Lisa Dixon, M.D., M.P.H. directs the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) at the New York State Psychiatric Institute where she is also a Professor of Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center. As CPI director, she oversees key activities for the Office of Mental Health in implementing evidenced based practices for persons diagnosed with serious mental illness. She is currently the Principal Investigator of the NIMH-funded Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode Implementation and Evaluation Study (RAISE-IES) that has developed and tested an innovative model, the Connection Program, designed to improve outcomes and reduce disability for the population of individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis (FEP). Dr. Dixon is also leading the New York statewide FEP initiative, OnTrackNY, which aims to implement the Connection Program throughout the New York State.
Until April, 2012, Dr. Dixon was a Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Division of Services Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Acting Director of the VA Capitol Health Care Network MIRECC. Dr. Dixon is an established health services researcher with continuous funding from NIMH, VA and foundations since 1992. Her grants have focused on improving the quality of care for individuals with serious mental disorders with a particular emphasis on services that include families, reducing the negative impact of co-occurring addictions and medical problems, and improving treatment engagement and adherence. Dr. Dixon’s work has joined individuals engaged in self-help, outpatient psychiatric care, as well as clinicians and policy makers in collaborative research endeavors. In addition, Dr. Dixon is the current editor of a column in Psychiatric Services dedicated to Public-Academic partnerships. She has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and received the 2009 American Psychiatric Association Health Services Senior Scholar Award as well as the Wayne Fenton Award for Exceptional Clinical Care.
In addition, Dr. Dixon has a long standing interest in education, and was Director of Education and Residency Training of the University of Maryland-Sheppard Pratt Residency training program at its inception. She was a Vice Chair of the University of Maryland IRB for nine years.