In a wide-ranging Genomic Press Interview published coming successful Brain Medicine, Dr. David R. Rubinow recounts nan serendipitous way that led him to overturn decades of aesculapian assumptions astir hormone-related temper disorders successful women.
The question and reply reveals really a chance telephone telephone accepting a fellowship position he had initially rejected group Dr. Rubinow connected a trajectory that would fundamentally alteration really medicine understands and treats reproductive temper disorders. His find that women pinch conditions for illustration premenstrual dysphoric upset (PMDD), postpartum depression, and perimenopausal slump person wholly normal hormone levels challenged nan prevailing contented of an full field.
The powerfulness of saying yes
"I called him correct backmost and said that I would beryllium grateful to judge his invitation," Dr. Rubinow recalls of nan infinitesimal that changed his profession trajectory. That determination to activity pinch Dr. Bob Post astatine nan National Institute of Mental Health launched a 27-year profession astatine NIH that would validate nan experiences of millions of women whose hormone-related temper symptoms had been dismissed aliases misunderstood.
Through meticulous investigation involving blinded hormone manipulation studies, Dr. Rubinow and workfellow Dr. Peter Schmidt identified what they termed "differential sensitivity" – nan arena wherever susceptible women respond otherwise to normal hormonal fluctuations. This breakthrough shifted curen approaches from attempting to normalize hormone levels to targeting nan abnormal consequence mechanisms themselves.
From chair to bedside
The applicable effect of Dr. Rubinow's activity materialized erstwhile his insights contributed to processing brexanolone (Zulresso), nan first FDA-approved medicine specifically for postpartum depression. Unlike accepted antidepressants, this neurosteroid curen straight addresses nan differential sensitivity mechanisms his investigation had uncovered.
In nan interview, Dr. Rubinow shares really his inheritance successful accuracy and history unexpectedly prepared him for technological discovery. "What I enjoyed successful those 2 areas were nan subject of questioning successful accuracy and nan opportunity for imaginative linking of ideas successful history," he explains. This interdisciplinary reasoning enabled him to place caller connections that yielded important physiological insights.
Building bequest done leadership
After establishing himself arsenic a researcher, Dr. Rubinow brought his imagination to nan University of North Carolina astatine Chapel Hill successful 2006, serving arsenic Chair of Psychiatry until 2019. During his tenure, he founded nan UNC Center for Women's Mood Disorders, established (with Samantha Meltzer-Brody) nan nation's first peripartum psychiatry inpatient unit, and created (with Susan Girdler) nan first NIH-sponsored fellowship successful women's temper disorders.
The question and reply besides reveals Dr. Rubinow's parallel passions for euphony and woodworking, offering glimpses into nan personification down nan technological achievements. His accuracy of "bringing nan chisel erstwhile sent for nan hammer" – inherited from his grandfather – reflects nan thoughtful, broad attack that characterized his investigation career.
Recognition and reflection
A personnel of nan National Academy of Medicine since 2012 and past president of some nan Society of Biological Psychiatry and nan American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Dr. Rubinow has authored complete 400 technological publications. Yet successful nan interview, he attributes overmuch of his occurrence to serendipity and being unfastened to unexpected opportunities.
His activity has peculiar relevance arsenic consciousness of women's intelligence wellness continues to grow. By establishing reproductive psychiatry arsenic a morganatic subspecialty pinch evidence-based treatments, Dr. Rubinow's investigation has provided dream and validation for women whose experiences were antecedently marginalized successful aesculapian settings.
Dr. David R. Rubinow's Genomic Press question and reply is portion of a larger bid called Innovators & Ideas that highlights nan group down today's astir influential technological breakthroughs. Each question and reply successful nan bid offers a blend of cutting-edge investigation and individual reflections, providing readers pinch a broad position of nan scientists shaping nan future. By combining a attraction connected master achievements pinch individual insights, this question and reply style invites a richer communicative that some engages and educates readers. This format provides an perfect starting constituent for profiles that research nan scientist's effect connected nan field, while besides rubbing connected broader quality themes. More accusation connected nan investigation leaders and rising stars featured successful our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview bid tin beryllium recovered successful our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.
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Journal reference:
Rubinow, D. R., (2025) David R. Rubinow: Triggers and susceptibility–reproductive steroids and nan regularisation of affective state. Brain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.61373/bm025k.0089