Irving Reti

Irving Reti, MBBS, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical and research work is centered at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, where he investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and its applications in severe psychiatric conditions.

His research focuses on the Neurobiology of Disease, particularly:

• Mechanisms of action of ECT in severe depression
• ECT for intractable self-injurious behavior (SIB) in autism spectrum disorder
• Optimization of ECT to reduce memory and cognitive side effects
• Development of alternative, non-anesthetic brain stimulation therapies

He is particularly interested in how ECT can produce life-changing reductions in SIB, often by over 90%, and the long-term implications of maintenance ECT, especially in pediatric cases.

While specific publication titles are not listed in the text, his research output is regularly updated on his Google Scholar profile. His work spans clinical psychiatry, neuroscience, and translational therapy development, with a strong emphasis on improving somatic treatments for treatment-resistant conditions.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Dr. Reti has advised several trainees who have gone on to successful careers:

• Matthew Miskimon: MD/PhD student (Neuroscience), now Emergency Medicine Physician
• Jasjit Saini: Technician, now Assistant Professor of Ob-Gyn at Drexel University
• Punit Vaidya: Postdoctoral fellow, now Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western University
• Andrew Chang: Master’s student, now medical student at Brown University

He has been involved in grant-funded research related to ECT mechanisms and clinical applications, though specific grants are not listed.

Dr. Reti leads a research lab focused on the neurobiological effects of ECT and brain stimulation. His team has included technicians, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, contributing to both basic and clinical neuroscience. The lab’s work bridges psychiatry and neuroscience training programs at Johns Hopkins, particularly the Neuroscience Training Program and Behavioral Neuroscience and its Clinical Applications program.