Kenneth L. Davis

Kenneth L. Davis is an American author and medical researcher who developed what is now the most widely used tool to test the efficacy of treatments for Alzheimer's Disease; he also participated in the development of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, designed specifically to evaluate the severity of cognitive and noncognitive behavioral dysfunctions characteristic to persons with Alzheimer's disease. [ [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/141/11/1356 A new rating scale for Alzheimer's disease, American Journal of Psychiatry] ]

His paper, "Dopamine in schizophrenia—a review and reconceptualization" (American Journal of Psychiatry, 148 [11] : 1474-86, November 1991) is the third most-cited paper on schizophrenia research in its decade. [ [http://esi-topics.com/schizophrenia/interviews/dr-kenneth-davis.html Science Watch] ]

He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Alzheimer's research

Davis participated in breakthrough proof-of-concept studies and clinical trials of cholinesterase inhibitors. These trials (the first multicenter ones for cholinesterase inhibitors) established efficacy and ultimately led the first four of the five FDA-approved compounds for treating the symptoms of Alzheimer's: tacrine, rivastigmine, galantamine, donepezil and memantine [ [http://www.fda.gov/ola/2007/alzheimersdisease071707.html U.S. Food and Drug Administration] ]

In 1978, Davis, together with Richard Mohs, conducted the first well-controlled study of a drug that was shown able to improve the storage and retrieval functions of long-term memory in humans. [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/201/4352/272 Science Magazine] ]

In 1987, Davis participated in the first study providing strong evidence that Alzheimer’s risk is inherited. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD91E30F931A15756C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&&scp=5&sq=%22kenneth%20l.%20davis%22&st=cse Strong New Evidence Found of Inherited Alzheimer Risk, New York Times] ]

While at Mount Sinai Hospital, Davis and his associates have been at the forefront in the delineation of the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease, and were among the first to report the cloning and chromosomal location of the amyloid precursor protein, regarded as one of the most important discoveries in Alzheimer’s research in the previous 15 years. [ [http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/281/15/1401 The Journal of the American Medical Association] ]

chizophrenia research

Davis's work on schizophrenia has shown that oligodendroglia cells and myelin play roles in the disease's pathophysiology [ [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1051164 Myelin and oligodendrocyte abnormalities in schizophrenia, Cambridge Journals] ] and that dopamine – long thought to be merely hyperactive in a schizophrenic brain – is actually "hypoactive" in different regions. [ [http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/news/20030904/schizophrenia-bipolar-may-share-cause Schizophrenia, Bipolar May Share Cause, WebMD.com] ]

While studies have shown that individuals born in winter months are disproportionately likely to develop schizophrenia, Davis participated in a 2006 study that demonstrated that this disproportionality also exists in tropical regions, ruling out cold weather as the cause. [ [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17828401 Seasonality effects on schizophrenic births in multiplex families in a tropical island] ]

Biography

Davis graduated magna cum laude from Yale College and later valedictorian of Mount Sinai School of Medicine's second graduating class where he received the Harold Elster Memorial Award for highest academic achievement. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E3D71E31F930A25752C1A9649C8B63 New York Times] ] Graduate medical education was completed at Stanford University.

In 1979, Davis was made Chief of Psychiatry at Bronx Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, where he became the first director of its Schizophrenia Biological Research Center. From 1987 until 2003, he was Chairman of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

In 2003, Davis was appointed Dean of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and held that position until 2007, when he was succeeded by Dennis S. Charney, M.D. Davis was also appointed as the President and C.E.O. of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2003 – positions he holds today. He is the director of the Mount Sinai Silvio Conte Neuroscience Center, Trustee of the New York Academy of Medicine, and Chair of the New York Academy of Medicine Deans Council. In addition, he has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Greater New York Hospital Association.

Awards and Recognition

*Career Development Award, Veterans Administration
*A.E. Bennett Award of the Society of Biological Psychiatry
*American Psychiatric Association Award for Research in Psychiatry
*Elected member, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Science
*President, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Books

*"Alzheimer's Disease: Questions and Answers" by Kenneth Davis and Kenneth L Davis and Paul S. Aisen and Deborah B. Marin, Softcover, Merit Pub Intl, ISBN 187341336X (1-873413-36-X)
*"Brain Acetylcholine and Neuropsychiatric Disease" by Philip A. Berger and Kenneth L Davis, Hardcover, Plenum Press, ISBN 0306401576 (0-306-40157-6)
*"Neuropsychopharmacology: The Fifth Generation of Progress" by American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and Joseph T. Coyle and Charles Nemeroff and Dennis Charney and Kenneth L Davis, Hardcover, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, ISBN 0781728371 (0-7817-2837-1)

References

External Links

* [http://www.mountsinai.org Mount Sinai Hospital homepage]
* [http://www.mssm.edu Mount Sinai School of Medicine homepage]
* [http://www.charlierose.com/guests/kenneth-davis Kenneth L. Davis on “Charlie Rose”]