Leading memory disorders specialist appointed Chair
Congratulations to Dr. Nathan Herrmann, who was recently appointed the Richard Lewar Chair in Geriatric Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto.
As a memory disorders specialist for 25 years, Dr. Herrmann practices, teaches and researches mental health in the aging, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, geriatric depression and suicide.
“Dr. Herrmann is a remarkable academic and clinician - he has encyclopaedic knowledge and a breadth of experience in his field of geriatric psychiatry, and a commitment to sharing this through his innovative research and his superb teaching,” says Dr. Anthony Levitt, chief of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook and Professor of Psychiatry at University of Toronto.
At Sunnybrook, Dr. Herrmann holds the roles of Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, co-director of the Clinical Neuropharmacology Laboratory, and scientist in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program and the Heart & Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery.
A long-time colleague in Geriatric Psychiatry and former holder of the Chair, Dr. Ken Shulman says: “I’m delighted that Nathan is taking on the role of the Chair. After an international search, we found the most capable person is right here. Dr. Herrmann is an outstanding individual, the full package.”
At University of Toronto, Dr. Herrmann is a Professor of Psychiatry, and was Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry from 1994 to 2005. His research focuses on the treatment of behavioural disturbances and cognition in dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, post-stroke depression and the pharmacotherapy of late-life affective disorders; studying treatments for cognitive enhancement, disease modification and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
He has published over 400 publications, with over 250 in peer-reviewed journals. He has held over 100 research grants including peer-reviewed grants from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the National Institute of Health (NIH), Alzheimer’s Association (US), Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
He won the Award for Outstanding Achievements in Geriatric Psychiatry from The Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (2010), and the International Psychogeriatric Association’s Distinguished Service Award (2009).
Dr. Herrmann identifies his goal in basic research is to optimize medication use for patients with memory and mood disorders in late life, focusing on efficacy and safety: “By understanding what causes memory and mood disorders in late life, my hope is to find new treatments for these problems and/or optimize current therapies available for these treatments.”
Learn more about memory problems in the geriatric population by visiting The Memory Doctor blog series.
