After serving 13 years as director for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Tom Insel will leave to join the Google Life Sciences team at Alphabet (formerly Google) in November. As director of the NIMH, Dr. Insel also chaired the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In his new role, Dr. Insel will lead a new program creating technology for earlier detection, better prevention and more effective management of mental health conditions.
Google Life Sciences is a vital partner to MSSNG– Autism Speaks’ historic program to sequence the whole genomes of 10,000 people in families affected by autism and make this unprecedented information available for global research that improves the lives of those affected by the condition.
In the 1990s, Dr. Insel was the founding director of Emory University’s Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and director of its federally funded Center for Autism Research. Known for his research into the neurobiology of complex social behaviors, Tom was a pioneer in the study of the role oxytocin and vasopressin in social bonding.
For more on Dr. Insel’s NIH departure, see the NIH Director’s Statement Regarding Dr. Thomas Insel’s Departure.
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