President Awards Nancy Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D. National Medal of Science for Research on Mental Illness

Posted on December 1, 2000

Arlington, VA - Nancy C. Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D., chair of psychiatry at the University of Iowa School of Medicine, tonight will be one of only twelve persons across all areas of science honored with the National Medal of Science. In announcing this year's awards, President Bill Clinton noted that recipients "have transformed our world and enhanced our daily lives. Their imagination and ingenuity will continue to inspire future generations of American scientists to remain at the cutting edge of discovery and technological innovation."

A long-time member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Andreasen's achievements have included pioneer research on schizophrenia and the joining of behavioral science with neuroscience and neuroimaging technology. In 1985, she authored The Broken Brain: The Biological Revolution in Psychiatry, an influential best-seller which explained the physical nature of mental illnesses, the brain's structural organization, and neurochemical processes. She is editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry, the premiere research journal in the field.

"Long before it was broadly acknowledged, Nancy Andreasen understood that mental illnesses are biologically-based brain disorders," said NAMI executive director Laurie Flynn. "Her groundbreaking research on schizophrenia has inspired hope for improved treatment and recovery. NAMI families and consumers are indebted to her. She deserves the nation's highest award for science."

Andreasen has spoken before many NAMI national and state conventions and is an active supporter of consumers and families. Her commitment includes the employment of consumers in her research lab. Her medal will be presented at a black-tie dinner and ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m.