May 24, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — F. Cleveland Kinney, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and director of geriatric psychiatry at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) was honored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) as one of 52 psychiatrists receiving the NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award during the May meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Chicago.

Selected by NAMI's grassroots membership, Kinney was nominated for the award by the Alabama NAMI chapter for making substantial contributions in clinical care and in education.

“These special medical professionals have gone the extra mile on behalf of people with severe mental illnesses and their families,” said NAMI Executive Director Laurie Flynn. “NAMI's Exemplary Psychiatrist Award recognizes the invaluable contributions made by these caring professionals, and allows NAMI members to show their gratitude for lives reclaimed.”

Kinney, a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, received his Ph.D. in neuroanatomy from UAB and joined the University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) Faculty in Anatomy. An outstanding teacher, he received the best basic science teacher awards in the medical and the dental schools during his tenure in the anatomy department. He subsequently received his MD degree from UASOM in 1985 and completed psychiatric residency and geriatric psychiatry fellowship training at UAB.

“NAMI is pleased to honor these outstanding individuals, not only for what they've done to bring about real recovery for people with severe mental illnesses, but also for their contributions to greater public understanding of these disorders and for their dedication to eliminating the stigma that far too often shadows mental illness,” said Flynn.

Kinney continues to teach neuroanatomy, receiving the 1997 Donald Taft Memorial Award for Best Basic Science Professor in the School of Medicine, and Argus awards for excellence in basic science and clinical teaching. In 1996, the American Psychiatric Association recognized Kinney’s contributions to medical student education with the Nancy C.A. Roeske Certificate of Recognition in Medical Student Education. He currently serves as coursemaster for Behavioral Sciences in the medical school's basic science curriculum.

An advocate for the mentally ill and against ageism, Kinney received the UAB Hospital’s Excellence in Caring Award for September 1999, and his multidisciplinary Center for Psychiatric Medicine (CPM) care team received the Hospital’s Care Award in December 1998; its Results Award, recognizing their overall approach to patient care; and the CPM Respect Award.

Kinney conducted early and subsequent clinical studies on the drug Aricept, which appears to slow Alzheimer's disease progression in patients with early disease. He conducts other trials on promising drugs and diagnostic approaches to Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses.