A 1995 graduate of the M.D. and neuroscience Ph.D. programs at Stanford University, Dr. Salzman completed a psychiatry residency at Stanford University Hospital in 1999 and held a variety of professional appointments at his alma mater before joining the Columbia University faculty in 2001. Dr. Salzman is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and an affiliate of both the Society for Neuroscience and the American Psychiatric Association. He has published scholarly articles and papers in a number of peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, the Journal of Neuroscience, and Science.
"I am thrilled that the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has chosen to support me--and my work--in such a meaningful, tangible way," said Dr. Salzman. "Their generosity will make it possible for me to achieve a greater, more detailed biological understanding of emotion. My hope is that this work will lead to studies that elucidate how psychiatric drugs can change activity in the brain to alleviate emotional symptoms in psychiatric illness. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to my ongoing relationship with the RBF."
"We are delighted – but certainly not surprised – that the RBF has selected Dr. Salzman for its prestigious medical scholarship program," said Dr. B. Timothy Walsh, W&J Ruane Professor of Pediatric Psychopharmacology and acting chairman of the Department of Psychiatry. "Dr. Salzman is one of our most promising young scholars--a remarkably dedicated and gifted scientist whose work has the potential to shed enormous light on the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disease. I don't think the RBF could have made a better choice."
The Charles E. Culpeper Scholarships in Medical Science were established to support the career development of the nation's best and brightest academic physicians. Each year, four worthy scholars--who are judged on a number of criteria, including the quality of their submitted research proposals and their potential for successful careers in academic medicine--and their sponsoring institutions receive up to $100,000 annually for up to three years to help cover research and salary-related costs. By the end of the scholarship period, the scholars are expected to be established as independent investigators in a university setting or research institution.
"We couldn't be more pleased to hear of Dr. Salzman's achievement," said Dr. Gerald Fischbach, executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the Faculty of Medicine. "The Culpeper scholarships are among the most prestigious and competitive career development awards for academic physicians in the country. Dr. Salzman's appointment is not only a testament to his creative intellect and accomplishments, but is also a tremendous credit to the Department of Psychiatry and to the institution as a whole."
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) was founded in 1940 as a philanthropic vehicle for the six children of John D. Rockefeller Jr. The RBF promotes social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Through its grantmaking, the Fund supports efforts to expand knowledge, clarify values and critical choices, nurture creative expression, and shape public policy. The RBF's programs are intended to develop leaders, strengthen institutions, engage citizens, build community, and foster partnerships that include government, business, and civil society. The fund's assets at the end of 2002 totaled approximately $570 million.