Helen Blair Simpson

Helen Blair Simpson, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of multiple centers including the Center for Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (Columbia-OCD.org). She leads interdisciplinary research addressing OCD treatment development, clinical trials, neuroimaging, and basic science collaborations. Her work is funded by NIMH and private foundations. Simpson graduated from Yale University with a BS in Biology, then completed an MD-PhD at Rockefeller University/Cornell Medical College, focusing on songbird neurobiology. She held residency and fellowship roles at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and has been at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic since 1996, advancing to directorship.

Her research emphasizes translational approaches, integrating basic neuroscience insights with clinical studies. She directs the Translational Therapeutics Program at NYSPI and co-leads the Youth Anxiety Center. Key contributions include advancing exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapies and identifying brain mechanisms underlying OCD. Simpson chairs the ENIGMA-OCD Working Group, coordinating global neuroimaging studies to map OCD biomarkers.

Her scientific awards include the ACNP Julius Axelrod Mentorship Award (2020). Research highlights include global OCD studies on structural brain changes and functional connectivity, as well as investigations into ketamine therapy for pediatric OCD. Simpson advises WHO on OCD guidelines and leads workforce development programs like IMPACT-OCD to improve clinician training. Her work spans clinical trials, neuroimaging, and implementation science to enhance OCD care accessibility worldwide.