Anthony Feinstein received his medical degree in South-Africa. Thereafter he completed his training in psychiatry at the royal free hospital in London, England, before training as a neuropsychiatrist at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square in London. His master of philosophy and ph.d. degree were obtained through the University of London, England. He is currently a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
His neuropsychiatry research focuses on the search for cerebral correlates of behavioral disorders associated with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and hysteria (conversion disorders). In patients with ms, detailed magnetic resonance imaging (mri) studies have shed light on the pathogenesis of depressive disorders and current work is exploring brain changes associated with pathological laughing and crying. His work in the field of conversion disorder has involved developing functional mri paradigms that complement psychoanalytic interpretations of why patients develop disabling, quasi-neurological symptoms. Finally, dr. Feinstein is involved in a series of studies unrelated to neuropsychiatry but nevertheless of relevance to current issues within our society. The questions being addressed are: how are journalists affected emotionally by their work in war zones and what motivates them to pursue such dangerous occupations?
In 2000-2001 he was awarded a guggenheim fellowship to study mental health issues in post-apartheid Namibia. This led to the development of that country’s first rating scale for mental illness. He is currently engaged on a similar project in Botswana.
Dr. Feinstein is the author of dangerous lives: war and the men and women who report it(thomas allen, toronto 2003), the clinical neuropsychiatry of multiple sclerosis(cambridge university press 1999, with a second edition due out in 2007), in conflict (new namibia books, 1998), an autobiographical account of his time as a medical officer in the angolan and namibian wars, and michael rabin, america’s virtuoso violinist (amadeus press, 2005). His new book, journalists under fire: the psychological hazards of covering war (John Hopkins University Press) has been published this fall. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and has authored many book chapters.
Links:
Biography and bibliography of Anthony Feinstein on Sunny Brook Institute
Conflict Study Website
Feinstein: “Journalisten moeten meer over de gevolgen van stress weten,’ VVOJ 9 oktober 2014
