Itai Danovitch, MD

Chair, Department of Psychiatry 

Director, Addiction Psychiatry Clinical Services

Itai Danovitch, MD, is Chair for the Department of Psychiatry and the Director of Addiction Psychiatry Services. Dr. Danovitch earned his bachelors degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine. Dr. Danovitch completed a residency at Columbia, New York Presbyterian Hospital/New York State Psychiatric Institute, and an addiction psychiatry fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Danovitch's academic interests include developing novel pharmacological and psychosocial interventions for addiction. Currently, he is a co-investigator for a research trial evaluating a new medication for alcoholism. Additionally, he is developing a child and adolescent addiction prevention and treatment program, which integrates individual, group, and family therapy. He also provides school-based prevention and early intervention services to at-risk youth.

Dr. Danovitch is heavily involved in residency and fellowship education, and has written on subjects ranging from the psychological concept of "Quality of Life" to the adverse effects of psychotropic medications. In his practice, he combines the judicious use of medications with a psychodynamic and strength-based approach to recovery.