"Stress is an integral part of life, and consists of the internal and external demands on us. These demands are necessary and essential aspects of living. Stresses are not the problem, but rather our inability to handle and modulate stress so as to make it an adaptive force. The failure to handle stress appropriately leads to anxiety—the state of fearfulness. Today, the standard of living and life expectancy in the developed world are all time highs, yet it is referred to as the age of anxiety. We do not know why this is so. We can speculate that evolution has prepared us to deal satisfactorily with famine and disease but not for the complexities of modern life. Yet, we do not have to know the cause of the fire to put it out." Robert Cancro, MD
ROBERT CANCRO, MD
MED. D SC
RECEIVED HIS M.D. DEGREE IN 1955 FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY AT BROOKLYN. IN 1962, HE OBTAINED HIS MED.D.SC. DEGREE FROM THE SAME INSTITUTION. FOLLOWING A STRAIGHT MEDICAL INTERNSHIP, HE COMPLETED HIS RESIDENCY TRAINING AT KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL.
BETWEEN 1959-1966, HE WAS ON FACULTY OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND DEVELOPED AND RAN THE FIRST ALCOHOL REHABILITATION UNIT IN NEW YORK CITY. IN 1966, HE WENT TO THE MENNINGER FOUNDATION, WHERE HE WAS DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH TRAINING. HE SPENT A SABBATICAL YEAR IN 1969, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT THEIR CENTER FOR ADVANCED STUDY, AND AS A PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE. HE RETURNED TO THE EAST IN 1970, AS PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, AND JOINED THE FACULTY AT NYU, AS PROFESSOR AND CHAIRMAN IN 1976. IN 1982, HE ADDED THE DIRECTORSHIP OF THE NATHAN KLINE INSTITUTE FOR PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH (NKI) TO HIS OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. DR.CANCRO RETIRED AS A CHAIRMAN OF THE PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT AND AS DIRECTOR OF NKI IN 2005. HE CONTINUES AS A PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AT NYU.
DOCTOR CANCRO’S MAJOR ACADEMIC INTEREST HAS BEEN IN THE PSYCHOSES AND, IN PARTICULAR SCHIZOPHRENIA. HE HAS WORKED ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PSYCHOSES, BUT FOCUSING ON THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR. HE HAS OVER TWO HUNDRED PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING A DOZEN BOOKS.
IN ADDITION TO HIS ACADEMIC RECORD, HE HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, CHAIRING THEIR SECTION ON PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION, AND HAS SERVED AS CONSULTANT TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, HE HAS SERVED AS A CONSULTANT FOR THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES.
LORRAINE CANCRO, MSW
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
IS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST WITH A MASTERS DEGREE FROM NYU SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK SPECIALIZING IN THE TREATMENT OF RETURNING VETERANS SUFFERING FROM TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). MS. CANCRO COLLABORATES WITH SCIENTISTS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSCIENCE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER IN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT RELATED TO TBI AND PTSD IMPACTING MILITARY MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND CIVILIANS.
MS. CANCRO SERVED AS MENTAL HEALTH EDITOR LAUNCHING SEVERAL SERIES FOR EXCEPTIONAL PARENT (EP) MAGAZINE, A 40 YEAR OLD AWARD WINNING DISABILITY MAGAZINE. SERIES TOPICS INCLUDE RETURNING VETERANS WHO SUFFER FROM TBI AND PTSD AS WELL AS CHRONIC PAIN, AUTISM, AMONG OTHERS. THE SERIES OF ARTICLES FURTHERED HER EFFORTS TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF PTSD AND OTHER STRESS DISORDERS WHICH IS IMPACTING THE POPULATION EXPONENTIALLY. SHE IS CURRENTLY A CONTRIBUTING WRITER WITH THE STEWARDSHIP REPORT WHICH IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE LUCE FOUNDATION.
MS. CANCRO ALSO SERVES AS FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBAL STRESS INITIATIVE, (GSI), A PROGRAM UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ICAMI WHICH IS LED BY DIRECTOR, ROBERT CANCRO, MD, CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF NYU DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY. THE GSI HAS 3 TIME EMMY AWARD WINNING ANCHOR AND BEST SELLING AUTHOR, RITA COSBY, AS SPOKESPERSON. AT GSI, THEY ADVOCATE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT FOR RETURNING MILITARY MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND CIVILIANS WHO ARE SURVIVORS OF TRAUMA.
GSI PROMOTES ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR THE ALLEVIATION OF STRESS INCLUDING TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) THROUGH THE DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION AS WELL AS THE NON INVASIVE ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT MODALITY CRANIAL ELECTRO-STIMULATION (CES) OFFERED BY FISHER WALLACE LABS. GSI LAUNCHED A SERIES OF AWARENESS RAISERS WITH THESE GROUPS IN AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THESE ALTERNATIVE OR NON INVASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR THE ALLEVIATION OF STRESS. EARNING A FILM DEGREE FROM NYU TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO A CREATIVE APPROACH TO ADVOCACY IN THE WORLD OF MENTAL HEALTH. SHE IS CURRENTLY SPEARHEADING A DOCUMENTARY PROJECT COVERING PTSD AND ITS IMPACT ON THE POPULATION AT LARGE. PREVIOUSLY, SHE CREATED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ACCLAIMED HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR DAVID LYNCH'S FOUNDATION IN ADVOCACY. SHE COORDINATED AND PLANNED SEVERAL PROMOTIONAL FILMS AT PREVIOUS FOUNDATIONS, INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION, WHERE SHE SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT.
