New York State Psychiatric Institute - Residency Program

Prior to becoming an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University in New York, New York, Dr. Susan Turner attended the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, New York, where she earned her medical degree. Dr. Susan Turner began her internship and residency in psychiatry at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital as well as at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI).

Established in 1895, the New York State Psychiatric Institute is one of the first hospitals in the country to incorporate teaching and research into the care of patients dealing with mental diseases. The residency training program at NYSPI is designed for a four-year program with residents serving the first year as an internship. During the first year, interns work with patients dealing with illnesses ranging from eating disorders and addictions to children and adolescents who are experiencing everything from mood disorders to prescription and drug abuse.

American Psychiatric Association Names New President-Elect

Susan Turner

With over 13 years of experience, board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Susan Turner treats patients from her private practice in New York City. An involved professional, Dr. Susan Turner works to stay abreast of the latest developments in psychiatry through her membership in the American Psychiatric Association.

In a recent press release, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced that Anita Everett, MD, has been named the organization’s next president-elect. Everett, a professor of psychiatry at John Hopkins School of Medicine, is the former president of the Maryland Psychiatric Society, and she previously served the APA as chair of the Task Force on Healthcare Reform 2015 and chair of the Council on Healthcare Systems and Finance.

Dr. Everett will assume her role as APA president in May 2017 after current President-Elect Maria Oquendo, MD, serves her one-year presidential term. When she assumes the role, Dr. Everett will lead the APA in its efforts to extend behavioral health access to all Americans and promote effective treatments for individuals affected by serious mental illness.

Bipolar Disorder Linked to Faster Biological Aging

A privately practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Turner treats patients who live with a broad range of singular disorders and co-morbid conditions. Dr. Susan Turner possesses particular expertise in the treatment of patients who have bipolar disorder in addition to diabetes.

The psychiatric profession has an established understanding that bipolar disorder can increase a person's risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions often associated with aging. According to a recent study conducted through King's College London, this association may stem from a biological susceptibility to faster aging.

The study focused on the comparative structure of telomeres. These protective coverings are located on the edge of each DNA strand and shorten with every replication, until the telomere is short enough that replication is no longer possible. Short telomeres thus correlate with advanced biological age, which may or may not align with chronological age.

Researchers found that individuals with bipolar disorder have shorter telomeres than their non-affected counterparts, and that these patients' immediate relatives had telomeres of similar length. This finding indicates not only that there is likely to be a link between bipolar disorder and faster aging, but also that the genetic predispositions toward the two processes may be connected. 

Data also showed that patients who had taken lithium for bipolar disorder did not have notably shorter telomeres than their healthy peers, which reinforces earlier findings that the drug may help to correct rapid aging while simultaneously treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder.