Guimón Ugartechea, José

José Guimón Ugartechea (Bilbao 1943-2016) was professor of Psychiatry at the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU and coordinator of the UPV/EHU Neurosciences Department's Psychiatry Section.

He studied medicine at Barcelona, specialising in Geneva and New York (with Ford and Fulbright scholarships) and pursued his academic activity at different universities: he was associate professor at New York University, professor at Geneva University, where he was later an honorary professor.

His research focused on signal receptors in depression and schizophrenia, attitudes within mental health, and the evaluation of psychotherapies.

He published 40 books and 206 articles, supervised 39 doctoral theses and participated in over 120 conferences as speaker or organiser.

Dr. José Guimón was a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Spain; the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country; honorary member of the World Psychiatry Association, and member of the International Psychoanalytical Association.

He was head of the Psychiatry Unit at Basurto University Hospital; director of Zamudio Psychiatric Hospital; a member of the Commission on the Psychiatric Reform Plan for the Basque Country and Spanish State, and president of the Spanish Commission on the Speciality of Psychiatry.

He was head of the Psychiatry Unit in Geneva; head of Psychiatric Services; head of the University Department of Psychiatry; director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Psychiatry.

Dr. José Guimón won the Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry Award; Alfredo Alonso Allende Award in Neuropsychiatry; Vizcaya Prize; and First Ajuriaguerra Award.