Anxiety Disorders Clinic

The Anxiety Disorders Clinic (ADC) was established in 1982 to study the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of anxiety disorders. The clinic currently includes the center for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the research and treatment program for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder clinic. 

Our mission is to improve mental health outcomes by developing and studying new therapeutic strategies, elucidating the brain mechanisms underlying symptoms, and disseminating evidence-based practices to clinicians and patients. 

Our research studies encompass a broad range of approaches, including trials assessing treatment effectiveness in community settings, efficacy trials conducted in our specialized research centers, internet-based interventions, biological and translational research involving neuroimaging and  other biomarkers. Our clinic engages in international collaborations, epidemiological and health services research to improve mental health outcomes worldwide. 

Treatments that we have studied include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, brief supportive therapy, relaxation therapy), computer-based training, and complementary medicine approaches. In collaboration with colleagues at Columbia University and the New York Psychiatric Institute, we have conducted brain imaging studies using a range of advanced methodologies, including positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). For more information, you can explore the links provided below. 

• Center for OCD and Related Disorders
• PTSD Research and Treatment Program
• Social Anxiety Clinic

Principal Investigators

• Franklin Schneier, MD, Co-Director, Anxiety Disorders Clinic
• Helen Blair Simpson, MD, PhD, Director, Center for Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
• Yuval Neria, PhD, Director, PTSD Research and Treatment Program
• John Markowitz, MD, Research Scientist
• Maja Bergman, PhD, Director of Clinical Research, PTSD Research and Treatment Program

Core Research Clinicians

• J. Arturo Sanchez-Lacay, MD, Research Psychiatrist
• Olta Hoxha, LMHC-D, MA, Research Scientist