The Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry and professor of psychological and brain sciences was recognized for her work on schizophrenia and other mental health conditions.
Deanna Barch, the Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry and professor of psychological and brain sciences, recently won two honors from national organizations.
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) awarded her the 2024 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health for her seminal contributions to advancing our understanding of the developmental psychopathology and treatment of mental health disorders. The award was presented at the group’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20.
The NAM cited Barch’s work on the neural and psychological causes of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, her study of the impacts of childhood poverty on brain and behavioral development, and her mentorship of early career scientists.
“Not only has Dr. Barch led important research that is central to understanding the etiology and developmental mechanisms of mental disorders across the life span, but she has been a tireless mentor to the next generation of clinician scholars,” NAM President Victor J. Dzau said in a statement.
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awarded Barch the Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research. The prize was presented at the International Awards Dinner in New York City on Oct. 25. She was selected by a committee of the foundation’s Scientific Council, a volunteer group of 195 mental health experts across disciplines in brain and behavior.
“Dr. Barch is a remarkable schizophrenia researcher who has made continuous critical contributions over her career,” Dr. William Bunney, chair of the Lieber Prize committee, said in a statement. “She is a leader in the study of cognitive and affective neuroscience in schizophrenia.”
Bunney highlighted Barch’s early work on context processing, her study of the neural representations of goals and emotional drive, and her major contributions to multiple genomic, imaging, and assessment initiatives.
Barch's current research is focused on understanding the interplay among cognition, emotion, and brain function to better understand the deficits in behavior and cognition found in illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. She is especially interested in determining the cognitive, emotional, and neural bases of risk for the development of schizophrenia and depression, which could aid in the development of preventative measures.
