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Curriculum Vitae
Ryan S. Sultan, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Contact: Integrative Psych consultation form
Professional Positions
07/2019 - Present
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
New York, NY
07/2016 - Present
Attending Psychiatrist
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
New York, NY
08/2015 - Present
Medical Director
Integrative Psych
New York, NY
07/2016 - 06/2018
Inpatient Attending Physician
Mount Sinai Hospital - Adult Psychiatry Units (Clark 8 & 7G)
New York, NY
07/2013 - 07/2014
Psychiatric Emergency Room Physician
Georgia Regional Hospital
Atlanta, GA
Education
2011 - Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
2006 - Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Human Relations Award
Post-Doctoral Training
2021-2026 - NIDA Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program (K12)
Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Psychiatry
Focus: Bioinformatics and Substance Use
Mentors: Frances Levin, MD and Tim Wilens, MD (Mass General/Harvard)
New York, NY
2017-2019 - NIMH Translational Research Fellowship (T32)
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Psychiatry
Focus: Child Mental Health Epidemiology and Psychopharmacology
Mentors: Mark Olfson, MD MPH, and Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, MD
New York, NY
2014-2016 - Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia and Cornell
Department of Psychiatry
New York, NY
2011-2014 - Residency Training in General Psychiatry
Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Atlanta, GA
2014 - Certificate in Psychoanalytic Studies
Emory School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychoanalytic Institute
Atlanta, GA
Board Certifications
2016 - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2015 - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - General Psychiatry
Additional Certifications & Training
Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School - Positivity And Relaxing Training (PART) Program
EMDR Institute - EMDR Therapy Training
DELE Spanish Language Certification - B2 Intermediate Level
Medical Licensure
New York - License #275559
Virginia - License #0101269261
Florida - License #TPME5432
Honors & Awards
2019 - Excellence in Teaching, Columbia and Creedmoor Residents
2018 - Chief Fellow, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
2006 - Human Relations Award, Trinity College
Administrative Leadership & Academic Service
Academic Service
2023 - Present - American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics Committee
Sept 2013 - Oct 2014 - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, AACAP Committee
July 2011 - June 2014 - Residency Education Committee, Department of Psychiatry, Emory SOM
February 2012 - June 2014 - Department of Psychiatry Education Committee, Emory SOM
December 2011 - June 2013 - Ethics Committee, Grady Memorial Hospital, Emory SOM
September 2011 - Quality Academy: Leadership for Healthcare Improvement, Emory SOM
Administrative Leadership at CUIMC and NYP
Sept 2015 - June 2016 - Tricampus Committee on Child Psychiatry Training Outpatient Services, NYP Hospital
Professional Organizations & Societies
Memberships
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Member
American Psychological Association (APA) Member
Consultative Positions
2020 - 2023
Avenues The World School, Chelsea Campus
Consultation On Youth Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic
New York, NY
2017 - 2018
New York Center for Autism Charter School
Behavioral & Psychopharmacological Consultation
New York, NY
Reviewing Editor
September 2025 - Springer Nature Reviewer Communities (BMC Psychiatry)
Journal Reviewer (2025)
American Journal of Psychiatry
The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych)
BMJ Group
JAACAP Open
JAMA Network Open
Research Funding & Grants
Active Funding
06/2025 - Columbia University Research Stabilization Fund
Direct Costs: $100,000 | Role: Principal Investigator
07/2021 - Present - NIDA Mentored Clinical Scientist Institutional Career Development Award
Direct Costs: $100,000 | Role: Principal Investigator
12/2023 - Using AI to Improve Mental Health Screening Outcomes
Role: Principal Investigator
Ongoing - The Christopher D. Smithers Foundation, Inc.