LAST YEAR, MS. CANCRO SERVED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE THE 11TH ANNUAL WORLD CONGRESS ON DISABILITIES IN ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, SEPTEMBER 23RD AND 24TH, 2011. ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. SHE BROUGHT IN SEVERAL FILMS ON DISABILITIES THAT WERE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS TBI FROM A FAMILIES' PERSPECTIVE.
RITA COSBY, EMMY AWARD-WINNING TV HOST AND BEST SELLING AUTHOR
BORN IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK AND RAISED IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, EARNED HER BACHELOR DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER AN INTERNSHIP WORKING WITH DAN RATHER ON THE CBS EVENING NEWS, RITA BECAME AN ANCHOR/REPORTER AT KERO-TV (CBS) IN BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA AND WBTV (CBS) IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. FROM 1995 TO 2005, SHE WORKED AT FOX NEWS, HOSTING BOTH THE BIG STORY WEEKEND WITH RITA COSBY AND FOX NEWS LIVE WITH RITA COSBY. DURING THIS TIME, MS. COSBY CONDUCTED EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH MAJOR NEWSMAKERS SUCH AS PALESTINIAN LEADER YASSER ARAFAT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON, SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOŠEVIĆ, BOXER MIKE TYSON, SINGER MICHAEL JACKSON, “SON OF SAM” DAVID BERKOWITZ, AND SHE SPOKE WITH POPE JOHN PAUL II. OVER THE COURSE OF HER ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, SHE HAS INTERVIEWED MORE THAN TWENTY WORLD LEADERS.
IN 2005, SHE MOVED TO MSNBC TO HOST RITA COSBY LIVE & DIRECT, WHICH WAS THE NETWORK’S HIGHEST-RATED SHOW. SOME OF RITA’S LIVE REPORTS INCLUDED KEY COVERAGE OF THE WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION IN NEW ORLEANS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA, THE INTENSE WAR ZONE IN AFGHANISTAN AND ALONG THE US-MEXICO BORDER. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WITH THE TOP-RATED CBS SYNDICATED NEWSMAGAZINE PROGRAM INSIDE EDITION, SPECIALIZING IN INTERVIEWING MAJOR NEWSMAKERS AND KEY POLITICAL FIGURES. SHE ALSO HOSTS THE RITA COSBY SHOW, A WOR NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO PROGRAM FOCUSING ON CURRENT NEWS EVENTS.
RITA HAS AUTHORED TWO BACK-TO-BACK BESTSELLING BOOKS, BLONDE AMBITION, AND QUIET HERO: SECRETS FROM MY FATHER’S PAST. THE FORMER WAS RELEASED IN 2007 AND DETAILED THE DEATH OF MODEL/ACTRESS ANNA NICOLE SMITH. PROCEEDS FROM THE BOOK SUPPORT D.A.R.E. (DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION). IN 2010, RITA FOLLOWED-UP WITH ANOTHER TREMENDOUS SUCCESS ENTITLED QUIET HERO, WHICH HIT ALL THE MAJOR BESTSELLER LISTS: THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY AND THE WASHINGTON POST. THE BOOK DESCRIBES HER RECENT AND STARTLING DISCOVERY OF HER OWN FATHER’S HARROWING YOUTH AS A POLISH RESISTANCE FIGHTER, BATTLING THE NAZIS DURING THE WARSAW UPRISING IN WORLD WAR II. IT WAS A STORY OF HEROISM AND COURAGE WHERE HER SEVERELY INJURED FATHER WAS THROWN INTO A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, LED AN ESCAPE AND WAS LATER SAVED BY AMERICAN FORCES. TODAY, THIS BOOK IS RAISING MONEY FOR THE USO TO HELP OUR NATION’S WOUNDED SOLDIERS AND THEIR BELOVED FAMILIES.
GIVEN RITA’S INSPIRATIONAL HISTORY AND CAREER, HONORS FOR THE THREE-TIME EMMY WINNER INCLUDE THE MATRIX AWARD, THE JACK ANDERSON AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE EXCELLENCE, AND BEING NAMED BY COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE AS A “FUN AND FEARLESS FEMALE.” A RECIPIENT OF THE ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR AND THE LECH WALESA FREEDOM AWARD, SHE HOSTS THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE BROADCAST TO ALL U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. HER DEDICATION TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES INSPIRED HER TO SERVE AS SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GLOBAL STRESS INITIATIVE WHICH ADVOCATES FOR RESEARCH AND TREATMENT FOR OUR RETURNING TROOPS IMPACTED BY TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
A FEISTY AND FEARLESS JOURNALIST, AMONG HER MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE NOW RECOGNIZE AND HONOR HER AS IAHD’S PERSON OF THE YEAR.