William Gordon Frankle appointed as new chair of NYU Langone Health's Department of Psychiatry

At the helm of NYU Langone Health's Department of Psychiatry, William Gordon Frankle, MD, MBA, will spearhead new initiatives and continue the institution's legacy of excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Effective September 1, 2026, Frankle, who previously served as the vice chair of the department and chief of psychiatry service at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, will assume the role of chair.

During his tenure, Frankle significantly expanded the behavioral health program at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, which now handles approximately 165,000 patient visits annually. This marks a substantial growth from its previous state and solidifies its status as one of the largest such programs in New York. He also launched a new psychiatry residency program with a focus on community psychiatry and developed innovative clinical programs, including the Enhanced Treatment and Recovery program for serious mental illness. This program earned the American Psychiatric Association's Silver Award for Psychiatric Services Achievement in 2024.

“Taking on this role is a great honor. I look forward to building on the department’s long-standing tradition of excellence and working with colleagues to further strengthen our programs and expand access to high-quality psychiatric care,” Frankle said.

Under Frankle’s leadership, Brooklyn's psychiatric service expanded care for patients with serious mental illness and substance use disorders while maintaining a high patient satisfaction rate. The service consistently ranks above the 90th percentile nationally. Frankle’s appointment follows the distinguished 17-year tenure of Charles R. Marmar, MD, as chair, who will continue his research as director of the Center for Precision Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

The Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health has a proven track record of excellence, recognized nationally and internationally. It is ranked No. 8 in the country and No. 6 for National Institutes of Health psychiatric grant funding. Inpatient psychiatric units are accredited by the Joint Commission, and the psychiatry residency program is ranked No. 5 in Doximity's Residency Navigator.

Dr. Frankle’s academic and clinical background is extensive. He earned his bachelor’s degree from McGill University, his medical degree from New York Medical College, and an MBA in medical management from the Isenberg School of Business at the University of Massachusetts. Frankle has been a member of NYU Langone for 10 years and is a leading expert in schizophrenia and neuroreceptor imaging. His research, which uses positron emission tomography to investigate neurochemical abnormalities in schizophrenia, has advanced understanding of dopamine and GABA transmission in the illness. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and is currently funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

NYU Langone Health, known for its rigorous focus on quality, has ranked No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation for four consecutive years by Vizient Inc. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four of its clinical specialties as the best in the nation. The system offers a comprehensive range of medical services across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 320 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida.