Kenneth S. Kendler, Professor of Psychiatry and Human and Molecular Genetics at the Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA, received the Jean Delay Prize 2011 in the Opening Session of the 15th World Congress of Psychiatry, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 18 September, 2011.

Kenneth Kendler is well known for his studies on genetic and environmental risk factors for mood disorders, schizophrenia and substance abuse. He delivered his Jean Delay Prize Awardee Lecture, titled, “Psychiatric Genetics: an empirical and conceptual overview” in the Opening Session.

The Jean Delay Prize, awarded by the WPA every third year, is the most prestigious prize in the field of psychiatry. It bears the name of the first President of the WPA, and is awarded to an individual who has made a major contribution in building bridges between biological, psychological and social aspects of psychiatry. According to a long-standing tradition, the Prize is supported by an unrestricted grant from Servier.