John Harrison Krystal MD

Addiction

Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Neuroscience; Chair, Department of Psychiatry; Chief of Psychiatry, Yale-New Haven Hospital; Director: NIAAA Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism ; Director, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD (VA Connecticut); Co-Director, Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, Yale University

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300 George St. #901New Haven, CT 06511
Phone+1 203-785-6396
Fax+1 203-785-6196

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Summary

Dr. Krystal is the Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Professor and Chair of the Yale Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the Yale-New Haven Health System. A graduate of the Yale School of Medicine and the Yale Psychiatry Residency, he studies the neurobiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. His laboratory discovered the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, leading to the FDA approval of Spravato. He directs/co-directs the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (CTSA), Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcohol (NIAAA), and Neuroscience Division of the National Center for PTSD (VA). He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and recipient of its Sarnat Prize; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; editor of Biological Psychiatry; co-founder of Freedom Biosciences; Board of Directors Member of the Clinical Research Forum; and Vice President of the Scientific Council of the Brain and Behavior Foundation. He is based in New Haven, CT.

Education & Training

Yale-New Haven Medical CenterResidency, Psychiatry, 1985 - 1988
Yale-New Haven Medical CenterInternship, Transitional Year, 1984 - 1985
Yale School of MedicineClass of 1984

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Certifications & Licensure

CT State Medical License 1986 - 2027
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Psychiatry

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health National Academy of Medicine, 2023
Elected Member Institute of Medicine, 2010

Clinical Trials

GABA-glutamate Interactions and Psychosis
COMPLETED
PHASE1
Glycine and Oral D-Cycloserine in Alcoholic Patients and Healthy Subjects
COMPLETED
NA
The Effects of Ketamine and Guanfacine on Working Memory in Healthy Subjects
COMPLETED
NA

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Direct and indirect associations linking COVID-19 severity to internalizing disorders and symptoms among participants in New Haven, CT.
David Davtian, Dan Qiu, Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza, Yaira Z Nunez, John H Krystal
Journal of Affective Disorders. 2026-11-01
1 citations
Childhood Maltreatment and Deviations From Normative Brain Structure: A Mega-Analysis of 3711 Individuals From the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder and ENIGMA Posttrau...
Haley R Wang, Zhen-Qi Liu, Elena Pozzi, Ahmed Hussain, Priyanka Sigar
Biological Psychiatry. 2026-09-15
Reversible alterations of brain acetate metabolism associated with alcohol consumption.
Chathura Kumaragamage, Lihong Jiang, Gustavo A Angarita, Robin A de Graaf, Elizabeth Guidone
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2026-09-01

Journal Articles

Association of Ketamine with Psychiatric Symptoms and Implications for Its Therapeutic Use and for Understanding Schizophrenia
Mohini Ranganathan, John H Krystal, JAMA Network Open
A Multicenter Study of Ketamine Effects on Functional Connectivity: Large Scale Network Relationships, Hubs and Symptom Mechanisms
Ragy R Girgis, Richard J Maddock, John D Ragland, Daniel C Javitt, Cameron S Carter, Joshua T Kantrowitz, Jeffrey Lieberman, John H Krystal, Lawrence S Kegeles, Willia..., ScienceDirect
Celebrating 50 Years of Biological Psychiatry: To the Future, and Beyond
John Krystal, MD, Biological Psychiatry

Authored Content

Characteristics of Ongoing Clinical Trials for Alcohol Use Disorder Registered on ClinicalTrials.govMay 2020
Characteristics of Ongoing Clinical Trials for Alcohol Use Disorder Registered on ClinicalTrials.govMay 2020
F131. Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Glutamate Ionotropic Receptor GRIA4 as a Risk Gene for Comorbid Nicotine Dependence and Major DepressionApril 2018

Press Mentions

Krystal Awarded 2026 Connecticut Medal of TechnologyMay 18th, 2026
Pietrzak to Receive 2026 ISTSS Laufer Memorial Award for Outstanding Scientific AchievementMay 6th, 2026
In Memoriam: Robert Jay Lifton, MDSeptember 8th, 2025

Grant Support

AMPA Receptor Components of the Antidepressant Response to Ketamine in HumansYALE UNIVERSITY2023–2028
Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)YALE UNIVERSITY2026–2027
Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)YALE UNIVERSITY2026–2027
Center for the Translational Neuroscience of AlcoholismYALE UNIVERSITY2001–2026
Center for the Translational Neuroscience of AlcoholismYALE UNIVERSITY2001–2026