Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist who has built a public following on brain scans, has been named to an advisory council that guides mental health research at the National Institutes of Health. The appointment had not been finalized at the time of reporting, and his specific role on the panel remains unclear.
Amen is best known for using brain imaging to diagnose and treat psychiatric conditions, a practice that has drawn sustained criticism from mainstream psychiatry. Researchers in the field have questioned whether the scans he promotes are reliable enough to guide clinical decisions, and his methods remain contested within the profession.
The move is also seen as a sign of the rising influence of the MAHA movement, whose supporters have pushed to reshape priorities in federally funded health research. Observers say this shift could affect which psychiatric studies receive support, although the effect on NIH funding has not yet become clear.
Credit. Based on reporting for Science Magazine News. Is this your work? Write to us.
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