
Mark A. Opler, PhD, MPH
Chief Research Officer
Biography
Dr. Opler joined WCG in 2017 as Chief Research Officer at MedAvante-ProPhase. In this role, he directs scientific research and development and leads ongoing studies in psychiatry, neurodevelopment, and other areas of neuroscience.
Dr. Opler has served as a faculty member in the Departments of Psychiatry and Environmental Medicine at New York University School of Medicine and in the Department of Neuroscience at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. His academic research focuses on the etiology, phenomenology, and treatment of serious and persistent mental disorders. He is a co-author and developer of several clinical assessment tools, including the SNAPSI, CGI-DS, and NY-AACENT. He is also a contributor to the latest edition of the PANSS Manual©.
Dr. Opler has received research support from the US NIMH, the Brain & Behavior Foundation (formerly NARSAD), the Stanley Medical Research Institute, and the Qatar National Research Fund. He has co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and has contributed to multiple book chapters and review articles on clinical assessment, research methodology, and mental health.
He received his PhD and MPH from Columbia University and his BSc from SUNY at Stony Brook. He is a graduate of the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program at Columbia University and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Latest insights by Mark

Podcast: Important Trends in CNS Clinical Trials in 2019 with guest Christoph Correll, MD
Podcasts
Protecting Sponsors Against Bias and Variability
Articles
Simplified Negative and Positive Symptoms Interview (SNAPSI) Resources
Research
Podcast: The Most Pressing Challenges in Psychiatry Clinical Trials with Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH
Podcasts
Assessing the Sources of Unreliability in Failed Clinical Trials Using PANSS
Articles
Effect of parental age on treatment response in adolescents with schizophrenia
Articles
Using PANSS Score Profiles to Predict Early Termination in a Study on Acute Exacerbation of Schizophrenia
Research
The brief negative symptom scale (BNSS): Sensitivity to treatment effects
Articles
Bridging the Measurement Gap Between Research and Clinical Care in Schizophrenia
Articles