Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D.

Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D.

Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer

Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed Chief Scientific Officer of MyMD effective December 18, 2020. Prior to joining MyMD, Dr. Kaplin has served in a number of positions at John Hopkins University, including Principal Neuro-Psychiatric Consultant to the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence, Director of the Johns Hopkins Ketamine Clinic and the Departments of Psychiatry & Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, positions he has held at various times from 2002 to present. In addition, since 2019, Dr. Kaplin has served as Adjunct Faculty at the George Mason University Department of Global and Community Health. Dr. Kaplin has also served as Co-Founder of numerous healthcare related startups, including, from 2018 to present, REWARD Pathways Inc., a company devoted to addiction treatment development focused on a combined eHealth and medicine approach to curing addiction, and from 2016 to present, Hollinger Kaplin Benjamin & Bond, an eHealth software development company. Dr. Kaplin’s research focuses on the investigation of the biological basis of immune mediated depression and cognitive impairment by using MS as the model. Dr. Kaplin has also been active for over a decade in the development and application of health information technology to mental health, combining this work with providing neuropsychiatric consultation and ongoing care of patients with MS spectrum disorders. Dr. Kaplin’s original research has been published over 40 times in several different publications, and he has authored or co-authored numerous review articles and textbooks. Dr. Kaplin received his B.S. in Biology from Yale University, graduating cum laude in 1988, and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1996.
 

Research & Publications

Research Summary

  1. Investigating the biological basis of depression and cognitive impairment in autoimmune CNS diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis.
  2. Developing novel treatments for depression that prevent the potential suicidality that has been associated with SSRIs and led to their black box warning.
  3. Testing a novel treatment for cognitive impairment in MS by first testing it in an animal model of MS (i.e., experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis).
  4. Developing a bioassay to predict responses in the use of high-dose cyclophosphamide, which has shown unprecedented results in restoring function and stopping disease activity in pilot studies in MS.
  5. Developing a novel technology to monitor patients’ subjective mental phenomena (e.g., mood, anxiety, pain, sleep) in the outpatient setting.
  6. Development and testing of an automated mHealth system to study suicide crisis interventions and link individuals to care.

Professional Activities

  • Review Editor, Frontiers in Neurology, Frontiers in Neuroscience and Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019
  • Scientific and Medical Advisor on CBT for MS Project, Pear Therapeutics, 2017
  • Founding Medical Advisor; Member of Board of Advisors, Cure Addiction Now, 2017
  • Medical Advisor, Memotext, 2016
  • Medical Advisor, MS Cure Project, 2015
  • Steering Committee Member, Johns Hopkins University Global mHealth Initiative (JHU-GmI), 2014
  • Board of Scientific Advisors, Apellis Pharmaceutical, 2014
  • Board of Advisors, Crisis Text Line, 2013
  • Board of Scientific Advisors, Anthrotronix, 2012
  • Board of Medical Advisors, Remedy Health, 2008
  • Scientific and Medical Advisor, Nancy Davis Center Without Walls MS Foundation, 2005
  • Board Member and Chief Scientific Advisor, Cody Unser First Step Foundation, 2005
  • Faculty Member, Member of the Scientific Advisory Council and Operating Committee, Johns Hopkins Project RESTORE, 2004
  • Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, Montel Williams MS Foundation, 2003
  • Medical Advisory Board Member, International Transverse Myelitis Association, 2002

Selected Publications

Wang M, Kaplin AI. “Explaining naltrexone’s interference with ketamine’s antidepressant effect.” Am J Psychiatry. 2019 May;176:5

Hollinger KR, Alt J, Rais R, Kaplin AI, Slusher BS. “The NAAG’ing concerns of modeling human Alzheimer’s disease in mice.” J Alzheimers Dis. 2019;68(3):939-945

Kalmbach DA, Fang Y, Arnedt JT, Cochran AL, Deldin PJ, Kaplin AI, Sen S. “Effects of sleep, physical activity, and shift work on daily mood: A prospective mobile monitoring study of medical interns.” J Gen Intern Med. 2018 Jun;33(6):914-920

Hollinger KR, Woods SR, Adams-Clark A, Choi SY, Franke CL, Susukida R, Thompson C, Reti IM, Kaplin AI. “Defense automated neurobehavioral assessment accurately measures cognition in patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy for major depressive disorder.” J ECT. 2018 Mar;34(1):14-20

Pinto MD, Greenblatt AM, Williams BL, Kaplin AI. “Exploring the mechanism of the clinical encounter on depressive symptoms in young adults: A path analysis.” Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2017 Jul;38(7):533-539

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Paxil Unsafe for Teenagers, KCSW,

People with Paralysis Explore Therapeutic Effects of Scuba Diving, Washington Post, Sept. 15, 2014

Apps for Mastering Your Mood, Time, July 18, 2013

Sharing Psychiatric Records Helps Care, New York Times, Jan. 7, 2013

How Keeping Psych Records Too Private Can Hurt Patient Care, Time, Jan. 7, 2013

Clues in the Cycle of Suicide, New York Times, June 24, 2013

Apps Alert the Doctor When Trouble Looms, New York Times, Oct. 8, 2012

Scuba Diving Could Raise Hope for the Paralyzed, CBS News, Oct. 27, 2011

Scuba Diving May Hold Promise for Paraplegic, Baltimore Sun, Oct. 15, 2011

Credentials

  • Assistant Professor of Psychiatric and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine  
  • Chief Psychiatric Consultant, Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence
  • Clinical Director, Johns Hopkins Psychiatric Esketamine Clinic
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