MU will get new Chancellor's Chair of Excellence in psychiatry

John Lauriello specializes in schizophrenia.

By Krissy Tripp

Published Feb. 12, 2009

John Lauriello will be filling the role as Chancellor's Chair of Excellence in Psychiatry July 1.

A news release stated the new professor is the vice chairman of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico. Lauriello has worked at the UNM since 1994. In that time, he's served as director of the UNM Psychiatric Center, director of the UNM Schizophrenia Research Group and he has investigated for the Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery Institute.

School of Medicine spokesman Richard Gleba said the postion has been open for more than a year. The search for a new chairperson began September 2007. Six of the 12 candidates were interviewed, and of the three who were asked back for second interviews, Lauriello was chosen for the position.

"We are proud to recruit a physician leader of Dr. Lauriello's caliber to MU and look forward to the improvements he will bring to health care in Missouri and beyond," Robert Churchill, interim dean of the MU School of Medicine, said in a new release.

Department of Psychiatry Administrator Richard Erwin said Lauriello was hired because, of the candidates, he had the most qualifications and experience MU was looking for. Lauriello's knowledge and experience with in-patient programs makes him an asset to the MU medical program because it doesn't have its own in-patient program.

"For the last decade, he's run a very successful in-patient program at NMU," Erwin said.

Along with his inpatient program experience, Lauriello also brings research knowledge and specialization in schizophrenia. While the staff can treat schizophrenia, no one specializes in it.

According to the news release, he leads a center for studying the neural mechanisms of schizophrenia, which was developed with an $11.6 million grant from the Mind Research Network. Lauriello has also led projects studying atypical antipsychotic therapies, biomedical informatics, imaging and neurochemistry.

"The Dean had begun negotiations with Dr. Lauriello several months before the freeze was established," Erwin said.

Lauriello was hired before the freeze, but will fill the position after.

Although the freeze is in effect now, Lauriello plans to recruit five to six more faculty members in order to obtain his goals for improvement. The faculty members will be hired over the next several years.

The three most prominent goals on Lauriello's list are establishing an inpatient program, rebuilding the child psychiatry unit and enhancing the general program.

Erwin said he believes research will come to a department with strong programs, so improvements are first priority for Lauriello.

"The department has several needs," Erwin said. "Rebuilding the child program, enhancing the general psychiatry program, as well as establishing a research program."

Lauriello will be teaching students and residents, focusing on general psychiatry.

Erwin said he is excited and anxious because he believes Lauriello will do a lot for the department, including helping with recruiting and improving the overall quality of the education.

"He's going to be taking our department to a new realm," Erwin said. "We're extremely, extremely lucky to have him."