Nasreen Akbar, MD

Background & Expertise

Dr. Nasreen Akbar is board-certified in both child/adolescent and adult psychiatry. She was raised in Chicago and Georgia and attended college at Northwestern University. She completed her medical school at Medical College of Georgia, a NIMH post-doctoral research fellowship at University of Michigan, an adult psychiatry residency at University of South Florida, and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Columbia and Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital.

In addition to running a private practice, Dr. Akbar is currently the Director of the SUNY Downstate/NYC Health+Hospital/Kings County Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program. She has worked in hospital settings including PHP and Inpatient and has run a first break psychosis unit. She has worked at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, and Kings Country Hospital. She is currently an investigator on a multi-site trial including NYU and the University of Michigan evaluating suicide in black youth. She is a published author, has lectured residents and fellows for several years, has taught trainees of all levels, and has received several accolades and awards for teaching.

Education & Training

Undergraduate:
Northwestern University

Medical School:
Medical College of Georgia

Residency:
University of South Florida

Fellowship:
Columbia and Cornell University

Research Interests

Dr. Akbar is currently the Kings Couny Hospital Site PI for granted funded trial with the University of Michigan and NYU: WeCare is evaluating an Emergency Department System of Care for Black Youth

WeCare is a systems-level suicide prevention strategy for Black adolescents (ages 12–19) presenting to emergency departments (EDs), combining universal screening, a targeted ED-based intervention, and six weeks of supportive text messaging.

Teaching

My teaching philosophy is grounded in collaboration, experiential learning, and a strengths-based approach to learner development. I believe that the most effective education occurs through active participation, reflection, and meaningful clinical experiences. My instructional goal is to create a supportive learning environment where trainees are empowered to develop confidence and competence through real-time supervision, direct observation, and timely feedback. By identifying and building upon each learner's unique strengths, I aim to foster professional growth, clinical excellence, and lifelong habits of reflective practice.