Semel Institute

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Celebrating 50 years of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA

Featured

Semel Welcomes Suma Jacob, MD, PhD, Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

About Us

Leading the way in human neuroscience research, education, clinical care, and wellbeing

The Institute provides a collaborative home for preeminent researchers and faculty across many disciplines to study complex human behavior. Their research includes the genetic, biological, behavioral, and sociocultural underpinnings of behavior and the causes and consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Research

Dedicated to the discovery of better treatments, prevention strategies, and cures

Operating in one of the premier biomedical research institutions in the world, our research faculty members conduct state of the art basic, clinical, and translational research aimed at improving the care of people with mental illness both locally and globally.

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Helena Hansen, MD, PhD Interim Director, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior

What makes the Semel Institute unique is its transdisciplinary approach to translational research. We translate discoveries made at the basic neuroscience level to patient care, ultimately improving population-level outcomes and providing a true benefit to society.

Education

Designed to serve current UCLA and visiting undergraduates and graduate students, medical students, residents, and postgraduate researchers

The Office of Education houses a variety of clinical and nonclinical training programs and fields of research. As the field of Psychiatry continues to expand within and across disciplines, the Office of Education at the Semel Institute will continue to help shape the education and training of future leaders in the field.

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Clinical

Partners with the Department of Psychiatry and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital to provide clinical care

The Semel Institute, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital are three separate entities with a shared mission to serve and heal our community. This inextricable link brings together world-class researchers and clinicians to discover and implement effective treatments for patient care.

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Latest News

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Semel in the News – August 2026

Psychology Today Yes, Breathwork Works—Especially for Trauma — Coverage of study by Dara Ghahremani, research professor at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. The Baltimore Sun Has sports’ embrace of gambling contributed to scandals? — Expert commentary from Dr. Timothy Fong, co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, director of the UCLA Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship and professor of psychiatry at the…

Find Your Voice in Leadership: Speak With Clarity and Listen With Intent

September 16, 2026

STAR Seminar: Find Your Voice in Leadership: Speak With Clarity and Listen With Intent September 16, 2026 (Wednesday) 9:00 am – 10:00 am Register online: https://learn.wellbeing4la.org/detail?id=403536&k=1785196294

The Impact of Social Media on Youth

September 10, 2026

The Impact of Social Media on Youth hosted by the Nathanson Family Resilience Center for Parents and Caregivers 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM Thursday, September 10, 2026 Register Online: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019f711cf9eb70f6bc23af82d0be2410

STAR Seminar: Stress, Resilience, and Culturally Robust Care: Advancing Mental Health Equity for Diverse Communities

August 19, 2026

In the United States, racially and ethnically minoritized groups endure pervasive mental health inequities compared with their white counterparts. Numerous factors contribute to these outcomes, including chronic exposure to stressors, a paucity of treatments that attend to cultural differences, and limited access to mental health services. During this Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Seminar, Dr. Giovanni Ramos will discuss how…