Gene Beresin, M.D., M.A. is executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a full professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School (HMS), and senior educator in child and adolescent psychiatry at MGH. He received a
B.A. in music from Princeton University, and an M.A. in philosophy along with his M.D. from
the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Beresin previously served as residency training director in child and adolescent psychiatry at
MGH for 29 years (24 of which were for the MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Residency Training Program). In addition to his current role at The Clay Center, Dr. Beresin also
directs the Elizabeth Thatcher Acampora Endowment, an outreach program to meet the needs of
underserved youth and families in three community settings, as well as HMS’ year-long required
course Patient Doctor III, which focuses on reflective practice, ethics, professionalism and
interpersonal skills as students develop their identities as physicians.
Dr. Beresin has won a number of local and national teaching awards, including the Parker J.
Palmer “Courage to Teach” Award in 2002, given annually by the Accreditation Council of
Graduate Medical Education to 10 program directors from all medical specialties. In 2004, he
was awarded the American Psychiatric Association and National Institute of Mental Health
Vestermark Award for Outstanding Teaching. In 2008, he was awarded the Bowis Award by the
American College of Psychiatrists for outstanding service to and leadership in the College. In
2011, he won the HMS Department of Psychiatry Cynthia M. Kettyle Award for Medical
Student Teaching.
Dr. Beresin has consulted on a variety of television shows, including ER, Law and Order
SVU and the Emmy Award-winning HBO children’s specials Goodnight Moon and Other
Sleepytime Tales (2000), Through a Child’s Eyes: September 11, 2001 (2003) and Classical
Baby (2005). He was also co-producer of a section of the Parent Resource Center for
ABCNews.com.
Dr. Beresin has published numerous papers and chapters on a variety of topics, including
graduate medical education, mental health and media, eating disorders, personality disorders and
child and adolescent psychiatric treatments. He is also deputy editor and media editor
for Academic Psychiatry.
Dr. Beresin has been featured in/on CNN, Time, Forbes, Good Morning America, VICE.com,
The Boston Globe, ABC News, The Huffington Post, WBUR’s CommonHealth, among others.