 | Dr. Paul Lombroso |
Dr. Paul J. Lombroso, who has been designated as the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Child Psychiatry, is doing research designed to shine light on the causes of Tourette syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders.
At the Yale Child Study Center, Lombroso is part of the Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, which is dedicated to understanding the molecular basis of specific childhood psychiatric disorders -- specifically whether TS, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other related conditions might be autoimmune disorders of childhood.
Lombroso is particularly interested in TS, which is characterized by persistent motor and phonic tics -- such as jerking movements and involuntary vocalizations -- and affects one to eight of every 1,000 school-age children.
Scientists believe that certain vulnerable individuals may get strep throat and the antibodies the body produces to fight the infection get into the brain and cross-react with proteins in the basal ganglia, interfering with neuronal function. Lombroso's and other laboratories have already shown that autoantibodies are actually in the sera of TS patients. He and his team are now exploring how these autoantibodies work and are developing models to test whether they are capable of producing the symptoms of the disorder. The researchers' goal is to develop new treatment options for TS.
In addition to a B.A. from Harvard College, Lombroso holds an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He did his internship in pediatrics at Montefiore Hospital and his residency in adult psychiatry at Bronx Municipal Hospital Center (now Jacobi Hospital). While maintaining a private practice in adult and child psychiatry, he served as chief resident in child psychiatry at Beth Israel Hospital (1980-1981); instructor at Harvard Medical School and child psychiatrist at the affiliated Cambridge Hospital (1981-1984); forensic psychiatrist for the Cambridge Court Clinic (1983-1984); and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College and chief of the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York (1984-1987). He then served as research assistant professor in psychiatry at New York University Medical School and research associate in the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (1987-1988).
Lombroso came to the Yale Child Study Center as a National Institutes of Health/Merck Postdoctoral Fellow in 1988. He was appointed assistant professor in 1990, associate professor in 1995 and professor in 2003.
In addition to his other professional affiliations, Lombroso has served as assistant editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry since 1997.
T H I S
Dr. Paul Lombroso appointed
Mears and Jameson Professor
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
John Pepper named V.P. for Finance & Administration
Yale expands Homebuyer Program
Professorship honors former Yale president
Students win Rhodes, Marshall Scholarships
Roland Betts named Corporation's senior fellow
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPSDr. Paul Lombroso appointed Mears and Jameson Professor
Dr. Fred Volkmar is named the Irving B. Harris Professor
Dr. Joseph Woolston is designated the Albert Solnit Professor
K. Sudhir is appointed the James L. Frank '32 Associate Professor
DeVane Lectures to investigate meanings of keywords
Yale is site of state's first high-efficiency fuel cell power plant
Yale department adds a personal touch to holiday giving
Artworks created in captivity donated to Yale Art Gallery
Symposium to explore issues of 'space and race'
Journalists offer perspectives on global events, world leadersFriedman says globalization's rules have replaced those of Cold War
Gourevitch calls for 'greater clarity' in coverage of international issues
Bumiller describes media's battle to cover a secretive White House
Scientists find oldest definitively male fossil
Group prenatal care benefits preterm infants, study shows
Studies say newer psychiatric medications not cost-effective
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home