Sparkman Hillcrest Obits
Deborah L. Levy, PhD, director of the Psychology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, died on October 15, 2020. She was a Fellow of the American Psychopathological Association and had a national and international reputation as a clinical and research psychologist.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dr. Levy received a bachelor's in political science and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Chicago. She completed her clinical training at the Cornell-Westchester Division of New York Hospital and received post-doctoral training in clinical psychology at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas.
She had a distinguished career in schizophrenia and bipolar research. She is probably most widely known for ground breaking work on the genetic epidemiology of schizophrenia related traits. More recently her laboratory was among the first to explore the role of structural rearrangements in the human genome as potential risk factors for schizophrenia. She carried out a proof-of-principle clinical trial in which treatment was tailored to a rare mutation, the first demonstration that these mutations are medically actionable. The improvements in these individuals was a huge step forward in this field. For this work, she was awarded the Valiant Researcher Award by the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America for Studies to enhance the diagnoses and/or care of those affected with severe neuropsychiatric brain illness and dedication to pushing the boundaries of science. Her willingness to be available as a resource for patients and families helped so many. She gave freely of her time and expertise as these families searched for help for a loved one, and was always willing to reach out to her vast network of other experts in the mental health field to offer help. She was a guiding light to so many whose lives she helped to improve.
She was also very committed to the success and growth of everyone who worked with her or for her. Many young people who worked with her as research assistants went on to obtain doctorates and have established careers in major universities and institutions.
She is predeceased by her mother, Hilma B. Levy, and her sister, Barbara K. Calick. Survivors include her father, Walter J. Levy, sisters Julia L. Robinowitz (Kenneth), Sharon L. Lipinsky (Jay), brother-in-law Dr. Arthur Calick, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Calick Scholarship Fund of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation, 12700 Hillcrest Road, #201, Dallas, TX 75230, or to a charity of your choice.
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The Boston Globe
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