Dr. Urban is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University, working in neuroimaging and treatment research in psychosis and substance abuse, with emphasis on exploring alterations in the dopamine system potentially leading to new treatment developments for schizophrenia, alcoholism and cocaine dependence. Additionally, Dr. Urban provides clinical care for underserved and vulnerable psychiatric populations in Upper Manhattan. Dr. Urban studied medicine and philosophy at Humboldt-University/Charite Medical School in Berlin/Germany, and medicine at the Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris/France and Tel Aviv University, Israel. After receiving her Medical Degree in 2001, Dr. Urban obtained additional education in neuroscience at the University of Oxford, before moving to New York City, where she completed her residency in psychiatry (Mt. Sinai) and her training in psychodynamic psychotherapy (NYU) in 2007. Since then she has been an attending psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute and New York Presbyterian Hospital and has a well-developed network with psychiatrists in the New York metropolitan area. Dr. Urban regularly publishes and presents internationally in the field of PET imaging and is involved in teaching residents and students of Columbia University and affiliated programs. Dr. Urban has leadership experience in psychiatry training settings, having served as chief of house staff and chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s NY Member-in-Training committee from 2006-2009. She is currently a member of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) alumni steering committee, the American Psychiatric Association and the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Urban has more than 15 years of international experience volunteering in medical projects such as Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta/India and free rural and inner city family clinics in Peru and the US. She currently works as a mental health consultant for Healthright International Human Rights Clinic, providing pro bono support to asylum seeking victims of torture and persecution, and is also a member of ‘Disaster Psychiatry Outreach’ and the NYC Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Dr. Urban is fluent in German, English, French and conversational Spanish.