Biography
Dr. McInnis, the Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression, is the Director of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program, leading a team of over 30 faculty and staff with several projects focused on bipolar disorder. These projects include collaborative programs using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to model bipolar disorder, the use of mobile technology to monitor and predict mood state changes in the illness, as well as assessments of cognitive capacity of individuals with bipolar disorder. Dr. McInnis is active in community outreach and educational programs. Furthermore, he is the Associate Director for Research at the University of Michigan Depression Center.
Dr. McInnis trained in Canada, Iceland, London (UK), and Baltimore (Johns Hopkins University). He is an internationally recognized expert in bipolar and depressive disorders.
Dr. McInnis came to the University of Michigan in 2004 with the vision of changing the scientific landscape in bipolar disorder. He established a longitudinal study of bipolar disorder with a focus on detailed clinical and biological outcomes research in this devastating illness. He collaborates nationally and internationally in many programs of bipolar research. He has forged substantial collaborations with investigators across several schools of the University of Michigan, ranging from genetics, public health, and psychology, through complex modeling approaches that engage experts from mathematics and computer science.
Dr. McInnis points out that the key to understanding bipolar illness is the careful study of people with the disease to determine what causes them to become ill. What helps them stay well? How can we understand the interaction of risk and protective factors around the person and change them to favor the person and his/her family?
Dr. McInnis is actively involved at the university in mentoring junior faculty and research staff on clinical translational research in bipolar disorder. In addition to his clinical, research, and mentoring roles, Dr. McInnis has authored 270 scientific publications, and has received federal research funding for the past 25 years. He is an active reviewer for top ranked scientific journals.
Credentials
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Fellow in Human Genetics and Psychiatry, 1989-1993
- Maudsley Hospital, Inst Psychiatry, U. London, U.K., Residency in Psychiatry, 1986-1989
- National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland, Research Fellow, 1985-1986
- National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland, Internship and 1 yr Psych., 1983-1985
- University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland MD, Medical School, 1977-1983
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, 1975-1977