Jonathan E. Alpert

Jonathan E. Alpert, M.D., Ph.D.

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  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus 1300 Morris Park Avenue Belfer Building 402 Bronx, NY 10461

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Professional Interests

Jonathan E. Alpert MD PhD is the Dorothy and Marty Silverman University Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pediatrics. His academic interests include innovative treatments for difficult to treat mood disorders, childhood onset depression, depression comorbid with other medical illnesses, multi-cultural mental health, health disparities, drug-drug interactions, behavioral health integration, ethical issues in the conduct of human studies, and medical education.

Dr. Alpert graduated from Yale College summa cum laude with majors in Psychology and Philosophy. He received his MD from Yale and his PhD in Behavioral Pharmacology from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge where he was a Marshall Scholar. He completed residency training in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and in Psychiatry at McLean Hospital. He joined Einstein/Montefiore after 24 years at the Massachusetts General Hospital where he was Director of the Depression Clinical and Research Program and Associate Chief of Psychiatry responsible for outpatient, inpatient and emergency services. He was the first incumbent of the Joyce R. Tedlow Chair in the Field of Depression Studies at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Alpert served on the Board of the National Network of Depression Centers and the PCORI MoodNetwork Executive Steering Committee and was founding chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee for the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education. He is chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Research. Dr. Alpert is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Society of Biological Psychiatry, and American Association for Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry. The author of over 225 publications, Dr. Alpert has received numerous recognitions for teaching, mentorship and service from Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Partners HealthCare, American Psychiatric Association, and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

