John M. Zajecka, MD

Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
John M. Zajecka, MD
Rush Medical College
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Director, Woman's Board Depression Treatment and Research Center

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  • John Zajecka, MD, has been a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at Rush University since 1988 and is currently a professor of psychiatry and the director of the Woman's Board Depression Treatment and Research Center. He has also been in private practice since 1988. He completed his undergraduate studies at Marquette University and earned his MD at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, followed by his internship and psychiatric residency training at Rush University. Dr. Zajecka's expertise is in the management of depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders. He has been the principle investigator in over 100 clinical research trials and has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and private foundations. He has published extensively on diagnosis, novel treatment approaches, and long-term outcomes in affective disorders, with a special interest in the management and prevention of treatment-resistant illness. He was the one of the primary investigators in a recently completed 3-site, NIMH-funded study over ten years focusing on the prevention of recurrence following remission and recovery in recurrent and chronic major depression using a personalized pharmacological approach to treatment and assessing the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy on long-term recovery. Dr. Zajecka founded the Cheryl T. Herman Foundation which was formed to provide innovative educational and research opportunities to the community toward improving outcomes for individuals impacted by affective disorders. He serves on the scientific advisory boards for the National Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and previously served as the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Chicago and past president of the Midwest Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He also serves as a scientific consultant, advisor and member of data safety and monitoring committees for pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Zajecka has received several awards for his research, community service and teaching, including the Upjohn Young Investigators Award for Psychiatric Research and the Special Recognition Award for Training Psychiatric Residents for several years at Rush University.