Congratulations to Christine Curry, MD, for being named the first holder of the Lynn M. Garvey Endowed Professorship in First Episode Psychosis Care. Lynn Garvey, a grateful family member, has generously given funds to the medical school for establishing this endowed professorship. The primary purpose of the endowed fund is to enhance the University’s ability to recruit and retain faculty in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, with a particular interest and dedication to care for youth and young adults experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

Dr. Curry was selected because of her tremendous commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients and their families. Although she had no plans to go into mental health while getting her MD at the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison, she quickly recognized the disparities and isolation in health care and felt drawn to helping break down the barriers to getting care. Dr. Curry decided to pursue a psychiatry residency at the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences because of the chance to work at Harborview Medical Center.

“Harborview’s mission of treating the underserved fits with my goals and ethics,” she says. “People with the most needs often demand the least and get lost in the shuffle. We can’t forget about the most vulnerable population.”

Dr. Curry feels strongly that patients and families feel well represented by the people who work in mental health care, both through diversity in their teams and respect for their differences. She is a member of the newly launched Specialized Treatment Program for Early Psychosis (STEP) at Harborview, an interdisciplinary team that provides state-of-the-art coordinated care for individuals who have recently had a first episode of psychosis. She also works at the community mental center and provides outpatient consults to Harborview clinicians. All in all, Dr. Curry has roughly 500 patients in her case load at any given time.

“I always wanted to work clinically because I like working with patients, especially those who feel isolated which is often tied to experiences of psychosis,” she says. “I am really touched to be considered much less chosen for this professorship. I look forward to advocating for youth and young adults experiencing a first episode of psychosis, as well as their families.”