Distinguished Scientist Award Goes to UConn’s Dr. David C. Steffens
Dr. David C. Steffens is the 2025 recipient of the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Steffens, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UConn School of Medicine, was named the winner of this lifetime achievement award during the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry on March 14 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Steffens was honored with the Distinguished Scientist Award for his career of scientific accomplishments in the field of geriatric psychiatry, as well as his mentoring of the next generation of researchers.
The AAGP is a national association representing and serving its members and the field of geriatric psychiatry. AAGP promotes the mental health and well-being of older people through professional education, public advocacy, and support of career development for clinicians, educators, and researchers in geriatric psychiatry and mental health.
“I am humbled that my colleagues nominated me and that I was selected for this honor,” shared Steffens whose work focuses on mood and cognitive disorders in older adults. For over two decades he has been continuously funded by The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other NIH institutes.
Steffens has served as chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UConn since 2012. He joined UConn after more than 20 years at Duke University School of Medicine, where he had served as a professor of psychiatry, vice chair for education and division chief of Geriatric Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is the past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and is the primary editor of the leading textbook in geriatric psychiatry. Steffens also has considerable experience in medical education and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, medical students, resident physicians, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty.
Steffens is graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas, Houston Health Science Center School of Medicine, and he completed his internship and residency in psychiatry at Duke.
Latest UConn Today
- UConn Entrepreneur Aims to Revolutionize Men’s Health CareReza Amin’s Bastion Health creates virtual, confidential, progressive approach to medical screening to help save lives
- UConn’s Sir Cato T. Laurencin Recognized as Springer Nature Editor of DistinctionSir Cato T. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D., K.C.S.L, has received a 2025 Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Award. The award is given to exceptional editors who have demonstrated commitment to upholding scientific accuracy and advancing discovery.
- UConn Health Minute: Two Lives, One TeamAn expectant mom learned she suffered a life-threatening condition. But the high risk pregnancy team at UConn Health had the expertise to keep mom safe as she delivered a healthy baby.
- Overcoming Engineering Challenges Was No Problem for This Student TeamA joint mechanical and electrical and computer engineering Senior Design team tackled various problems in the midst of an electric boat competition
- Beautiful Moments: SFA Alum Brings Smiles to Bridal Couples with Live Event PaintingWhen Erin Leigh Boughamer '94 (SFA) left UConn three decades ago with a degree in graphic design from the School of Fine Arts, event painting hadn’t yet become part of bridal vocabulary. To ask her back then if she foresaw herself with a wardrobe of dressy pantsuits, each with at least a little dollop of acrylic paint on them, she’d have said no way
- Kumar Venkitanarayanan Named Interim Dean of UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural ResourcesVenkitanarayanan is a leader in the field of egg and poultry meat safety and has served in several leadership roles within the University
