Alan Brown, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Clinical Epidemiology

Director, Unit in Birth Cohort Studies ,
New York State Psychiatric Institute

 

 

Alan S. Brown, M.D., M.P.H. is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Clinical Epidemiology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Brown earned his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University and received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his residency training in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in schizophrenia research at Columbia, and received his M.P.H. degree in epidemiology from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr. Brown’s main area of research is on the identification of early antecedents for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. Among his major findings, he was the first to demonstrate that serologically documented prenatal exposure to influenza, rubella, toxoplasmosis, and inflammatory biomarkers are potential risk factors for schizophrenia.
He leads 2 NIH-funded research grants aimed at identifying risk factors for schizophrenia and autism in a large national Finnish birth cohort, in collaboration with Turku University and THL in Finland. He also leads a large birth cohort study on the antecedents of Bipolar disorder in northern California. Additionally, Dr. Brown leads a Conte Center Project on prenatal SSRIs and neuropsychiatric outcomes in Finland. He is on the core faculty of several research fellowships and has mentored over 20 trainees.
He is the recipient of several awards in clinical psychiatric research, including the A.E. Bennett Research Award. He has received numerous research grants as PI from the NIMH, NIEHS, NARSAD, and other funding agencies. He is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the WPA Section on Epidemiology.
Dr. Brown is an author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications, reviews, and book chapters.

Education and Training

Undergraduate:  John Hopkins University, B.A., 1983
Graduate:  Mailman School of Public Health, M.P.H., 2007
Medical School:  Jefferson Medical College, M.D., 1987
Internship:  Montefiore Hospital, Medicine/Psychiatry, 1987 - 1988
Residency:  Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, General Psychiatry, 1988 - 1991
Fellowship:  Columbia University, Schizophrenia Research, 1991-1994
Board Certifications:  American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Specialties

• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Epidemiology

Contact information

Address:
NYSPI Kolb Annex
Room 125  Unit/Box:23
1051 Riverside Drive
New York, NY   10032

Phone: 212-543-5629
Fax: 212-543-6225
asb11@columbia.edu

research summary

I am interested in improving our understanding of the relationship between early developmental insults and risk of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism, as well as the effects of these insults on brain structure and function.

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Publications

1. Brown AS, Begg MD, Gravenstein S, Schaefer CA, Wyatt RJ, Bresnahan MA, Babulas V, Susser ES: Serologic evidence for prenatal influenza in the etiology of schizophrenia.  Archives of General Psychiatry  2004;61: 774-780

2. Perrin MA, Chen H, Sandberg DE, Malaspina D, Brown AS: Growth trajectory during early life and risk of schizophrenia.  British Journal of Psychiatry  2007;191: 512-520

3. Brown AS, Vinogradov S, Kremen WS, Poole JH, Deicken RF, Penner JD, McKeague IW, Kochetkova A, Kern D, Schaefer CA: Prenatal exposure to maternal infection and executive dysfunction in adult schizophrenia.  American Journal of Psychiatry  2009;166: 683-690

4. Harper K, Hibbeln JR, Deckelbaum R, Bresnahan M, Quesenberry CA, Schaefer CA, Brown AS: Maternal serum docosahexaenoic acid and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in adult offspring.  Schizophrenia Research  2011;128: 30-36

5. Brown AS, Cohen P, Harkavy-Friedman J, Babulas V, Malaspina D, Gorman JM, Susser ES: A.E. Bennett Research Award. Prenatal rubella, premorbid abnormalities, and adult schizophrenia.  Biol Psychiatry   2001;49: 473-486