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Dr. Ryan Sultan is a double board-certified psychiatrist specializing in ADHD and cannabis research at Columbia University. He directs the Sultan Lab for Mental Health Informatics with $670K+ in NIH funding. |
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I am an early-career physician-scientist with a background that uniquely integrates full clinical training in both child and adult psychiatry with expertise in computer programming, informatics, and public health epidemiology.
As Director of the Sultan Lab for Mental Health Informatics, I am committed to translating population-level risk signals into clinically safe, developmentally informed, and highly scalable interventions.
I am double board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I am also a Harvard Certified Mind-Body Institute Physician. My training spans Columbia University, Cornell University, Emory University, and Harvard.
Long-Term Goal: To leverage advanced technology, such as Large Language Models and Natural Language Processing, to bridge the gap between clinical innovation and real-world delivery for youth substance use prevention, with specific focus on reducing suicide risk in adolescents, increasing mental health access in underserved communities, and translating population-level risk signals into scalable interventions.
eRA COMMONS: R_SULTAN
Position: Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University (Faculty Profile)
Research Profiles: Google Scholar | PubMed | ResearchGate
I've created comprehensive, evidence-based guides translating my research expertise into accessible educational resources:
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ADHD: Complete Evidence-Based Guide 8,000-word comprehensive resource covering symptoms, diagnosis, brain science, medications, strengths, and treatment. Based on my 411-cited JAMA research and clinical experience. |
Cannabis & Mental Health: Complete Guide 6,000-word evidence-based resource on psychosis risk, adolescent effects, and treatment. Based on my NIDA-funded research and Pediatrics publication. |
These guides synthesize research findings into practical information for patients, families, and professionals.
Multi-Modal AI System for Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment
Grant Mechanism: UG3/UH3 | Role: Multi-Principal Investigator (MPI)
PAWS is a multi-modal AI system designed to transform evidence-based Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) treatment into engaging acts of caring for a digital pet. This innovative approach is specifically designed to reach youth in underserved areas where specialized addiction care is often inaccessible.
My Responsibilities as MPI:
Collaborators: Dr. Xu (Technical Architecture Lead), Dr. Frances Levin (Clinical Trial Regulatory Framework Lead)
Significance: This project represents a pivotal step in my transition to independent leadership, applying scalable technology to resolve critical access barriers in youth addiction treatment. This work builds on Dr. Sultan's published JAMA Psychiatry viewpoint on integrating telepsychiatry and digital mental health into clinical practice.
Period: 07/2021 - 06/2026
Mentor: Frances Levin, MD
Institutions: Columbia University & Mass General/Harvard
Focus: Patterns and outcomes of adolescent substance use and ADHD-related risk behaviors
Key Achievement: 2023 JAMA Network Open publication establishing that even non-disordered cannabis use below diagnostic thresholds serves as a meaningful risk marker for depression (2-4x higher odds), suicidality (2-4x higher odds), academic problems (2-4x higher odds), and psychosocial difficulties (2-4x higher odds). This highlights an opportunity to intervene early in the trajectory of youth suicide risk.
Period: 07/2016 - 06/2019
Primary Mentor: Mark Olfson, MD, MPH
Secondary Mentor: Jonathan Posner, MD (Year 2)
Institution: Columbia University
Role: Chief Research Fellow (Year 2)
Research Focus: Psychopharmacological epidemiology using large national datasets (IQVIA, MarketScan, NCS-A) examining adverse outcomes in youth with ADHD, prescribing patterns, and effects of FDA changes to clozapine prescribing guidelines.
My work has examined how patterns of access, exposure, and use of substances intersect with developmental vulnerability in adolescents. Across multiple national studies, I have demonstrated that cannabis use among U.S. adolescents is both widespread and clinically consequential—even in the absence of a formal substance use disorder.
Key Findings: Adolescents engaging in non-disordered use experienced substantially higher odds of depression, suicidality, academic impairment, and psychosocial difficulties compared to non-users, with risks escalating further among those meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder. Youth access to cannabis—particularly through unlicensed retailers and inadequately labeled products—remains pervasive in New York.
Peer-Reviewed Publications (5):
Given my research interest in both ADHD and substance use, I have explored how these domains interact. My work demonstrates that even youths who do not meet criteria for substance use disorders but engage in occasional use are at elevated risk for adverse outcomes.
Key Findings: Non-disordered cannabis users had 2–4 times higher odds of developing depression, suicidal thoughts, academic problems vs. non-users, while those with cannabis use disorder had even higher risks. Any regular substance use can be a red flag for underlying distress or future problems, especially in youth with ADHD who may be self-medicating.
Peer-Reviewed Publications (3):
Using epidemiologic methods and administrative datasets, I have advanced our knowledge on several domains for youth. I described pharmacologic treatment patterns of youth, high-risk outcomes in ADHD youth, and antipsychotic and stimulant treatment patterns.
Key Findings: Identified national trends in rates of prescribing of antipsychotics in ADHD youth, demonstrated links to comorbidity, and identified potential problematic prescribing. Adolescents with ADHD have elevated risks for suicide behaviors, aggression, emotional dysregulation, and legal issues.
Peer-Reviewed Publications (4):
Another focus of my work has been improving the safety and understanding of psychiatric medications. Through research on rates of neutropenia and agranulocytosis for clozapine-treated individuals, and work to advance neuroscience-based nomenclature, I have contributed to safer prescribing practices.
Key Findings: New FDA monitoring guidelines are likely to substantially reduce the percentage of patients who meet criteria for clozapine-associated hematologic events requiring treatment interruption, potentially increasing access to this uniquely effective medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Peer-Reviewed Publications (2):
I have been at the forefront of ketamine research for treatment-resistant depression since 2011. Under the guidance of Yale psychiatrist Dr. John Krystal, the pioneering researcher who discovered ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects, I became the first psychiatrist to combine ketamine with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for severe depression, combining the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine with the proven efficacy of ECT.
As Director of the Sultan Lab for Mental Health Informatics, my lab is focused on understanding the mechanisms of ketamine's antidepressant effects, investigating ketamine's role in promoting neurogenesis, refining treatment protocols for optimal safety and efficacy, and educating clinicians and the public about ketamine's therapeutic potential.
Total Active Funding: $670,000+
Patent Applications in Development (2025):
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