One of the most visible members of APA’s delegation to the AMA’s recent House of Delegates meeting in Chicago was Carolyn Robinowitz, M.D.

As a result of the AMA’s elections, a vacancy was created on its Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA). The Section Council on Psychiatry nominated Robinowitz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist from Washington D.C., then dean of the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

In her nomination speech on the floor of the House of Delegates, Robinowitz described her wide range of experience as a clinician and academician, a medical educator, and a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. Robinowitz told the House of Delegates, "I know that advances in science must be translated into practical applications and clinical programs.

"I hope that I would bring added value to the panel," Robinowitz continued, "with a special perspective of neuroscience, developmental behavioral issues, and special issues of psychosocial behavioral health."

Robinowitz told the delegates that she would work to address the areas of clinical research, recruiting, training and retraining of "trench researchers" and their translation of science data into clinical applications.

"We also need to emphasize ethics, patient safety, and protection, not just informed consent but ensuring proper enrollment of patients into clinical trials, as well as ensuring that the research continuum leads to greater collaboration between community-based physicians and the academic sector," she said.

Robinowitz was one of eight candidates nominated for the seat on the council. She was one of the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot, but she lost the runoff vote.

"The significance of having a psychiatrist, and especially a devoted member of APA, on the CSA lies in the numerous issues the council considers that involve psychiatry, either directly or peripherally," said Robinowitz, who is a former senior deputy medical director of APA, in an interview with Psychiatric News. "Having a seat on the council, we could help to set an agenda, steering the council to address issues that are vital to psychiatry but also have broad impact on the whole house of medicine."

Robinowitz announced her intention to run again next year for an upcoming vacancy on the CSA.