Dr. Michael Welner, M.D.

Michael Welner, M.D., a long time adjunct professor of law at Duquesne University, is known for numerous innovations that have influenced the practice of forensic psychiatry.

As chairman of The Forensic Panel, he founded the first and only peer review forensic expert consultation practice in the country. He is also publisher and editor-in-chief of “The Forensic Panel Letter”, an acclaimed “e-zine” that has emerged as the definitive and most visited resource for the analysis of federal and higher court decisions influenced by mental health issues. Most recently, he developed The Depravity Scale, a device currently being validated for the psychological determination of evil.

A clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, Welner is a popular teacher and supervisor to all levels of trainees in psychiatric diagnosis, forensic psychiatry, psychopharmacology and treatment decision making. Honored by the American Psychiatric Association in 1997 for excellence in medical education, he also hosts a highly regarded internship program for forensic psychology students from all over the world.

In his New York City-based private practice, Welner specializes in the treatment of violent patients and those who fail to respond to treatment. He has consulted for both prosecutors and defense counsel in a number of high-profile cases, including the death of heiress Doris Duke, the Wyoming homicide of Matthew Shepard and the mass murders at a Xerox facility in Hawaii. A Pittsburgh native, he has been consulted in the homicide trials of Ronald Taylor and Richard Baumhammers.