Here’s a breakdown of the key accomplishments and facts about Peter Charles Whybrow, based on the provided text:
Key Research & Contributions:
* Thyroid Hormone & Depression: Pioneering research with Prange demonstrating the benefit of supplementing antidepressants with thyroid hormone, especially for women. They found a correlation between thyroid hormone levels and recovery speed from depression. This is a significant contribution to clinical treatment of mood disorders.
* Brain-Thyroid Connection (Later Work): Continued this research with Michael Bauer, using brain imaging to show how thyroxine affects brain regions regulating emotion.
* ChronoRecord: Co-developed the first electronically-based daily self-rating system for patients to track their illness and treatment progress.
* Whole-Brain Models: Later research focused on whole-brain models of brain states, aiming to improve treatment for neuropsychiatric patients.
Career highlights:
* Medical Research Council Depression Unit (UK): Returned in 1968, where initial thyroid/depression research was conducted.
* dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire): Assistant Professorship (1969),quickly rising to Chairman of Psychiatry.
* University of Pennsylvania: Returned to psychiatry in 1984, developing insights into mood cycling.
* University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): 23 years in multiple leadership roles (Executive Chair of Psychiatry, Director of Semel Institute, Chief Executive of Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital), building a leading psychiatric research center.
* Oxford University: Co-founded the Center for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing (2020).
Writing & Thoght Leadership:
* A Mood Apart (1997): Explores emotion, depression, and mania, offering guidance on identifying and managing mood disorders.
* American Mania (2005): Connects “manic” behavior to American cultural history.
* The Well-Tuned Brain (2015): Links neuropsychiatric research to broader cultural themes and proposes solutions.
Personal Life:
* Born: June 13, 1939
* Died: August 25, 2025
* Marriages: Ruth Steele (married 1962, divorced), Eva Redei (divorced 1998), Nancy Main (married 2014, died 2017).
* Children: Kate and Helen.
* Grandchildren: Chase, Gavin, Willa, and Wren.
* Brother: John.