Past Support
07/2016 - AACAP Pilot Research Award
Direct Costs: $15,000 | Role: Primary Investigator
Pending Funding
03/2025 - NIDA SBIR Phase I - Seeking Products to Address Social Needs impacting substance use disorders (SUD)
Role: Primary Investigator
Planned Funding
Funding collaborating with Dr. Xu Hai Orson
Role: Co-Primary Investigator
Educational Contributions
Direct Teaching/Precepting/Supervising
2021 - Present - Integrative Psych Lecture Series
Lead instructor for 10 licensed clinicians, weekly throughout the year
2023 - Seminar in Psychotherapy
Co-Lecturer, Columbia University undergraduate students, 1 semester
July 2016 - June 2018 - Columbia Psychiatry Residency
Supervisor, weekly clinic at I6
2014 - 2019 - Advanced Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Lecturer, 10 Creedmoor/Columbia residents, 3 hours/week
2014 - 2016 - Medical Student and Resident Teaching, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Resident teacher, Weill Cornell and Columbia, 1 hour/week
2011 - 2014 - Medical Student Teaching, General Psychiatric Principles
Resident teacher, Emory School of Medicine, 1 hour/week
2015 - Pediatric Teaching Rounds: Emotional Dysregulation
Course Lecturer, 30 residents and attending at Cornell Medical College
2016 - Pediatric Teaching Rounds: Catatonia
Course Lecturer, 15 residents and attending at Cornell Medical College
Educational Administration & Leadership
January 2021 - Present - Director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Team of 7 researchers
2014 - Present - Director of Integrative Psych
Team of 10 clinicians
Clinical & Public Health Innovations
April 2025 - Present - Developing An Integrative Model of Care with Dr. Timothy Becker
Integrating the Biopsychosocial Model in the Advanced Care Model
Patents & Inventions
February 2025 - Present - Psychiatric Education Assessment Tool (PEAT) (In Progress)
February 2025 - Present - Cannabis Assessment Psychoeducation Tool and Intervention (CAPTI) (In Progress)
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Research Articles
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A. W., Becker T. D., Sethaputra, P., Simon, K. M., Huang, Y, Levin, F. R., Levy, S., Olfson, M. "Cannabis Use Among US Adolescents." Pediatrics. January 2026; 157(1): e2024070509.
Becker T. D., Menzi P. J., Olfson, M., Mosharova, P., Levin, F. R., & Sultan, R. S. "Labeling of cannabis products from licensed and unlicensed retailers in New York." American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2025; 108000.
Sultan, R. S., Saunders, D. C., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. "Protective Effects of ADHD Medication on Real-World Outcomes." JAMA Psychiatry. 2025; New Online.
Becker T. D., Olfson M., Menzi P. J., Levin, F. R., Hasin, D. S., Nuckolls, C., & Sultan, R. S. "Cannabis Access by Retailer Type in New York." Pediatrics. 2025; 155(3), e2024068669.
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A. W., Olfson, M., Kwizera, M. H., & Levin, F. R. "Nondisordered Cannabis Use Among US Adolescents." JAMA Network Open. 2023; 6(5), e2311294.
Sultan, R. S., Wang, S., Crystal, S., & Olfson, M. "Antipsychotic Treatment Among Youths with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." JAMA Network Open. 2019; 2(7), e197850. [411 citations]
Sultan, R. S., Liu, S. M., Hacker, K. A., & Olfson, M. "Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Adverse Behaviors and Comorbidity." Journal of Adolescent Health. 2021; 68(2), 284-291.
Sultan, R. S., Correll, C. U., Zohor, J., Zalsman, G., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. "What's in a Name? Moving to Neuroscience-Based Nomenclature in Pediatric Psychopharmacology." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2018; 57(10), 719-721.
Olfson, M., Wall, M., Liu, S., Sultan, R. S., & Blanco, C. "E-Cigarette Use Among Young Adults in the U.S." American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2019.
Sultan, R. S., Correll, C., Schoenbaum, M., King, M., Walkup, J. T., & Olfson, M. "National Patterns of Commonly Prescribed Psychotropic Medications to Young People." Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. 2018.
Sultan, R. S. "Off-Label Prescribing of Antipsychotics for Youths: Who Should Be Treated?" Psychiatric Times. September 2017.
Sultan, R. S., Olfson, M., Correll, C. U., & Duncan, E. J. "Evaluating the Effect of the Changes in FDA Guidelines for Clozapine Monitoring." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. July 2017.
Sultan, R. S., Riva-Posse, P., Garlow, S. J., & Schwartz, A. C. "Pre-Treatment with Ketamine Infusion Before ECT in Treatment Resistant Depression." Psychosomatics. August 2014.
Sultan, R. S. "Disparities in Clozapine Use in the Veteran Affairs Medical System." Residents' Journal of the American Journal of Psychiatry. September 2013.
Book/Textbook Chapters
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A., & Levin, F. R. "Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Patients with Substance Use Disorders." 2021.
Poster Presentations
Sultan, R. S., & Zhang, A. (2024). "Impact of Cannabis on ADHD and Comorbid Conditions." AACAP, Orlando, FL.
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A., Levin, F. R., Wilens, T., & Olfson, M. (2024). K12 Retreat. AACAP, New York, NY.
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A., & Levin, F. R. (2023). "Patterns and Associations of Cannabis Use Among US Adolescents." American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, San Diego, CA.