Selected Publications

  • Belfer, R, Gardner, LE, Broutman, E, Alpert, JE (in press) Ethical and Safe Discharges from Psychiatric Units During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (JAAPL)
  • Bernstein CA, Bhattacharyya S, Adler S, Alpert JE. (2021) Staff Emotional Support at Montefiore Medical Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2021 Mar;47(3):185-189.
  • Grzenda A, Kraguljac NV, McDonald WM, Nemeroff C, Torous J,  Alpert JE, Rodriguez C, Widge AS   Evaluating the Machine Learning Literature: A Primer and User's Guide for Psychiatrists Am J Psychiatry 2021 Jun 3;appiajp202020030250.doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20030250. Online ahead of print. 
  • Breslow AS, Tran NM, Lu FQ, Alpert JE, Cook BL. Depression treatment expenditures for adults in the USA: a systematic review. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2019 Sep 21;21(10):105. doi: 10.1007/s11920-019-1083-3.
  • Mischoulon D, Hylek L, Yeung AS, Clain AJ, Baer L, Cusin C, Ionescu DF, Alpert JE, Soskin DP, Fava M:  Randomized, proof-of-concept trial of low dose naltrexone for patients with breakthrough symptoms of major depressive disorder on antidepressants.  J Affect Disord 2017; 15:208:6-14.
  • Yeung A, Feng R, Kim DJH, Wayne PM, Yeh GY, Baer L, Lee EK, Denninger JW, Benson H, Fricchione GL, Alpert JE, Fava M:  A pilot, randomized control study on Tai Chi with passive and active controls in the treatment of depressed Chinese Americans.  J Clin Psychiatry, 2017; 78(5):522-528.
  • Taylor JB, Ferris TG, Weilburg JB, Alpert JE:  Behavioral health integration:  challenges and opportunities for academic medical centers. Acad Psychiatry 2106; 40(6):874-879.
  • Ionescu DF, Swee MB, Pavone KJ, Taylor N, Akeju O, Baer L, Nyer M, Cassano P, Mischoulon D, Alpert JE, Brown EN, Nock MK, Fava M, Cusin C: Rapid and sustained reductions in current suicidal ideation following repeated doses of intravenous ketamine: secondary analysis of an open-label study. J Clin Psychiatry 2016; 77(6):e719-25.
  • Chen JA, Shapero BG, Trinh NT, Chang TE, Parkin S, Alpert JE, Fava M, Yeung AS: Association between stigma and depression outcomes among Chinese immigrants in a primary care setting. J Clin Psychiatry 2016; 77:1287-1292.
  • Ionescu DF, Rosenbaum JF, Alpert JE:  Pharmacological approaches to the challenges of treatment-resistant depression. Dialogues Clin Neurosci 2015; 17:111-126.
  • Carlo A, Alpert JE:  Geriatric psychopharmacology: pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic considerations. Psychiatric Annals 2015 45(7):337-341.
  • Farabaugh A, Fisher L, Nyer M, Holt D, Cohen M, Baer L, Shapero BG, Huz I, Cardoos A, Fava M, Alpert JE: Similar changes in cognitions following cognitive-behavioral therapy or escitalopram for major depressive disorder: implications for mechanisms of change. Ann Clin Psychiatry 2015; 27(2):118-26.
  • Alpert JE:  Drug-drug interactions in psychopharmacology.  In:  Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens T, Rosenbaum JF (eds):  Massachusetts General Hospital comprehensive clinical psychiatry.  Philadelphia, Mosby Elsevier, 2015, 552-566.
  • Gorrindo T, Goldfarb E, Chevalier L, Hoeppner BB, Birnbaum RJ, Meller B, Alpert JE, Herman J, Weiss AP:  Interprofessional differences in disposition decisions:  results from a standardized web-based patient assessment. Psychiatr Serv 2013; 64(8):808-811.
  • Papakostas GI, Shelton RC, Zajecka JM, Etemad B, Rickels K, Clain A, Baer L, Dalton ED, Sacco GR, Schoenfeld D, Pencina M, Meisner A, Bottiglieri T, Nelson E, Mischoulon D, Alpert JE, Barbee JG, Zisook S, Fava M:  L-Methylfolate as adjunctive therapy for SSRI-resistant major depression:  Results of two randomized, double-blind, parallel-sequential trials.  Am J Psychiatry  2012; 169(12):1267-1274.
  • Wickramaratne P, Gameroff MJ, Pilowsky DJ, Hughes CW, Garber J, Malloy E, King C, Gerda G, Sood AB, Alpert JE, Trivedi MH, Fava M, Rush AJ, Wisniewski S, Weissman MM:  Children of depressed mothers 1 year after remission of maternal depression:  findings from the STAR*D-Child study.  Am J Psychiatry. 2011; 168(6):593-602.
  • Goisman RM, Levin RM, Krupat E, Pelletier SR, Alpert JE: OSCE performance of students with and without a previous core psychiatry clerkship.  Acad Psychiatry 2010; 34:141-144.
  • Kobak KA, Leuchter A, DeBrota D, Englehardt N, Williams JBW, Cook I, Leon AC, Alpert JE:  Site vs. centralized raters in a clinical depression trial:  Impact on patient selection and placebo response.  J Clin Psychopharmacol 2010; 30(2):193-197.
  • Farabaugh A, Locascio JJ, Yap L, Growdon J, Fava M, Crawford C, Matthews J, McCutchen J, Buchin J, Pava J, Alpert JE:  Cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease and comorbid major depressive disorder.  Psychosom 2010 Mar; 51(2):124-129.
  • Leuchter AF, McCracken JT, Hunter AM, Cook IA, Alpert JE:  Monoamine oxidase A and catechol-o-methyltransferase functional polymorphisms and the placebo response in major depressive disorder.  J Clin Psychopharmacol 2009; 29(4):372-377.
  • Allison DV, Newcomer JW, Dunn AL, Blumenthal JA, Fabricatore AN, Daumit GL, Cope MB, Riley WT, Vreeland B, Hibbeln JR, Alpert JE:  Obesity among those with mental disorders:  A National Institute of Mental Health meeting report. Am J Prev Med 2009; 36(4):341-350.
  • Nierenberg AA, Mischoulon D, Alpert JE:  Vagus nerve stimulation:  2-year outcomes for bipolar versus unipolar treatment-resistant depression. Biol Psychiatry 2008; 64(6):455-460.
  • Mooney JJ, Samson JA, Hennen J, Pappalardo K, McHale N, Alpert J, Koutsos M, Schildkraut JJ:  Enhanced norepinephrine output during long-term desipramine treatment:  a possible role for the extraneuronal monoamine transporter (SLC22A3).  J Psychiatr Res 2008; 42(8):605-611.
  • Claassen CA, Trivedi MH, Rush AJ, Husain MM, Zisook S, Young E, Leuchter A, Wisniewski SR, Balasubraman GK, Alpert J:  Clinical differences among depressed patients with and without a history of suicide attempts:  findings from the STAR*D trial.  J Affect Disord 2007; 97(1-3):77-84.
  • Lesser IM, Castro DB, Gaynes BN, Gonzalez J, Rush AJ, Alpert JE, Trivedi M, Luther JF, Wisniewski SR:  Ethnicity/race and outcome in the treatment of depression:  results from STAR*D.  Medical Care 2007; 45(11):1043-1051.
  • Weissman MM, Pilowsky DJ, Wickramaratne PJ, Talati A, Wisniewski SR, Fava M, Hughes CW, Gerber J, Malloy E, King CA, Cara G, Sood AB, Alpert JE, Trivedi MH, Rush AJ:  STAR*D-Child Team:  Remissions in maternal depression and child psychopathology:  A STAR*D-Child report.  JAMA 2006; 295(12):1389-1398.
  • Alpert JE, Schlozman S. Badaracco MA, Burke J, Borus JF:  Getting our own house in order:   improving psychiatry education to medical students as a prelude to medical school education reform.  Acad  Psychiatry 2006; 30(2):170-173.
  • Alpert JE, Biggs MM, Davis L, Shores-Wilson K, Harlan WR, Schneider GW, Ford AL, Farabaugh A, Stegman D, Ritz AL, Husain MM, MacLeod L, Wisniewski SR, Rush AJ for the STAR*D Investigators:  Enrolling research subjects from clinical practice:  ethical and procedural issues in the sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression (STAR*D).  Psychiatr Res  2006;141(2):193-200.
  • Iosifescu DV, Papakostas GI, Lyoo IK, Lee HK, Renshaw PF, Alpert JE, Nierenberg AA, Fava M:  Brain MRI white matter hyperintensities and one-carbon cycle metabolism in non-geriatric outpatients with major depressive disorder (Part I).  Psychiatry Res 2006; 140(3):291-299.
  • Gilmer WS, Trivedi MH, Rush AJ, Wisniewski SR, Luther J, Howland RH, Yohanna D. Khan A and Alpert J:  Factors associated with chronic depressive episodes:  a preliminary report from the STAR*D project.  Acta Psychiatr Scand 2005; 112(6):425-433.
  • Alpert JE, Papakostas G, Mischoulon D, Worthington JJ III, Petersen T, Mahal Y, Burns A, Bottiglieri T, Nierenberg AA, Fava M:  S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAMe) as an adjunct for resistant major depressive disorder:  An open trial following partial of non response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or venlafaxine.  J Clin Psychopharmacol 2004; 24:661-66
  • Alpert JE, Franznick D, Hollander SB, Fava M: Gepirone ER treatment of anxious depression:  evidence from a subgroup analysis in patients with major depressive disorder.  J Clin Psychiatry  2004; 65:1069-1075.
  • Alpert JE, Fava M, editors.  Handbook of chronic depression, New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2003