Steven Alan Rasmussen is an American psychiatrist, best known for his research on the course and treatment of

obsessive–compulsive disorder Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts (an ''obsession'') and feels the need to perform certain routines (''Compulsive behavior, compulsions'') repeatedly to relieve the dis ...

(OCD). He is currently the Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the

Alpert Medical School The Warren Alpert Medical School (formerly known as Brown Medical School, previously known as Brown University School of Medicine) is the medical school of Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island. Originally established in 1811, it ...

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

. A member of the second graduating class of the

Program in Liberal Medical Education The Program in Liberal Medical Education, or PLME, is an eight-year combined baccalaureate-M.D. medical program offered by Brown University. Members of the program are simultaneously accepted into both the undergraduate College of Brown University ...

, Rasmussen earned his Master of Medical Sciences and

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

degrees from Brown University in 1977. He completed his residency in psychiatry at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1983. Rasmussen joined the Brown faculty in 1983 and served as the Medical Director of

Butler Hospital Butler Hospital is a private, non-profit, psychiatric and substance abuse hospital for adolescents, adults, and seniors, located at 345 Blackstone Boulevard in Providence, Rhode Island. The hospital is affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical S ...

from 1998 to 2012. In 2013, he was appointed the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School in Brown University. He is a member of the

Society for Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a professional society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., for basic scientists and physicians around the world whose research is focused on the study of the brain and nervous system. It is especially well k ...

, the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 39,200 members who are in ...

, and

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is an international non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a faculty member and graduate students in 1886 and is one of the oldest ...

. Rasmussen's research primarily focuses on obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and

neuromodulatory Neuromodulation is the physiological process by which a given neuron uses one or more chemicals to regulate diverse populations of neurons. Neuromodulators typically bind to metabotropic, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to initiate a secon ...

treatments for psychiatric disorders. By July 2018, Rasmussen's original article on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was the most cited paper on OCD. Rasmussen has received several awards and honors for his work. In 2001, the

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a United States–based nonprofit organization originally founded as a grassroots group by family members of people diagnosed with mental illness. NAMI identifies its mission as "providing advoca ...

(NAMI) honored Rasmussen with an Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. The Leksell Society presented him the Pioneer in

Radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually us ...

Award in 2006.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people Brown University faculty American psychiatrists Brown University alumni {{US-psychiatrist-stub Obsessive–compulsive disorder researchers