Ziad Nahas
,
Credentials
MD, MSCR

Executive Vice Chair, Professor
Biography

Bio

I received my Medical Degree from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. I then completed an internship in Psychiatry at L’Institut Paul Silvadon, a Lacanian day hospital, and Hopital Charles Foix, both in Paris, France. I moved to Houston Texas in 1993 as a resident in Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. I also attended the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute’s psychodynamic psychotherapy course. I later joined the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 1997 where I completed a research fellowship in Functional Neuroimaging and Psychopharmacology and a Master of Science in Clinical Research. I was a faculty member from 1999 to 2011 with a specific focus on research in mood disorders and brain stimulation. From Summer 2011 to Spring 2017, I was the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) where I helped develop the department's clinical, educational, and research portfolio. 

My scientific interests lie in translational research of mood dysregulation and depressive disorders. My unique expertise is in functional neuroimaging and brain stimulation across various modalities [Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Prefrontal Cortical Stimulation (PCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Focally Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST)]. I have also conducted basic research and collaborated on health economic studies.

Within the medical school, I am the Fellowship Director of the MnDrive Neuromodulation Medicine Fellowship. I am also the executive vice chair for the department.

In addition to my scientific and academic contributions, I have been a strong advocate for the parity of mental health care coverage in Lebanon. I co-founded Embrace, a Non-Profit Organization to fight the stigma associated with mental illness and provide financial support for patients who cannot afford the cost of their treatments. Embrace launched the first Suicide Prevention Help Line in the Middle East.

Professional outreach and public service is also a key focus of my career. I am also a full member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. To date, I have presented both nationally and internationally at over 70 conferences. I have received several awards including the NARSAD Independent Investigator Award and the Developing Scholar Award at MUSC. 

Expertise

  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
  • Epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation (EpCS)
  • Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ETC)
  • Focally electrically administered seizure therapy (FEAST)

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Molly Jokimaki
jokim004@umn.edu

In the Media

Research Summary

Dr. Nahas's scientific interests lie in translational research of mood dysregulation and depressive disorders. His unique expertise is in functional neuroimaging and brain stimulation across various modalities [Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Epidural prefrontal Cortical Stimulation (EpCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Focally Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST)]. He has also conducted basic research and collaborated on health economic studies. He received funding from various sources, notably the National Institute of Mental Health, National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) and the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF). 

Teaching Summary

Dr. Nahas's areas of teaching involve mood disorders; neuromodulation; and empathy.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Nahas's clinical interests involve treatment-resistant mood disorders; anxiety disorders; neuromodulation; and insight-oriented dynamic psychotherapy

Education

MD, Saint Joseph University

Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements

Fellowship,
Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry
MSCR,
Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Biometry
Residency,
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Internship,
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Internship,
L’Elan, Department of Psychiatry
Internship,
Hôpital Charles-Foix, Unite de Psychogeriatrie, Department of Psychiatry
Internship,
Hôpital de la Croix Jel ElDib, Department of Psychiatry

Honors and Recognition

NARSAD Independent Investigator Award
Top 10 Research Developments for 2009 NARSAD
Health Science Research Foundation Developing Scholar Award MUSC
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Memorial Travel Award
Health Emotion Research Institute Travel Award
Fellow Award, The 7th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry
Best Resident's Paper Award, The Texas Psychiatric Physicians Association

Professional Memberships

Embrace
International Society of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Neuromodulation
American Psychiatric Association
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Society of Biological Psychiatry

