Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)

Dr. Liebowitz has been a pioneer in Social Anxiety Disorder and is an internationally recognized leader in the research of anxiety and affective disorders. He is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, and has devoted over thirty years to the research and treatment of anxiety, phobic, and affective disorders, serving as chair of the DSM-IV Workgroup in Anxiety Disorders. His major contributions have been in the areas of social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, atypical depression, and rapid cycling mood disorders. Dr. Liebowitz is also a consultant to many major pharmaceutical companies for clinical trial design. In 2007, Dr. Liebowitz retired from his position as Director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, a post he held since 1982. During his tenure, his influential research led to the recognition of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) as a prevalent, debilitating, and chronic condition. He also developed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), which is now widely utilized as a primary outcome measure for clinical trials of SAD. He has been at the forefront of psychopharmacology studies in generalized SAD. Dr. Liebowitz continues as Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University. He is currently involved in the development and testing of rapidly acting anxiolytic medications.