Department of Mental Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.

Alexander M. Ponizovsky, MD, PhD is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of psychiatry. His areas of expertise include schizophrenia; suicidal behavior; addiction; hospital and community-based mental health and rehabilitation services; evaluation for different treatment programs with regard to quality of life and psychosocial outcomes assessment; psychological distress and psychosocial resources, maintenance treatment; migration and mental health, and attachment research in psychopathology. Dr. Ponizovsky earned his MD degree at the Moscow Medical Academy and his PhD at the Moscow Psychiatric Research Institute and Bekhterev's Psycho-neurological Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia. After immigration to Israel in 1991, he was awarded the KAMEA fellowship established by the Israeli Ministry Immigrant Absorption for distinguished immigrant scientists.