Nuri Farber

Nuri Farber

Professor of Psychiatry

Additional Titles & Roles


  • Director, Psychiatry Residency Training Program
  • Vice Chair – Education
  • Inpatient Attending
  • ECT Attending

Education & Training


  • Residency: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1993
  • MD: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1989
  • BA: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1985

Major Awards


  • Resident Mentoring Award, 2015
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, 2013
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, 1993
  • The Sandoz Award, In recognition of superior academic achievement and contribution to health care, 1989

Areas of Clinical Interest


psychosis, ECT, Alzheimer’s disease, intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, major depression, psychopharmacology

Research Interests


My research focuses are both clinical and basic science. Clinically I am currently studying the use of ketamine for treatment resistant depression. Our current goal is to evaluate the utility of a 96-hour subchronic dosing approach. I am also exploring the potential use of propofol to treat MDD. In basic science I focus on the ability of neuroactive chemicals/compounds, prescribed drugs, and abused drugs to injure/kill neurons and glia in the CNS. Most of these agents appear to produce injury by inhibiting neuronal activity (e.g. NMDA antagonists, GABA mimetics, anticonvulsants). Other agents (e.g. solvents) have a less clear mechanism. Techniques used in the lab are pharmacological, histochemical (light and EM), neuroanatomical and cognitive/behavioral in nature. Results could be important for understanding childhood developmental disorders like mental retardation, autism, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as adult disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.

Key Publications


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    Funded Research Projects


    NICHD(Significant Contributor):Washington University Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
    ICTS(PI):Maintaining Response to Ketamine in Patients with Major Depression
    NIMH(Co-PI):Washington University Psychiatry Residency Research Education Program
    NIMH(Significant Contributor):Brain and Cognitive Dynamics Following Electroconvulsive Therapy and Concurrent Anesthetic