During his freshman year at the college, he visited Manhattan State Hospital where he decided to pursue his career studying mental illness.

During his time at Emory, he built the psychiatry department into one of the field's leading centers[2] and became internationally recognized as a leader in psychiatric research.

[3][4] In 2008, he resigned from the position of chairman after Emory University found him in violation of policy for not disclosing payments received from drug makers for consulting fees.

[2] At the time he left the university, he was considered one of the nation's most influential psychiatrists, having written more than 850 research reports and reviews.

[6] In 2018, Nemeroff became chair and professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School.