Ziad Nahas
Job Description
I received my Medical Degree from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. I then completed an internship in Psychiatry at L’Institut Paul Silvadon, a Lacanian day hospital, and Hopital Charles Foix, both in Paris, France. I moved to Houston Texas in 1993 as a resident in Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. I also attended the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute’s psychodynamic psychotherapy course. I later joined the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 1997 where I completed a research fellowship in Functional Neuroimaging and Psychopharmacology and a Master of Science in Clinical Research. I was a faculty member from 1999 to 2011 with a specific focus on research in mood disorders and brain stimulation. From Summer 2011 to Spring 2017, I was the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) where I helped develop the department’s clinical, educational, and research portfolio.
My scientific interests lie in translational research of mood dysregulation and depressive disorders. My unique expertise is in functional neuroimaging and brain stimulation across various modalities [Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Prefrontal Cortical Stimulation (PCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Focally Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST)]. I have also conducted basic research and collaborated on health economic studies.
Within the medical school, I am the Fellowship Director of the MnDrive Neuromodulation Medicine Fellowship. I am also the executive vice chair for the department.
In addition to my scientific and academic contributions, I have been a strong advocate for the parity of mental health care coverage in Lebanon. I co-founded Embrace, a Non-Profit Organization to fight the stigma associated with mental illness and provide financial support for patients who cannot afford the cost of their treatments. Embrace launched the first Suicide Prevention Help Line in the Middle East.
Professional outreach and public service is also a key focus of my career. I am also a full member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. To date, I have presented both nationally and internationally at over 70 conferences. I have received several awards including the NARSAD Independent Investigator Award and the Developing Scholar Award at MUSC.