Mark Rapaport, MD Chair, Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences
Email: mark.rapaport@cshs.org Phone: (310) 423-2600 Fax: (310) 423-8397

Academic Appointments

Awards and Activities

Research Focus

There are four major areas of research focus: (1) the psychoneuro- immunology of complex psychiatric disorders; (2) clinical trial design and methodology; (3) quality of life and functioning in severe psychiatric disorders; and (4) the development of treatment strategies for mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders.

Research Contributions

Major contribution in the investigation of inflammation in neuropsychiatric disorders. Performed important work in the development of quality of life instruments and their employment as measures of treatment outcomes in psychiatric disorders. Involved in investigations of both traditional pharmacological approaches as well as complementary and alternative medicine approaches (St. John¿s Wort, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and massage therapy) for psychiatric disorders.

Current investigations include:

An NIH-sponsored trial investigating the relationship between inflammation, Major Depressive Disorder, and treatment with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Ongoing studies investigating the mechanism of action of massage therapy in normal volunteers as well as investigations of the interaction between the immune system psychotic disorders.

Selected Publications

1. Rapaport MH, Gharabawi GM, Canuso CM, Mahmoud RA, Keller MB, Bossie CA, Turkoz I, Lasser RA, Loescher A, Bouhours P, Dunbar F, Nemeroff CB: Effects of risperidone augmentation in patients with treatment-resistant depression: Results of open-label treatment followed by double-blind continuation. Neuropsychopharmacology, 31(11): 2505-13, 2006
2. Shelton RC, Haman KL, Rapaport MH, Kiev A, Smith WT, Hirschfeld RM, Lydiard RB, Zajecka JM, Dunner DL: A randomized, double-blind, active-control study of sertraline versus venlafaxine XR in major depressive disorder. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 67(11): 1674-81, 2006
3. Bresee CJ, Delrahim K, Maddux RE, Dolnak D, Ahmadpour O, Rapaport MH: The effects of celecoxib augmentation on cytokine levels in schizophrenia. Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol., 9(3): 343-8, 2005
4. Rapaport MH, Delrahim KK, Bresee CJ, Maddux RE, Ahmadpour O, Dolnak D: Celecoxib augmentation of continuously ill patients with schizophrenia. Biol. Psychiatry, 57(12): 1594-6, 2005
5. Rapaport MH, Clary C, Fayyad R, Endicott J: Quality-of-life impairment in depressive and anxiety disorders. The American journal of psychiatry, 162(6): 1171-8, 2005