Maria Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D., 143rd President, 2016–2017

Dr. Maria Oquendo is the 143rd president of the American Psychiatric Association and Professor and Chairman of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Maria was born in Spain and grew up in Puerto Rico where she lived until attending college at Tufts University. She subsequently received her medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University followed by residency training in psychiatry at the Payne Whitney Clinic of what was then New York Hospital. After graduating, she joined the faculty at Columbia University where she worked as a community psychiatrist for eight years on an inpatient unit, teaching residents how to take care of patients with acute psychosis. She then did a remarkable thing—she changed paths to focus on primary research, studying suicide in the department of neuroscience. She is now an internationally recognized researcher with over 350 peer reviewed papers, numerous chapters and editorials, and independent grant funding. In addition, along the way, she earned her Ph.D. in Psychiatry from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain.

My work with Maria began in 2008 when she assumed the role of Vice Chair for Education and Director of Residency Training at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Although this may seem like another major turn in Maria’s career, mentoring medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty was always a role she held dear. Leading the education mission at Columbia was a natural fit for her.

During her tenure at Columbia, Maria had a remarkable impact on our training programs and our department. She secured NIH funding to support a research track program and codeveloped a research fellowship program in global mental health. She also developed new systems for evaluating and improving the residency program and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to recruiting and supporting underrepresented minorities in psychiatry.

Maria’s career in clinical work, research, medical education, and administration, and now national leadership and advocacy is inspiring. She is an amazing role model for women who aim to do it all! On a personal level, Maria has been an absolutely remarkable mentor. She supported me, promoted me, and encouraged me. And taught me that, sometimes, you just have to laugh.

Her leadership style is about creating an effective team and empowering others. I've worked with others who were hesitant to develop teams because they were concerned that this might decrease or dilute their power. Not Maria. She selflessly invests in others and in return has a room full of people who are incredibly dedicated to her.

As president of the APA, Maria has focused her efforts on prevention in psychiatry—recognizing that early identification and intervention for psychiatric illnesses with integrated access to care is critical to our field and our patients. As president, she represents our field at a national level, advocating for the patients and illnesses she treated as an inpatient attending and research psychiatrist. In addition, she continues to support young trainees entering the field.

Maria, we are so proud of you. We hope to continue your legacy. I think everyone knows that these are not just big shoes to fill, but some very high heels!

I am honored to present to you Dr. Maria Oquendo, the 143rd President of the American Psychiatric Association.