Jacobo
E. Mintzer, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Physiology and
Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston,
South Carolina. He is Chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and
Fellowship programs at MUSC, and Co-Director of Alzheimer’s Research &
Clinical Programs. Dr. Mintzer is the Director, Institute of Research Minority
Training on Mental Health & Aging (IRMMA) and Associate Director for
Alzheimer’s Research, Neuroscience Institute at the Medical University of
South Carolina. Dr. Mintzer is a distinguished fellow with the American
Psychiatric Association. Dr. Mintzer is former treasurer and board member for
the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP). He is former member of
the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on Aging and Co-Chair of the
Scientific Committee for the 2003 meeting of the International Psychogeriatric
Association (IPA). Additionally, he is the former Chair of the APA Committee on
Ethnic Minority Elderly Committee. Dr. Mintzer’s clinical interests are
concentrated on geriatric psychiatry and medicine, Alzheimer’s disease and
psychopharmacology of Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral management of agitated
demented patients, memory disorders, and mental health in the elderly as a
function of ethnicity.
Dr. Mintzer earned his medical degree at the University in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. He completed an internship and a five-year residency at the
Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine in Jerusalem, Israel, and a
fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the University of California in Los
Angeles. Dr Mintzer is fluent in five languages.
Dr. Mintzer has considerable experience in research, and particularly relevant
to IPA is his experience, in ethnic research and aging. To that effect, Dr.
Mintzer studied patterns of caregiving for Hispanic patients with Alzheimer’s
disease (served as PI on NIA-funded R29AG11248-01) and Ethnicity and Predictors
of Functional Decline in Dementia (Co-Investigator, R29MH047589-01A1). Dr.
Mintzer has been responsible for the educational core of federally and privately
funded projects that aimed to train minority and rural populations in issues
related to mental health and aging, such as project C.O.P.E. (CSH 00254-01-0 and
the Mc Knight-Boyle Health Science Foundation Award). Dr. Mintzer completed a
one-year term as Senior Scientific Advisor to NIMH. Dr. Mintzers’ tenure at
NIMH resulted in a joint effort between the NIMH, National Institute on Aging
(NIA), American Psychiatric Association (APA), the Alzheimer's Association, and
four major pharmaceutical companies to organize a conference on genetics and
ethnicity. The goal of the meeting, entitled GRACE (Genetics, Response and
Cognitive Enhancers), was to evaluate the role of ethnicity in genetic research.
The participants, under Dr. Mintzer leadership, agreed on the critical role that
the study of ethnically diverse populations should play in enhancing the
understanding of the role of genetic background as a risk factor in Alzheimer's
disease, and in determining the response of specific populations to new
pharmacological treatments. In addition, participants emphasized that the
presence of highly qualified minority researchers in research teams is critical
to facilitate the formulation of a research agenda that will serve the special
needs of minority populations.
Dr. Mintzer is also recognized for his expertise in many areas of late-life
related psychiatric disorders including behavioral disturbances in dementia,
psychopharmacology, and behavioral treatments of Alzheimer's Disease and
caregiving for demented patients in ethnic minority groups. He is a member of
the Steering Committee and site Principal Investigator of NIA's Alzheimer
Disease Consortium (ADCS, U-01# G 10483); Co-Investigator on a NIA-funded
estrogen prevention study (R01 AG 15922); Site Principal Investigator and member
of the Site Selection and the Special Population Committees on Clinical
Antipsychotic Trials in Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE), a NIMH - funded
project (NO1 MH90001). Dr. Mintzer's participation in the Special Population
Committee is of relevance to IPA, since this committee is charged with the
identification and adaptation of the specific protocols to overcome possible
cultural barriers for participation of ethnic minorities in mental health aging
research. Dr Mintzer is also PI for the Institute for Research Minority Training
on Mental Health and Aging (IRMMA, 1 T32 AG21794-01), and Depression in
Alzheimer’s Disease Study – 2 (DIADS; 1 R01 MH066136-01). Dr. Mintzer is the
medical monitor on the Antipsychotic Discontinuation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Study (1 R01 AG021488-01). Dr. Mintzer has served in standing on the Clinical
Center and Special Projects Review Committee (CCSP) of the NIMH Initial Review
Group and as "ad hoc" member on review committees for both the NIA and
the NIMH. Additionally, he has served on the IPA BPSD task force. He is Co-chair
of the IPA special expert meeting on Lewy Body Dementia.
Dr. Mintzer has considerable experience as an administrator. He has been
responsible for the development of a highly successful program in Geriatric
Psychiatry at MUSC. Since his arrival at MUSC in 1991 he has developed a program
that includes, in addition to the ACGME recognized fellowship in geriatric
psychiatry, three innovative clinical service lines. These services include the
first Behavioral Intensive Care Unit (BICU) dedicated to the treatment of
demented agitated patients and an innovative geriatric nursing home consultation
service. Dr. Mintzer also developed a state-funded physician consultation
"helpline" geared towards providing intimate, "peer to peer"
consultation for primary care providers who deliver mental health care to
elderly patients in rural areas. In addition, Dr. Mintzer founded and serves as
a Co-Director of the MUSC Alzheimer's Research and Clinical Programs (ARCP).
This program, supported jointly by the Department of Psychiatry and the
Department of Neurology, includes in its ranks 15 active researchers holding
undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees.
Dr. Mintzer has lectured extensively on the topics of depression, dementia, and
pharmacological treatment of the elderly around the world. He is involved in the
IPA Latin American and Asia Pacific Initiative. He serves in several editorial
capacities and is a published author of over 120 articles and abstracts in such
journals as British Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical
Psychiatry, Current Therapeutic Research, International Journal of
Geriatric Psychiatry, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, and International
Psychogeriatrics.
Dr. Mintzer was elected to the IPA Board of Directors in 2003. He currently
serves as Treasurer-Elect. He can be contacted at
mintzerj@musc.edu.
Jacobo
E. Mintzer, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Physiology and
Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston,
South Carolina. He is Chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and
Fellowship programs at MUSC, and Co-Director of Alzheimer’s Research &
Clinical Programs. Dr. Mintzer is the Director, Institute of Research Minority
Training on Mental Health & Aging (IRMMA) and Associate Director for
Alzheimer’s Research, Neuroscience Institute at the Medical University of
South Carolina. Dr. Mintzer is a distinguished fellow with the American
Psychiatric Association. Dr. Mintzer is former treasurer and board member for
the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP). He is former member of
the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on Aging and Co-Chair of the
Scientific Committee for the 2003 meeting of the International Psychogeriatric
Association (IPA). Additionally, he is the former Chair of the APA Committee on
Ethnic Minority Elderly Committee. Dr. Mintzer’s clinical interests are
concentrated on geriatric psychiatry and medicine, Alzheimer’s disease and
psychopharmacology of Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral management of agitated
demented patients, memory disorders, and mental health in the elderly as a
function of ethnicity.