Speaking at the 6th BaCI (Basic Clinical and Multimodal Imaging) Conference, hosted by Üsküdar Üniversitesi, pioneer of neuroimaging technologies, Professor of Radiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, Monte Buchsbaum stated, “In the future, personalized medicine, reading the genetic code and matching it with treatment will be the most important developing areas in the healthcare sector. Extended human life gives us successful elderly years. We can read every person's genetic code, look at the physiology of each genetic message, and prescribe appropriate medications. We don't want psychiatrists to just give an estimated medication. We want to prescribe a specifically targeted drug. Therefore, scientific measurement techniques such as EEG should be used.”
Stating that with the development of biomedicine, it has been realized that old treatments were not very effective, Prof. Monte Buchsbaum emphasized the importance of personalized medicine in his opening speech at the 6th BaCI Conference. Buchsbaum said, “With current technology and new drugs, we can treat schizophrenia, but it is still not at the level we desire. Personalized medicine is the gold standard for mental health. In the future, personalized medicine, reading the genetic code and matching it with treatment will be the most important developing areas in the healthcare sector. Extended human life gives us successful elderly years. We can read every person's genetic code, look at the physiology of each genetic message, and prescribe appropriate medications. We don't want psychiatrists to just give an estimated medication; we want to prescribe a specifically targeted drug. Therefore, scientific measurement techniques such as EEG should be used.”
Honorary Doctorate to Neuroimaging Pioneer
The Üsküdar Üniversitesi Senate decided on August 10 to confer an Honorary Doctorate upon Prof. Buchsbaum for his valuable contributions to neuroscience studies on a global scale and his passionate commitment to the treatment of psychiatric disorders. During the opening speech of the 6th Basic Clinical and Multimodal Imaging (BaCI) Conference, which commenced at Üsküdar Üniversitesi NP Sağlık Yerleşkesi, an honorary doctorate was also presented to internationally renowned imaging neuroscientist Prof. Monte Buchsbaum. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, vested Buchsbaum with his gown.
“No Room for Error in Psychiatry”
Professor Monte Buchsbaum of Radiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, considered a pioneer of neuroimaging technologies, highlighted the importance of using EEG as a scientific measurement technique in his opening speech at the conference. Buchsbaum said, “People are different from each other. The brains of two patients, one depressive and the other schizophrenic, are different from others. This is very important for determining which drug to give to which patient. There is no room for error in psychiatry in any way. Therefore, scientific measurement techniques such as EEG should be used. Understanding the differences in a patient with schizophrenia and depression is very important for us. I believe that this EEG method, inspired by drugs, will allow us to find these points in the brain and match them with appropriate pharmacological therapy.”
Buchsbaum stated, “In the future, when creating individual treatment plans, we will first get data from EEG, and thanks to EEG, we will see how it differs from healthy individuals and where it changes. This will tell us a point in the brain. Most likely in the frontal lobe or other potential points. Then we will look at our library, our images. We will see how EEG gave a different result from other drugs from the images and data in our library. This has already been done. Then, by looking at the results from EEG, we will be able to specifically decide which drug affects which point. This will allow us to choose the right drug. We have a specific brain image, we have EEG data, and naturally, we know which specific drug to administer.”
Prof. Dr. Buchsbaum stated that there is very clear evidence in EEG that drugs are beneficial for psychiatric and other neurological diseases, adding, “It is very important to use the EEG technique to its full potential for this reason. This morning, researchers from different countries discussed 'how EEG can be used as a different treatment method.' We particularly saw here how effective EEG is in drug selection. The meeting of scientists from different countries enhances the quality of science.”
“Now We Have a Knowledge Pool”
Pointing out that Üsküdar Üniversitesi is one of the leading universities in global knowledge sharing, Buchsbaum stated, “Science is progressing rapidly thanks to global communication. Global sharing is a good thing for science. In the past, it was very difficult to compare these studies worldwide. But now we can create a knowledge pool and make it accessible to the whole world. Thanks to global conferences, we can share our research techniques. Üsküdar Üniversitesi’s effort in this field is exciting.”
Working in Neuroscience for 61 Years
About Prof. Monte Buchsbaum:
Monte S. Buchsbaum, who published his first scientific paper in 1962, has been working in the field of neuroscience for 61 years. He has published over 500 research reports in scientific journals, mostly on positron emission tomography. Prof. Monte Buchsbaum was included in the Institute for Scientific Information database as one of the most cited scientists and published the first study involving quantitative statistical analysis of brain metabolism in patients with schizophrenia and depression.
Dr. Buchsbaum, who published 517 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, served as the founding editor of the scientific journal Psychiatry Research for twenty years, guided over 10,000 manuscripts through the review and decision process, and accepted scientific articles from 57 countries. 