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A., & Levin, F. R. (2023). "Patterns and Associations of Substance Use Among US Adolescents." AACAP, New York, NY.
Sultan, R. S., Zhang, A., & Levin, F. R. (2022). "Mental Health and Life Events in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders in the United States." College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Minneapolis, MN.
Sultan, R. S. (2022). K12 Mini-Retreat. AACAP, New York, NY.
Sultan, R. S., Mohatt, J. M., & Walkup, J. T. (2019). "ADHD Outcomes and Impairments: Beyond a Childhood Disorder." APA, San Francisco, CA.
Sultan, R. S., & Olfson, M. (2016). "National Rates of Psychotropic Medication Prescribing in Pediatric Populations." AACAP, New York, NY.
Sultan, R. S., & Olfson, M. (2016). "Rates of Psychotropic Prescribing Among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults." Congress of AEPNYA/AACAP, San Sebastian, Spain.
Sultan, R. S., Duncan, E., & Olfson, M. (2016). "Changes in FDA Guidelines for Clozapine Monitoring System in the Veteran Affairs Medical System." APA, Atlanta, GA.
Sultan, R. S., Carroll, C. L., Smith, S. R., & Zucker, A. R. (2007). "Obesity Increases ICU Asthma Admission in Children." Pediatric Academic Societies, Toronto, Canada.
Walkup, J. T., & Sultan, R. S. (2018). "ADHD and Comorbidity." IACAPAP, Prague, Czech Republic.
Sultan, R. S., Olfson, M., & Posner, J. (2018). "Antipsychotics and ADHD: Clinical Factors Associated with Antipsychotic Prescribing in Youth with ADHD." IACAPAP, Prague, Czech Republic.
Environmental Science Publications
Geiss, C. E., Abrams, J. L., & Sultan, R. S. (2005). "Multi-Proxy Analysis of Lake Sediments from Western Connecticut Reveals Changes in Past Environments and Land Use." EOS Transactions AGU, 86(18).
Geiss, C. E., Abrams, J. L., Sultan, R. S., & Rodriguez, E. A. (2005). "Multi-Proxy Analysis of Lake Sediments Reveals Paleo-Environmental Change in Western Connecticut Throughout the Holocene." Geological Society of America Abstracts, 37(5), 72.
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Sultan, R. S. (2020). "Coping with the Crisis: How to Help Our Children." Shelter Island Reporter.
Sultan, R. S. (2020). "Coping with the Crisis: What We Know." Shelter Island Reporter.
Sultan, R. S. (2020). "Re-Entry Anxiety." Shelter Island Reporter.
Sultan, R. S. (2020). "Settling into a New Life." Shelter Island Reporter.
Sultan, R. S. (2020). "Past Fear, Masks, and Back to an Island Tradition." Shelter Island Reporter.
Invited & Peer-Selected Presentations
March 27, 2026 - Columbia Data Science Institute, AI Companion Workshop: AI Companions & the Future of Care
October 10, 2024 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Invited Presenter, Cannabis Access and Safety in New York (CASNY) Study: Phase I (Youth Advertising & Access), Phase II (Packaging and Labeling Analysis), Phase III (Chemical Accuracy and Safety)
January 17, 2026 - The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), Saturday Morning Plenary: Do Stimulant Medications Prevent Substance Use?
December 4, 2025 - Invited Talk on Emerging Issues on Addiction & CASNY Pilot Phase I, II, and III - A Multi-dimensional analysis of cannabis in the NYC area (with Dr. Becker)
Invited Grand Rounds and Case Conference at Creedmoor Psychiatric on Clozapine Treatment
Medical Advisory Boards
Recovered.org - Medical Advisor
Shortlister - Medical Advisory Board
Qwoted - Expert Platform for Media
Media & Press
Total Media Mentions: 235+ | Podcast Appearances: 20+ | Written Articles: 585+
Selected Media Appearances
Sultan, R. S. (2025, April 28). "How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? We Asked the Experts." CNET.
Sultan, R. S. (2025, April 03). "Your Weed Habit May Be Messing With Your Sperm." The New York Times.
Sultan, R. S. (2025, March 03). "No ID? No problem. Undercover camera reveals ease of buying cannabis in NYC." NBC New York.
Sultan, R. S. (2025, January 28). "What to Know About ADHD in Adults." Health Matters, NewYork-Presbyterian.
Sultan, R. S. (2024, November 19). "Adult ADHD: Overdiagnosed? Or finally getting the attention it deserves?" AAMC News.
Sultan, R. S. (2024, September 13). "Could America's divide on marijuana be coming to an end?" The Sentinel.
