Husband And Wife Team Win Institute Of Medicine's 2007 Sarnat International Award In Mental Health

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 10 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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The Institute of Medicine has awarded the 2007 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Award in Mental Health jointly to Beatrix A. Hamburg and David A. Hamburg. The Hamburgs are DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Scholars in the department of psychiatry at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and co-directors of the social medicine and public policy program.

"Throughout their careers, Betty and David Hamburg have been passionate advocates for those who bear tremendous burdens," said Harvey V. Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine. "They complement each other professionally and personally, and it is fitting to honor them jointly for their lasting impact on the mental health of individuals and of societies."

Beatrix and David Hamburg each have had distinguished careers in academic medicine and mental illness research, as well as in public policy and philanthropic leadership. Although their careers were independent, they often collaborated in joint mental health research and in educational and public policy enterprises.

Their creative and cutting-edge contributions have had major influence on the fields of adult, adolescent, and child psychiatry. The Hamburgs have elucidated brain and behavior interactions, as well as evolutionary roots of behavior and the biological and societal impacts on developmental trajectories over the life span.

Most notable has been their influence on colleagues and young professionals as role models and dependable sources of support and mentorship. Many of their students and colleagues have become leaders in their fields.

A scientific study that the Hamburgs co-authored about the processes by which individuals handle profound change, published in a peer-reviewed journal 50 years ago, has been held up as a "classic" in medical literature. Their pioneering work on stress and coping in a biopsychological framework has been very influential. And their major study Learning To Live Together: Preventing Hatred And Violence In Child And Adolescent Development (2004) has been praised as a definitive and comprehensive resource that is sure to influence future research on the topic. Building on that work, David Hamburg recently completed a new book, Preventing Genocide, the first of its kind on this problem, which was significantly influenced by Betty Hamburg's studies of the social education of children. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel praised the book in a foreword he wrote for it.

Beatrix Hamburg is a past president of the William T. Grant Foundation and has held professorships at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in their respective departments of psychiatry. At both Stanford and Mount Sinai, she was also director of the child psychiatry division. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Society of Medicine of London, and holds memberships in a number of other professional societies. She has served on the boards of the Bush, Revson, and Greenwall foundations. She received a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine.

David Hamburg is president emeritus of the Carnegie Corp. Early in his career, he served as chief of the adult psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Mental Health and then accepted a post as chair of the department of psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has served as president of the Institute of Medicine and was the first director of the division of health policy research and education at Harvard, where he was the MacArthur Professor of Health Policy. In addition, he has served as president and then chairman of the board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received both a B.A. and M.D. from Indiana University.

Since 1992, the Institute of Medicine has presented the Sarnat Award to individuals, groups, or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving mental health. The prize recognizes -- without regard for professional discipline or nationality -- achievements in basic science, clinical application, and public policy that lead to progress in the understanding, etiology, prevention, treatment, or cure of mental disorders, or to the promotion of mental health. As defined by the nominating criteria, the field of mental health encompasses neuroscience, psychology, social work, nursing, psychiatry, and advocacy.

The award is supported by an endowment created by Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat of Los Angeles. Rhoda Sarnat is a licensed clinical social worker, and Bernard Sarnat is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and researcher. The Sarnats' concern about the destructive effects of mental illness inspired them to establish the award.

Nominations for potential recipients are solicited every year from IOM members, deans of medical schools, and mental health professionals. Nominations for the 2008 prize should be sent to Vilija Teel at vteel@nas.edu.

Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies.

National Academy of Sciences

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