Victor I Reus

Victor I Reus is an American psychiatrist, academic and an author. He is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor at University of California, San Francisco.

Reus' research spans several decades and has contributed towards the understanding of the interplay between biological, psychological, and genetic factors in mental health, particularly in depression and related mood disorders. He co-invented a genetic method to identify, diagnose, classify, and personalize treatment for bipolar disorder using DNA polymorphisms within a specific region on the short arm of chromosome 18. He also received the 2009 Seymour Vestermark Psychiatry Educator Award from American Psychiatric Association.

Education Reus earned his B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University in 1969, followed by a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Maryland in 1973. He completed his Psychiatry Residency at the University of Wisconsin in 1976 and a Fellowship in Biological Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health. Focusing on the cognitive effects of corticosteroids revealed impairments in verbal memory among depressed patients and individuals exposed to corticosteroid treatments, which suggested specific cognitive vulnerabilities associated with these hormones and highlighted the potential utility of anti-glucocorticoid agents in the treatment of depression.

In the mid-1990s, Reus contributed to the genetic mapping of bipolar disorder (BPD), identifying a susceptibility locus at 18q22-q23. This work emphasized the value of genetic studies in understanding severe mood disorders. His investigations into the neuropsychiatric effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) during the late 1990s demonstrated its potential antidepressant and cognitive-enhancing effects, suggesting its promise as a treatment for depression, particularly among resistant cases. He also explored the role of serotonergic modulation in social behavior and personality traits. A 1998 study using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) demonstrated how serotonergic interventions could reduce negative affect and enhance affiliative behavior, even in non-depressed individuals.

In subsequent years, Reus explored the link between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in older adults, finding that depressive symptoms were associated with poorer cognitive performance and increased risks of cognitive deterioration. His work with colleagues from 2011 revealed correlations between major depressive disorder (MDD), oxidative stress, inflammation, and shortened leukocyte telomeres, suggesting a mechanism of accelerated biological aging in depression. Furthermore, his contributions to research on shared heritability among brain disorders highlighted the genetic overlap between psychiatric illnesses while delineating distinctions from neurological conditions. In 2022, a study on childhood adversity detailed how different dimensions of adverse experiences, such as maltreatment and household dysfunction, impact biological aging in individuals with depression, suggesting distinct mechanisms influencing disease progression.

Awards and honors 2009 – Seymour Vestermark Psychiatry Educator Award, American Psychiatric Association