Dan J. Stein (1962–2025): A Life Dedicated to the Science and Care of the Mind

To the Editor, Journal of Psychiatric Research, and Comprehensive Psychiatry
The passing of Dr. Dan J. Stein (1962–6 December 2025) marks an irreplaceable loss to the international psychiatric community. As Professor of Psychiatry and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Director of the South African MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience and Mental Disorders, Dr. Stein was a global leader whose influence spanned clinical practice, rigorous research, and intellectual philosophy. His legacy is one of expansive knowledge, deep compassion, and unwavering collaborative spirit.

Champion of the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum
Dr. Stein’s foundational work on Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCRDs) stands as an enduring contribution to clinical psychiatry. He championed the OCRD category in modern nosology, chairing the workgroups for both the DSM-5 and ICD-11 on these disorders. This leadership ensured the evidence-based separation of OCRDs from anxiety, fundamentally reshaping our diagnostic and research paradigms.
His clinical and neurobiological investigations included:

  • Neuroimaging: Co-leading the ENIGMA-OCD and ENIGMA-Anxiety workgroups, which pooled global data to identify structural and functional brain correlates of these conditions, notably emphasizing the role of the thalamus in OCD.
  • Nosology: Advocating for the inclusion of conditions like trichotillomania within the spectrum, as detailed in volumes such as the Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.
  • Clinical Trials: Leading and contributing to numerous trials and Cochrane systematic reviews on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for OCD, PTSD, trichotillomania and social anxiety disorder.
  • International Collaboration: Serving as a Director of the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS), a commitment honoured by the dedication of the recent CANMAT-ICOCS International Guidelines for the Management of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to his memory.

A Champion for Global Mental Health and African Neuroscience
Dr. Stein was deeply committed to advancing research and care in low- and middle-income settings. He returned to South Africa from a fellowship in psychopharmacology at Columbia University to dedicate his career to this mission.

  • Institutional Leadership: At UCT, he was the Director of the early Brain and Behaviour Initiative and the inaugural Scientific Director of the Neuroscience Institute, the first of its kind on the African continent.
  • Epidemiology: He initiated the South African MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, which undertook the first nationally representative community survey of mental disorders on the African continent, as part of the World Mental Health Surveys.
  • Capacity Building: He founded and served as the first President of the African College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He led initiatives, like the Neuro-GAP study, which focused on the genetics of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in African populations, promoting crucial diversity in psychiatric genetics research.
  • Global Mental Health: As Chair of the World Psychiatric Association Scientific Section for Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, he promoted science of the highest quality to tackle contemporary global mental health challenges and inequalities. He chaired the Lancet Psychiatry Commission Global Action on Problematic Usage of the Internet and edited the textbook Mental Health in a Digital World.

Scholar, Philosopher, Family Man and Friend
With doctoral degrees in both clinical neuroscience and philosophy, Dan’s intellectual breadth was remarkable, influencing volumes like The Philosophy of Psychopharmacology. A recipient of numerous accolades, including the Max Hamilton Memorial Award, his brilliance is reflected in his Google h-index of over 150.

Yet, for those who knew him, his scientific achievements were rivalled by the warmth of his friendship and the depth of his character. Dan was a sensitive, thoughtful, kind clinician and an exceptional leader who nurtured staff and scientists from all backgrounds. His greatest love was for his wife Heather, his children and a first grandchild, of whom he was exceptionally proud. The memories shared by his colleagues—of global symposia in Lanzarote, dining under the stars in Stellenbosch, cinnamon bagels in New York City, bucolic parties in Florence, and shared cigars and negronis—speak volumes about the cherished camaraderie and zest for life he embodied. He fostered a vibrant, human connection within the research community that transcended the data and the papers.

Dan Joseph Stein’s friendship, quiet determination, curiosity, and boundless brilliance will be profoundly missed. We remember him not only as a giant in psychiatric research, but as a wonderful friend who left us too soon. His legacy will live on through the policies, institutions, and the spirit of collaboration he so generously inspired.

Eric Hollander, Naomi A Fineberg