The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) presents the Donald Klein Lifetime Achievement Award to a recipient who has made an outstanding contribution to the Clinical Psychopharmacology field.
Dr. Klein is the epitome of clinical psychopharmacology from his earliest days as a psychiatrist with the advent of modern psychopharmacology in the 1960’s. His clinical acumen and observation led to a clarity on the fundamentals of clinical psychopharmacology in the early 1960’s that the so-called major tranquilizers were not really tranquilizers and didn’t help anxious patients, but rather the patients with a psychotic illness.
He went on to define and provide not only phenomenology but also the pathophysiology and clinical management of the loosely defined anxiety disorders. His classic paper of 1974 describing endogenomorphic depression has helped develop the major concepts behind the modern understanding of clinical depression. During the 1980s, Dr. Klein and his group led the clinical psychopharmacology research in defining the nature of clinical trials that still are relevant today.
In short, Dr. Klein brought rational and pragmatic approach to modern clinical psychopharmacology and the concepts behind major mood disorders. Thus, he provides an excellent model for the trainees and practitioners of psychopharmacological practice.
The award consists of a $1,000 stipend and an opportunity to present at the 2025 ASCP Annual Meeting (formerly NCDEU) May 27 – May 30, 2025 in Scottsdale, AZ. The award winner must attend the 2025 ASCP Annual Meeting. The candidate should be a leader in the field above the age of 70 or have achieved an academic “emeritus” rank.
Submissions for 2025 Donald Klein Lifetime Achievement Award are now open.
Deadline to submit is January 29, 2025.
Congratulations to the 2024 Donald Klein Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Dr. Ross J. Baldessarini!
Dr. Baldessarini, born in 1937, is a prominent neuroscientist and psychopharmacologist whose research has significantly advanced the understanding and treatment of mood and psychotic disorders. After completing his medical training at Johns Hopkins, he specialized in neuropharmacology at the NIH and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He played a key role in establishing the Laboratories for Psychiatric Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, where he directed research on dopaminergic systems and their role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. His work has contributed to the development of antipsychotic and mood-altering medications, with a focus on their mechanisms, adverse effects, and clinical applications. Dr. Baldessarini has authored over 3,400 publications, including influential chapters in Goodman & Gilman’s textbook of pharmacology and his own monograph Chemotherapy in Psychiatry. He has mentored over 170 laboratory and clinical researchers, shaping the next generation of experts in psychopharmacology and clinical neuroscience. As a professor at Harvard Medical School, he has integrated basic neuroscience with clinical psychiatry, training medical professionals to better understand and treat complex neuropsychiatric conditions. His leadership in founding the International Consortium for Mood & Psychotic Disorders Research has fostered international collaboration in these fields.
PREVIOUS ASCP DONALD KLEIN AWARDEES
| Year | Winner | Affiliation |
| 2014 | Augustus (John) Rush | National University of Singapore |
| 2015 | Nina Schooler | SUNY Downstate Medical Center |
| 2016 | John Davis | University of Illinois at Chicago Psychiatric Institute |
| 2017 | David Kupfer | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic |
| 2018 | Phil Skolnick | Opiant Pharmaceuticals |
| 2019 | Alan Schatzberg | Stanford University School of Medicine |
| 2020/2021 | Ellen Frank | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| 2022 | Charles Reynolds | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center |
| 2023 | Dennis S. Charney |
Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai
|
| 2024 | Ross J. Baldessarini | McLean Hospital ; Mass General Hospital |