New York State Psychiatric Institute

The New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), established in 1895, was one of the first institutions in the United States to integrate teaching, research and therapeutic approaches to the care of patients with mental illnesses.

Since its inception, NYSPI has been at the forefront of psychiatry, making major contributions to the clinical care and understanding of the mentally ill. Among these accomplishments are the discovery of the spirochaetal origin of general paresis, the earliest use of lithium in the United States, the first data describing a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, leadership in the discovery of the genes causing Huntington’s and Wilson’s disease, and the development of DSM-III, DSM III-R and DSM-IV.

Researchers at NYSPI have recently delved into the world of psychedelics and have started to explore the effects ketamine and psilocybin have in treating a number of different mental health disorders.