587 5th Avenue, New York, NY, USA, Suite 802
P: (212) 249-1600 | F: (212) 288-0809
ABOUT ronald robert fieve, Md - Founder of the clinic
Biography and Academic Contributions
Ronald Robert Fieve, MD was an American psychiatrist best known for pioneering the use of lithium in treating mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder.
Trained at Harvard Medical School, he moved away from psychoanalysis early in his career and became interested in biological treatments after learning about lithium research from Denmark and Australia. He conducted the first controlled U.S. trial of lithium for depression in 1968 and established the first lithium clinic in North America in 1966.
His work helped lead to the FDA’s approval of lithium for the treatment of mania in 1970. In the 1970s, he became a major public advocate for lithium, appearing on national television and co-authoring influential popular science books such as Moodswing, which introduced many Americans to bipolar disorder and its treatment.
Later books like Bipolar II helped popularize the idea of a bipolar spectrum.
Fieve also played a key role in shaping modern bipolar disorder concepts. With his colleagues, he helped define hypomania, promote recognition of Bipolar II disorder, and coin the term “rapid cycling” for patients with frequent mood episodes. These ideas were later incorporated into the DSM.
He held senior academic and clinical positions at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, maintained a prominent private practice in Manhattan, and was known for treating high-profile patients. Overall, Fieve was instrumental in shifting psychiatry toward biologically based treatments for mood disorders and in bringing public awareness to bipolar illness.