PGY-3 Resident Wins First O’Leary Award for Innovation in Psychiatry 

Declan Grabb, M.D., a PGY-3 resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is the winner of the inaugural O’Leary Award for Innovation in Psychiatry. The award was established by the APA Foundation in 2022 in memory of Paul O’Leary, M.D., who served in numerous leadership positions at APA, including speaker of the Assembly.

The award, which provides seed money to launch innovative ideas in the field of mental and behavioral health, was endowed by a $50,000 gift from the O’Leary family, a matching gift from the APA Foundation, and individual contributions. The award was presented to Grabb at APA’s Annual Meeting by APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., along with O’Leary’s wife and daughters, Malinda O’Leary, Ph.D., Sophia, and Sylvia.

Grabb was chosen to receive the award because of his interest in the intersection of technology and mental health. His research primarily investigates the use of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and access in medical education and clinical care, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ+ population.

The award includes a plaque and $5,000. The funds will support Grabb’s project to build a mobile app for patients to converse with AI-generated technology before their initial intake interview. Mental health professionals will receive a summary of this conversation before the scheduled intake. The goal of this technological innovation is to increase access to care and provide more information to mental health professionals before their patients’ intake appointments. This will also assist providers in health care systems that are increasing the number of intake appointments to accommodate growing wait lists.

The award is open to all APA members at all levels of their careers. ■