Languages

Arabic
French
Selected Publications

Selected Publications

Dandekar, M., Diaz, A., Rahman, Z., Silva, R., Nahas, Z., Aaronson, S., Selvaraj, S., Fenoy, A., Sanches, M., Soares, J., Riva-Posse, P., Quevedo, J., 2022. A narrative review on invasive brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Braz J Psychiatry, 44 (3): 317-330.
Bizri, M., Zeinoun, L., Mihailescu, A., Daher, M., Atoui, M., Chammay, R., Nahas, Z., 2021. A closer look at patterns and characteristics of suicide in Lebanon: A first nationwide report of cases from 2008 to 2018. Asian J Psychiatr., 59 (102635):
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102635 PubMed ID: 33417991.
Chamaa, F., Darwish, B., Nahas, Z., Al-Chaer, E., Saade, N., Abou-Kheir, W., 2021. Long- term stimulation of the anteromedial thalamus increases hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial reference memory in adult rats. Behav Brain Res, 402 (113114):
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113114 PubMed ID: 33417991.
Webler, R., Hamady, C., Molnar, C., Johnson, K., Bonilha, L., Anderson, B., Bruin, C., Bohning, D., George, M., Nahas, Z., 2020. Decreased interhemispheric connectivity and increased cortical excitability in unmedicated schizophrenia: A prefrontal interleaved TMS fMRI study. Brain Stimul., 13 (5): 1467-1475.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2020.06.017 PubMed ID: 32585355.
Ghossoub, E., Adib, S., Maalouf, F., El-hajj Fuleihan, G., Tamim, H., Nahas, Z., 2019. Association between Substance Use Disorders and Self- and Other-Directed Violence: An Integrated Model Approach. Aggress Behav, 45 (6): 652-661.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21859 PubMed ID: 31418875.
F, K., Nahas, Z., 2018. Predicting Effective Connectivity within Brain Dynamical Subnetworks: A Blind Module Identification Approach. Brain Topography (in press). Brain Topogr, 32 (1): 28-65.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-018-0666-3 PubMed ID: 30076488.
Chamaa, F., Bahmad, H., Makkawi, A., Chalhoub, R., Al-Chaer, E., Bikhazi, G., Nahas, Z., Abou-Kheir, W., 2018. Nitrous Oxide Induces Prominent Cell Proliferation in Adult Rat Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus. Front Cell Neurosci, 12 135.
doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2018.00135 PubMed ID: 29867368.
Atoui, M., Jamil, E., Khoury, E., Doumit, M., Syriani, N., Khani, M., Nahas, Z., 2018. The relationship between clinical insight and cognitive and affective empathy in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res Cog, 12 56-65.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scog.2018.02.004 PubMed ID: 29928598.
Williams, N., Bentzley, B., Hopkins, T., Pannu, J., Sahlem, G., Takacs, I., George, M., Nahas, Z., 2018. Optimization of epidural cortical stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Brain Stimul, 11 (1): 239-240.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2017.09.001 PubMed ID: 28918944.
Mokad, A., Forouzanfar, M., Daoud, F., El Bcheraoui, C., Moradi-Lakeh, M., Nahas, Z., et al., 2016. Health in times of uncertainty in the eastern Mediterranean region, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease. Lancet Glob Health, 4 (10): 704-713.
Selected Presentations

Selected Presentations

Nahas, Z. "Brain Stimulation Therapies in Mood Disorders", First Annual Meeting of Neuroscience Weil Cornell, Qatar. (2014),
Nahas, Z. "Epidural Cortical Stimulation", Weil Cornell New York Grand Rounds, New York, New York. (2015),
Nahas, Z. "1.Embrace and the launching the first suicide prevention helpline in the Middle East.", John Hopkins Public Health invited lectures, Baltimore, Maryland. (2018),
Nahas, Z. "Focal Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy", Society of Biological Psychiatry 70th Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada. (2015),
Nahas, Z. "Medial and Lateral Stimulation for Depression", Stanford University Neurosurgery Special Lecture, Stanford, California. (2015),
Nahas, Z. "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Focal Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy", AHNI Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. (2015),
Nahas, Z. "Focal Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy", 1st International Brain Stimulation Meeting, Singapore. (2015),
Nahas, Z. "Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression", LivaNova, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (2016),
Nahas, Z. "Lateral and Medial prefrontal stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression", 49th Middle East Medical Assembly (MEMA) annual meeting, Beirut, Lebanon. (2018),
Nahas, Z. "Depression in Palliative Care Setting", 49th Middle East Medical Assembly (MEMA) annual meeting, Beirut, Lebanon. (2018),
Contact

Contact

Address

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, F282/2A West Building, 2450 Riverside Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454