this whole line of research and now treatment that I have been lucky to be a part of.”

Dr. George has been at the forefront of developing the science of brain stimulation, both in treatment and evaluation techniques and procedures, especially in treating depression. He is the editor-in-chief of the major journal in this area (Brain Stimulation, Elsevier) and has helped launch two FDA approved treatments that stem from his work (TMS and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for depression). With over 500 scientific articles and chapters and multiple national and international awards he has proven to be a pioneer in medical research and application.

George is scheduled to receive his award and give an honorary lecture at the APA Annual Meeting, held in San Francisco, May 20-24, 2023.

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