Michael B. First, M.D. is on the faculty of the Biometrics Department at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, and he is a supervisor at the Cognitive Therapy Center of New York.  Dr. First was the editor of the DSM-IV Text and Criteria and of the DSM-IV for Primary Care.

Dr. First's background in DSM-IV extends further as the lead author of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) as well as of the DSM -IV Handbook for Differential Diagnosis.  Additionally, he is co-author of the DSM-IV Guidebook and the DSM-IV Casebook.

Dr. First has developed several computer programs to assist in assessment (DTREE, Mini-SCID) and a self-report assessment instrument designed for use in managed care.  Dr. First is working closely with the academic consortium that is developing practice guidelines for managed care.  He has trained thousands of clinicians and researchers in diagnostic assessment and differential diagnosis.