Sultan, R. S. (2024, June 10). "People often overestimate their resilience following failure, research suggests." NBC News.
Sultan, R. S. (2024, May 21). "Top US drug agency a notable holdout in Biden's push to loosen federal marijuana restrictions." Democrat Herald.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, December 13). "Is Cannabis Bad for Teens? Data Paint a Conflicting Picture." Scientific American.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, October 27). "What Is Ayahuasca? Benefits, Side Effects And Retreats." Forbes Health.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, October 21). "How to battle Seasonal Affective Disorder this winter season." New York Post.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, October 19). "What Is Ketamine and Is It Effective for Depression?" U.S. News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, October 19). "Suicide warning signs are missed by most Americans, new survey finds." Fox News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, October 11). "Is cannabis today really much more potent than 50 years ago?" New Scientist.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, August 30). "How a Steady Routine Can Make Mood Swings With Bipolar Disorder Less Intense." Self.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, July 25). "Critical Period in Brain Development: Definition, Importance." Verywell Mind.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, June 17). "Depression: Birth control pills may raise risk by 130%." Medical News Today.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, May 26). "Marijuana linked to mental health risks in young adults, growing evidence shows." NBC News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, May 26). "Surgeon general's advisory on social media and youth mental health comes amid 'real-time experiment'." Fox News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, May 10). "Teens and social media: APA issues guidance for safe use." Fox News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, May 05). "Teens are turning to Snapchat's 'My AI' for mental health support - which doctors warn against." Fox News.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, May 05). "All the Reasons Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Essential for Your Health." Columbia University.
Sultan, R. S. (2023, April 30). "Recreational Cannabis Use By Teens Linked to Risk of Depression, Suicidality." AOL.
Sultan, R. S. (2022, December 27). "461 | Why Treat ADHD?" ADHD reWired (podcast).
Sultan, R. S. (2022, November 28). "Self-Care & Mental Wellness." Authority Magazine.
Sultan, R. S. (2021, October 05). "The Past, Present, and Future of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Q&A with Judith S. Beck, PhD." Psychiatric Times.
Sultan, R. S. (2021, June 15). "Even Vaccinated People Are Nervous About Going Back to 'Normal'." Time Magazine.
Sultan, R. S. (2020, June 25). "How Wearing a Face Mask, or Not, Became the Dumbest Culture War." Daily Beast.
Sultan, R. S. (2020, June 15). "Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases, CDC Has More Advice For How To Stay Safe." NPR.
Sultan, R. S. (2020, June 11). "How to Soothe Your 'Re-Entry Anxiety' as COVID-19 Lockdowns Lift." Time Magazine.
Sultan, R. S. (2017, August 04). "New Clozapine Guidelines Likely to Limit Treatment Interruptions." Psychiatric News.
Sultan, R. S. (2016, February 12). "Psychotropic Prescriptions for Toddlers Increase." Healio.
Research Profile
Currently, in my K12 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program, I am working under the mentorship of Frances Levin, MD, to investigate patterns and outcomes of adolescent substance use and ADHD-related risk behaviors. Our 2023 JAMA Network Open publication on adolescent nondisordered cannabis use ranked among the top 1% of articles for media attention. Under my leadership at the Sultan Lab, we also examine ADHD epidemiology and comorbidity, including recent findings that adolescents with ADHD face substantially elevated risks of suicidality, aggression, and psychiatric comorbidity.
During my T32 Translational Research Fellowship grant, I worked extensively with Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, at Columbia University, focusing on psychopharmacological epidemiology using large national datasets, including IQVIA and MarketScan. Our research has examined clozapine-induced agranulocytosis, real-world stimulant and antidepressant prescribing trends, and antipsychotic use in youth with ADHD — identifying both guideline-concordant patterns and areas of inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing. This work has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and several competitive abstracts.
Clinical Profile
I am a double board-certified psychiatrist with training from Columbia University, Cornell University, and Emory School of Medicine. I am a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and specialize in Substance Use, Anxiety, Ketamine, Depression, and ADHD. I have extensive experience treating adults, adolescents, and children across private, state, city, and VA medical systems, with a focus on emergency and consult-liaison psychiatry.
My integrative approach combines advanced psychopharmacology with mindfulness exercises, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and evidence-based Eastern medicine practices. I collaborate with patients and families to create individualized treatment plans and lead a team of 10 clinicians.
Research Interests
Psychopharmacoepidemiology
ADHD treatment patterns and outcomes
Cannabis use disorders and psychosis
Digital therapeutics and AI/LLM interventions
Digital mental health and social media impacts
Health services research and treatment access