Ramaswamy Viswanathan

Ramaswamy Viswanathan is a Board-Certified Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. He serves as Director of the Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service, Program Director for the C-L Psychiatry Fellowship, and Core Faculty for the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program. He was President of the SUNY Downstate Faculty and Staff Assembly (2020–2022) and currently serves as a senator in the SUNY Faculty Senate (2022–2025).

• Education: Loyola College (Chennai, India), SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Madras Medical College, Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center (Internship), and SUNY Downstate (Residency/Fellowship).

Research Interests: His work focuses on

• Anxiety and Depression
• Medical Treatment Adherence
• Psychotherapy
• Ethical Dilemmas in Medicine
• Physician-Patient Communication
• Lifestyle Medicine for Health and Wellbeing

Scientific Awards: He has received prestigious accolades including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Society for Liaison Psychiatry and Brooklyn Psychiatric Society, and multiple American Psychiatric Association (APA) honors for education and mentorship. He is also a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Advising & Leadership: As Program Director for the C-L Psychiatry Fellowship and Core Faculty for the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, he mentors trainees. He has held leadership roles in national organizations, including Chair of the APA’s Committee on Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and President of the APA (2024–2025).