VIDEO: The ‘artificial’ divide between biology and psychology

NEW YORK – “All psychology works through biology,” said the new head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD. “The divide is artificial at the level of neurocircuits.” All treatments for mental illness, from antidepressants to psychotherapy to emerging therapies, can be viewed through that lens.

In this video interview, conducted just days before he stepped into his new role, Dr. Gordon discusses how this biological view of the mind and brain will inform his approach to use of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) when reviewing grant applications, a process he said he is aware some researchers still resist.

“One thing that is important is that we really try to quantify and objectively evaluate behavior in the way that RDoC tries to do. RDoC essentially is a way to try to categorize behavior into its component building blocks, and then try to understand, yes, the biology underneath it,” Dr. Gordon said.

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On Twitter @whitneymcknight

NEW YORK – “All psychology works through biology,” said the new head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD. “The divide is artificial at the level of neurocircuits.” All treatments for mental illness, from antidepressants to psychotherapy to emerging therapies, can be viewed through that lens.

In this video interview, conducted just days before he stepped into his new role, Dr. Gordon discusses how this biological view of the mind and brain will inform his approach to use of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) when reviewing grant applications, a process he said he is aware some researchers still resist.

“One thing that is important is that we really try to quantify and objectively evaluate behavior in the way that RDoC tries to do. RDoC essentially is a way to try to categorize behavior into its component building blocks, and then try to understand, yes, the biology underneath it,” Dr. Gordon said.

[email protected]

On Twitter @whitneymcknight

NEW YORK – “All psychology works through biology,” said the new head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD. “The divide is artificial at the level of neurocircuits.” All treatments for mental illness, from antidepressants to psychotherapy to emerging therapies, can be viewed through that lens.

In this video interview, conducted just days before he stepped into his new role, Dr. Gordon discusses how this biological view of the mind and brain will inform his approach to use of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) when reviewing grant applications, a process he said he is aware some researchers still resist.

“One thing that is important is that we really try to quantify and objectively evaluate behavior in the way that RDoC tries to do. RDoC essentially is a way to try to categorize behavior into its component building blocks, and then try to understand, yes, the biology underneath it,” Dr. Gordon said.

[email protected]

On Twitter @whitneymcknight