Research focus/interests Dr. Zohar heads the Anxiety Clinic at
Sheba Medical Center, which specializes in
anxiety disorders such as
obsessive-compulsive disorder,
post-traumatic stress disorder, and
social phobias. In addition to a focus on new treatments, the clinic is interested in the brain function imaging of patients with these
anxiety disorders.
Notable contributions to research Zohar is an expert on
post-traumatic stress disorder and has uncovered the potential of secondary prevention in PTSD. His work explores the promising effects of
hydrocortisone treatment when administered after the traumatic event in preventing the development of PTSD.
Past appointments After graduating with his M.D. from Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, Zohar went on to train in
psychiatry at the
University of Washington,
Seattle, and at the Jerusalem Mental Health Center in
Israel. While there, Zohar directed the Resistant Depression Unit. In 1984, Zohar joined the lab of Dr. Dennis Murphy, at the
National Institute of Mental Health in
Bethesda, Maryland. He was the acting Director of their Obsessive-Compulsive Clinic.
Awards Dr. Zohar has received numerous awards, including the Fogarty International Research Fellowship Award (1984), the A. E. Bennet Award for Clinical Research (1986), the
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Award for Clinical Research (1998), the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry Award for Excellence in Education (2001), and he is the co-winner of the A.E. Bennett Award for 2002 for a study on an animal model of PTSD. the CNS Spectrum and several other journals. He founded the Israeli consortium on PTSD, is currently the commander of the chief installation of the
Israeli Defense Force for treating PTSD, and he is serving as a special advisor to the Ministry of Defense in relation to PTSD. ==Publications==