Joffee Joins Ranks of Psychiatrist Deans

Russell T. Joffee, M.D., an internationally known expert in psychiatry, became dean of the New Jersey Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey on January 1.

“I am very excited and honored to be appointed dean of New Jersey Medical School,” Joffee told Psychiatric News. “It is a school that has enormous potential, and I am hoping that I can help it fulfill that potential.”

Joffee cited the school’s prime location, talented faculty, and numerous resources for research as some of its many strengths.

Joffee was dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and vice president for health sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, for the past three years. Prior to that, he was a professor and chair of psychiatry at McMaster University from 1994 until 1997.

Joffee completed his residency in psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and McMaster University after receiving his M.B.B.Ch. degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1977. After his residency, Joffee was a fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he served as a consulting psychiatrist in the surgical oncology section and later as deputy director of the Consultation-Liaison Service at NIH.

Joffee has gained professional recognition for his extensive work in psychiatry. Over the span of his career, Joffee has undertaken research into the causes and treatments for depression and has received more than 50 research grants, including a $1.6 million grant to establish the Depression, Information, Resources, and Education Center at McMaster University. He is also the author of two books, more than 200 scholarly journal articles, and numerous chapters for medical textbooks. ▪