Career Development Institute for Psychiatry
Dedicated to Launching and Maintaining Careers in Mental Health Research

David J. Kupfer, MD

David J. Kupfer, MD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, received his bachlor's and MD degress from Yale University. Following completion of an internship, Dr. Kupfer continued his postrgraduate clinical and resarch training at the Yale New Haven Hospital and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

In 1970, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Kupfer joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1973. From 1983 and 2009, Dr. Kupfer served as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Director of Research at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Under Dr. Kupfer's direction, WPIC became one of the nation's preeminent university-based psychiatric research centers. A prolific writer, Dr. Kupfer has authored and co-authored a combination of more than 1,000 articles, books, and book chapters. Dr. Kupfer's own research focused primarily on long-term treatment strategies for recurrent mood disorders including both psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic treatments, the pathogenesis of depression, and the relationship between biomarkers and depression. He is internationally recognized for his role as Chair of the American Psychiatric Association Task Force for DSM-5. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Dr. Kupfer has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including his  1990 election to the National Academy of Medicine.

Positions

  • Thomas Detre Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
  • Professor of Neuroscience and Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Education & Training

  • MD, 1965, Yale University, Medicine