Psychiatry Meets the Global Stage
By Office of the President | Jun 3, 2025
Photo Credit: Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., DrMedSc
The 2025 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting opened with two extraordinary conversations that set the tone for a transformative gathering.
Venus Williams, tennis legend and advocate for wellness, joined Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., DrMedSc, Immediate Past President of the American Psychiatric Association and Interim Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Downstate, for a dynamic 40-minute fireside chat before an in-person and live-streamed audience of more than 5,000. Their exchange explored the intersections of mental health, lifestyle, and resilience, drawing from Williams’s journey of navigating high performance under public scrutiny.
Another landmark session featured Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Laureate and former President of Liberia, the first woman elected head of state in Africa. After her keynote, Dr. Viswanathan and Marketa M. Wills, M.D., MBA, FAPA, APA CEO, led a robust conversation with Madame Johnson Sirleaf on leadership, equity, and the mobilization of women to rebuild a war-torn nation. Their dialogue bridged global recovery efforts and psychiatry’s moral imperative in shaping just and empowered communities.
These moments transcended clinical discourse. Williams’s reflections on managing stress and Johnson Sirleaf’s insights on trauma and healing highlight psychiatry’s role in restoring just minds and societies. These speeches were calls to reimagine what leadership in mental health can achieve when rooted in humanity and purpose.
For Dr. Viswanathan, these conversations embodied a presidential year defined by vision, action, and resolve. The first leader of the APA from both the SUNY system and Brooklyn, he made history while steering the organization toward a future grounded in prevention, community, and evidence-based innovation.
His presidential theme, “Lifestyle for Positive Mental and Physical Health,” ignited a national movement. He launched the APA Presidential Workgroup on Lifestyle Psychiatry, led by Gia Merlo, M.D., Lifestyle Psychiatry Physician, and Educator, which convened nearly 150 members across six expert study groups. Their work culminated in a 370-page clinical resource authored by more than 30 contributors, set for publication on the APA website, along with a formal curriculum in development for psychiatric residency programs.
The work centered on six pillars: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, positive relationships, and avoidance of risky substances. This framework challenged psychiatry to adopt a more proactive stance that empowers patients through everyday choices instead of relying on medications.
Dr. Viswanathan expanded the APA’s reach through strategic partnerships with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. These collaborations strengthened the organization’s national influence and reaffirmed the centrality of wellness and prevention in mental health care.
At the 2025 Annual Meeting, lifestyle psychiatry took center stage. Fifteen percent of all sessions focused on this growing field, supported by a robust, year-round seminar series hosted by the APA Lifestyle Psychiatry Caucus. The momentum reflected a cultural and clinical shift toward whole-person care.
The APA established the Viswanathan Family Lifestyle Medicine and Psychiatry Award to honor his leadership. The first recipient, Dean Ornish, M.D., a renowned pioneer in integrative health, delivered the inaugural lecture during the CEO Plenary. This event celebrated his legacy and Dr. Viswanathan’s indelible influence on the field.
The meeting also marked a historic transition in leadership. Dr. Wills assumed the APA Chief Executive Officer role, becoming the first woman and African American to lead the organization, leaving Dr. Viswanathan hopeful for a broader movement toward bold, inclusive leadership.
Downstate faculty played a vital role throughout the conference. Michael F. Myers, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, chaired the Scientific Program Committee, shaping a program of academic rigor and clinical relevance.
In May 2025, Dr. Viswanathan concluded his presidential term, passing the mantle to Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., Chair and Medical Director of Psychiatry at Hunterdon Medical Center in New Jersey. The legacy he leaves behind is institutional and deeply human. The voices he elevated, including a world-class athlete, a Nobel laureate, and a rising generation of clinicians committed to lifestyle-based care, carry forward the message that psychiatry’s purpose extends beyond treatment as a vehicle for individual, system, and societal transformation.
Tags: Psychiatry