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Celebrating 50 years of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA

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Celebrating 50 years of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA

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

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

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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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Youth Mental Wellbeing: A Youth-Led Design Lab on Brain Health, the Arts and AI

May 01, 2026

On the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month — as California’s landmark Prop 1 Mental Health Accountability Act takes effect — UCLA’s Semel Institute Teen Advisory Council, well-known artists dedicated to community healing, SoCal youth organizations and OpenAI Academy will convene the people who can actually solve this: young Californians themselves. Youth Mental Wellbeing: A Youth-Led Design Lab on…

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Understanding UCLA’s Ecological Medicine & Psychedelic Studies Initiative

The UCLA Ecological Medicine & Psychedelic Studies Initiative, part of the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, is investigating scientifically validated treatments for mental health. Project Reconnect will link the care and health of the natural world to the improved well-being of individuals and communities. A monthly affinity group offers lectures and other activities such as forest bathing,…

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