BD² Discoveries

Partnership Announcement 🎉 We're announcing a new partnership with Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance – National Headquarters. Starting next year, DBSA will provide essential support and wellness resources to participants in the BD² Integrated Network study to foster community, support study retention, and provide insights on the impact of peer support. Watch the conversation between Emily Baxi, BD²'s Integrated Network program director, and Michael Pollock, CEO of DBSA, and read our blog to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eB_4JhqQ

Check out this great opportunity to join the BD² Discovery Research team at the University of Oxford. ⬇️

DEADLINE REMINDER🚨: Letters of Intent for our 2025 Discovery Research grants are due on 11/19. We are seeking teams with diverse techniques, methodologies, and expertise focused on examining the genetic, molecular, cellular, circuit, or behavioral mechanisms of bipolar disorder. Download the RFA and apply: https://lnkd.in/ezPsGFvW Earlier this month, BD² leaders hosted a webinar about the funding opportunity. Watch the recording to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4gJ_Tsn

It was wonderful to see our Integrated Network site teams and partners in Chicago this week. We came together to reflect on how far we’ve come, to collaborate on the work ahead, and to move closer to our shared goal of connecting research and care to shorten the time it takes to get from scientific breakthroughs to improved clinical care for #bipolardisorder. We are excited for the future with this amazing team.

Earlier this month, we enjoyed attending the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2024 Annual Conference in Reykjavik to engage with fellow experts and leaders in the field of #bipolar research. The discussions were enlightening, and it was inspiring to see so many passionate minds working towards advancing the scientific understanding of #bipolardisorder. BD² Memorable Moments🔬 ➡️ Seeing Katherine Burdick and Mark Frye present the first participant-derived data from the Integrated Network. ➡️ Meeting with Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin and discussing how we can leverage scientific progress to overcome mental health stigma.  ➡️ Hearing Emily Mower Provost’s keynote speech highlighting the potential to monitor mood in bipolar disorder via smartphone-enabled automated speech emotion recognition. ➡️ Learning more about how Erin Michalak and colleagues are shaping the incredible CREST Bipolar Disorder Network (CREST.BD) program to advance psychosocial support for people with bipolar disorder in Canada.  ➡️ Feeling a sense of progress and potential as multiple research groups work to identify and validate objective biomarkers for bipolar disorder. These include both biological and digital biomarkers.   ➡️ Attending BD² Genetics Team member and member of Massachusetts General Hospital and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Dr. Cal Liao's talk where he discussed the team’s new discoveries, including the identification of a new set of potential genetic risk factors for bipolar. ➡️ Connecting with members of the BD² community, comparing notes on the meeting’s rich agenda and determining which elements are meaningful for our work moving forward.  We’re excited to continue these conversations and look forward to collaborating on the innovations that will shape the future of mental health care.

Important research by Dr. Katherine Burdick is reshaping our understanding of #bipolar care. Her team’s findings reveal that cognitive functioning plays a much larger role in the condition than previously thought. 🧠 Highlights: ➡️ Three cognitive subtypes have been identified, each requiring different approaches. ➡️Cognitive impairment is often tied to recurring manic episodes, substance use, and poor sleep. ➡️Inflammation markers, especially TNF-a, may be the key to halting cognitive decline. This research opens the door to more personalized and effective treatments. Learn more about how targeting cognition and inflammation could transform care for bipolar disorder: https://lnkd.in/g7rKbgCB

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay. ➡️40+ million people worldwide live with #bipolar according to the World Health Organization We are dedicated to the research and science that will allow everyone with #bipolardisorder to thrive because there is no health without #mentalhealth. Learn more about bipolar disorder: https://lnkd.in/es4e-STM

Through targeted research, our Discovery Research grantees are uncovering the biological mechanisms of #bipolardisorder. Tracy Young-Pearse and her team Brigham and Women's Hospital are focused on understanding how immune changes impact brain function. Learn more about their critical work: https://lnkd.in/e2thWfAd

Grantee Spotlight🚨: Jen Pan's team from Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are focused on investigating the gene-driven dysfunction in critical brain structures linked to #bipolardisorder as part of a Discovery Research grant. Learn more about their work: https://lnkd.in/e2thWfAd

How do disrupted sleep patterns and circadian rhythms influence #bipolardisorder mania? Lance Kriegsfeld and his team at University of California, Berkeley are investigating this crucial link through a Discovery Research grant. Explore how their work will advance scientific understanding: https://lnkd.in/e2thWfAd