Brown University

Brown University was the Baptist answer to Congregationalist Yale and Harvard, Presbyterian Princeton, and Episcopalian Penn and Columbia. At the time, it was the only one that welcomed students of all religious persuasions (following the example of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island in 1636 on the same principle). Brown has long since shed its Baptist affiliation, but remains dedicated to diversity and intellectual freedom.

In 1811, Brown first organized a medical program, which was suspended in 1827. The first M.D. degrees of the modern era were awarded in 1975 to a graduating class of 58 students. In 1984–85, the Brown Corporation approved an eight–year medical continuum called the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). About half of the openings for the first-year medical class are reserved for students who receive their undergraduate degrees through the PLME. Today Brown awards some 90 medical degrees annually.

The Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (DPHB) in the Alpert Medical School at Brown University is among the outstanding academic departments of psychiatry in the United States. The DPHB has a diverse and talented faculty who provide trainees and students with numerous educational opportunities in our three residencies, two fellowship programs, a psychology internship program, and seven postdoctoral training programs. The Department has over $50 million in externally sponsored research in innovative programs which are integral to the department’s mission to further understanding regarding the etiology and treatment of psychiatric illnesses. This commitment to education, translational research and clinical care is the foundation of the DPHB’s tradition of excellence.

The Department of Psychiatry at the Miriam Hospital is based on a consultation/liaison model and the team approach to patient care. The team consists of psychiatrists, psychologist, clinical nurse specialist and trainees; residents in psychiatry, post-doctoral fellows in psychology, psychology interns and medical students. Approximately 120-140 patients are seen in consultation and their psychiatric problems treated each month. The Division of Behavioral Medicine at Miriam Hospital, with extensive programs in chronic pain, risk factors for heart disease, smoking cessation and weight modification, offers a unique opportunity to learn behavioral techniques in health psychology and health maintenance. The Department of Psychiatry and Division of Behavioral Medicine at the Miriam Hospital are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the Alpert Medical School at Brown University.

Currently, Dr. Belinda Borrelli, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the Alpert Medical School at Brown University, is Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Michelle Henshaw of Project 2: Oral Health Advocates in Public Housing.