J. Richard Ciccone, MD 

J. Richard Ciccone, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Founding Director of the Psychiatry and Law Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine was awarded the Albert David Kaiser Medal by the Rochester Academy of Medicine at its annual meeting on May 17, 2016.

The medal - the Academy’s highest honor - was presented to him for distinguished service and contributions to the medical community as a gifted clinician, inspiring teacher and visionary leader.

After receiving his B.A. from Columbia with dual concentrations in chemistry and  history. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital, he completed his psychiatric residency         at the University of Rochester, where he served as Chief Resident.

After two years in the in the US Navy, where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was head of psychiatry at the Pensacola Naval Hospital, he returned to the University of Rochester where he has held a number of positions including Director of Psychiatric Residency Training (1980-85).

Dr. Ciccone has been described as a visionary leader who played an important role in creating the academic discipline of forensic psychiatry.  He was President of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (1986-87), and founder of APPL’s Forensic Psychiatry Course.  Dr. Ciccone was President of the Association of Directors of Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship (1992-1996). He was chair of the APA’s Commission on Judicial Action (1993-2000), providing amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court and chair of the APA Commission on Public Policy, Litigation, and Advocacy (2000 – 2002).  He has lectured nationally and internationally including the Isaac Ray Lectures, the Mancini Lecture and the Lyon Daughers Lecture. He has also published more than 100 papers and book chapters on forensic psychiatry and ethics, comparative forensic psychiatry, and the relationship of psychiatry and the law. 

For his outstanding teaching and contributions to psychiatry, Ciccone has received many awards, among them the Sidney Rubin Award of outstanding teaching, the Tri-State AAPL Award, the AAPL Pollack Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the Rochester Academy of Medicine and the New York State Psychiatric Association Distinguished Service Award. In 2002, in recognition of his work on behalf of forensic psychiatry and patient advocacy, he was awarded an American Psychiatric Association Special Presidential Commendation. In 2005, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law presented him the Golden Apple Award for significant contributions to Forensic Psychiatry. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association named him the recipient of the Isaac Ray Award recipient for outstanding contributions to forensic psychiatry and psychiatric aspects of jurisprudence.