Helen Lavretsky: Translational neuroscience of integrative medicine

Professor Helen Lavretsky, a pioneering force in geriatric psychiatry and integrative medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)'s Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of brain health and aging. Her groundbreaking research connecting mind-body interventions with neurobiological mechanisms has transformed skepticism into scientific acceptance, establishing new paradigms in mental health care. As director of research for the UCLA's Integrative Medicine Collaborative and Late-life Mood, Stress and Wellness Research Program, she has led seminal studies on novel therapeutic combinations for treatment-resistant depression and cognitive disorders. Her work, recognized by “triple crown” honors from major psychiatric associations in 2020, spans from innovative psychopharmacology to pioneering investigations in yoga and Tai Chi for mental health. A dedicated mentor who has championed women and underrepresented minorities in science for over 25 years, Professor Lavretsky currently serves as President of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (2022–25), and she is on the Advisory Research Council to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Medicine. In her engaging Genomic Press Interview, Professor Lavretsky shares insights from her remarkable journey from a young medical student to becoming a leading voice in integrative psychiatry, offering a compelling glimpse into the future of personalized mental health care.