In recognition of Dr. John Greden’s exceptional contributions as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry from 1985 to 2007, the department established The John F. Greden, M.D., Scholar in Residence Program at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry. A widely respected leader, Dr. Greden led the department with consummate vision and commitment through 22 years, maintaining and expanding the University of Michigan’s position in the forefront of academic psychiatry.
In addition to chairing the department, Dr. Greden also founded the U-M Eisenberg Family Depression Center - the first of its kind - in 2001, which he directed through 2021. He was also the founding chair of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC).
Many of us were fortunate, at some point in our careers, to work along-side and to learn from John Greden. His influence goes far beyond the prestige that he brought to the Department of Psychiatry. Just as important to his legacy are Dr. Greden's very personal contributions as an educator and mentor for trainees and young faculty, and his unwavering commitment to improving our understanding of mood disorders and other psychiatric illnesses while reducing the stigma associated with them. He is appropriately proud of the fact that a dozen former department residents have become chairs of national Departments of Psychiatry and one former post-doctoral collaborator the chair of a Department of Psychology.
By establishing this program in Dr. Greden’s name, we committed to providing those whose lives he affected with the opportunity to pay tribute to his leadership, mentorship, and friendship. Numerous colleagues, mentees, patients, and friends joined us in honoring Dr. Greden with contributions to this endowment fund. The Greden Scholar in Residence Program allows us to identify and select an outstanding psychiatric investigator each year who joins us in residence at U-M to meet with faculty and trainees, and expand and extend our focus on the study and treatment of mental illness.