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New NIH Funding for Two Autism Centers of Excellence: Press Release • April 02, 2013

The National Institutes of Health announced new funding for two Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), bringing to eleven the number of ACE centers now being funded for up to five years.
NIH Study Shows People with Serious Mental Illnesses Can Lose Weight: Press Release • March 21, 2013

Losing weight is challenging for everyone. It can be particularly difficult for someone with a serious mental illness. An NIMH-funded clinical study proves that a modified diet and exercise program can work for people with serious mental illnesses. Participants lost 7 pounds more than controls—and continued to lose weight.
Twitter Chat on The Teen Brain—NIMH Experts Discuss Brain Awareness Week: Science Update • March 12, 2013

Miss the Twitter chat on the teen brain and Brain Awareness Week? Read the transcript.
Students Explore the Wonders of the Brain: Press Release • March 11, 2013

As part of the National Museum of Health and Medicine museum’s 14th annual Brain Awareness Week celebration, several hundred curious students from the Washington, D.C., area will have a chance to learn about what goes on inside the human brain, through a series of interactive exhibits led by scientists from eight institutes of the National Institutes of Health.
NIMH’s Dr. Aleksandra Vicentic: Sleep Brain Wave Key to Conquering Fear Memories: Science Update • March 08, 2013

An NIMH-funded research study in rats identifies a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep helped in eradicating unwanted memories, paving the way for future therapeutics for these disorders.
NIH-funded Study Finds Community-based Efforts Increase HIV Testing, Prompt Behavior Change: Press Release • March 07, 2013

An international study supported by NIMH reported today that community efforts, in comparison to standard clinical testing and counseling, yielded greater testing and lower HIV incidence in high-risk individuals.
Five Major Mental Disorders Share the Same Genes: Science Update • February 28, 2013

Largest study yet into genetics and mental health reveal that the five most common disorders—autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disease, schizophrenia, and major depression—all share similar genetic components.
Differences in On/Off Switches Help Explain How the Human Brain Evolved: Science Update • February 19, 2013

A recent NIMH-funded study identified small regions of the genome that are uniquely regulated in human neurons, but not in primate neurons. The findings provide insight into human intellectual function and risk for human diseases, including autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
Science/AAAS Webinar on Translational Neuroscience Research Featuring NIMH’s Carlos A. Zarate, M.D.: Science Update • February 14, 2013

Want to know how the latest findings in neuroscience research go from bench to bedside? NIMH and Science/AAAS partnered to produce an informative webinar on translating neurobiological research into treatments.
NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel Received AMA’s Top Government Service Award: Science Update • February 13, 2013

The American Medical Association feted Thomas Insel M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, with its top government service award.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the State of Mental Health Care in the United States: Science Update • February 05, 2013

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discusses state of U.S. mental health care, commemorates JFK’s speech on the topic 50 years ago.
Brain Imaging Predicts Psychotherapy Success in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder: Science Update • February 01, 2013

Brain imaging might soon predict which treatment options would work best for patients with social phobia.
50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy Sent a Special Message to Congress About the State of Mental Health: Science Update • January 29, 2013

Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy addressed Congress about the state of mental health—and changed the way Americans view mental health care.
Leading Neurobiologist Appointed NIMH Scientific Director: Press Release • January 24, 2013

Renowned neurobiologist Susan Amara recently joined NIMH as scientific director of its intramural research program.
In-sync Brain Waves Hold Memory of Objects Just Seen: Press Release • November 01, 2012

The brain holds in mind what has just been seen by synchronizing brain waves in a working memory circuit, an animal study suggests. The more in-sync such electrical signals of neurons were in two key hubs of the circuit, the more those cells held the short-term memory of a just-seen object. The new findings may upturn prevailing theories about how working memory works.
NIH Common Fund Announces Awards for Single Cell Analysis: Press Release • October 15, 2012

NIH plans to invest more than $90 million over five years to accelerate the development and application of single cell analysis across a variety of fields. The goal is to understand what makes individual cells unique and to pave the way for medical treatments.
Former NIMH Grantee Wins Nobel Prize for Chemistry: Science Update • October 10, 2012

Former NIMH grantee Brian K. Kobilka, MD, of Stanford University has won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shares the award with Robert J. Lefkowitz of Duke University for explaining the communication system that the human body uses to send messages to cells.
Brain Wiring a No-Brainer?: Press Release • March 29, 2012

Researcher Van Wedeen MD and colleagues report new evidence of the brain’s elegant simplicity March 30, 2012 in the journal Science. New high resolution scans reveal an astonishingly simple 3D grid structure.
White House Names NIMH a “Champion of Change” for its Suicide Prevention Efforts: Science Update • September 01, 2011

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) was named by the White House as a “Champion of Change” on August 25, 2011, for its efforts in supporting research on suicide prevention.
Recovery Funds Will Support Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Training: Press Release • May 22, 2009
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide grant support for the completion of a project under way to evaluate the effectiveness of a new training program for telephone crisis counselors at suicide hotline centers.
Brain Awareness Week Teaches Kids How Their Brains Work: Press Release • March 17, 2009
The 10th annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW), a science and health education fair held in various locations across the United States, teaches fifth through eighth grade students about the brain. In Washington, D.C., it will take place March 16-20, 2009, at the National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Several institutes from the National Institutes of Health will provide interactive exhibits and lectures focusing on brain health and neuroscience on March 18th and 19th.
NIMH Staff Honored for Work on Behalf of Returning Veterans: Science Update • December 31, 2008
Several NIMH staff members will be awarded the 2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America for their work in addressing the mental health needs of returning veterans.
Three NIMH Grantees Receive White House Award: Science Update • December 30, 2008
Three NIMH grantees were among the 67 recipients of Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) for 2007:
New NIMH Strategic Plan Accelerates Mental Health Research: Science Update • September 08, 2008
Building on the recent rapid advances in understanding the science of brain and behavior, the new National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) strategic plan is designed to maintain momentum in research and transform the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
New Therapies Show Promise for Vascular Depression; Heart, Metabolic, Risks of Some Antipsychotic Medications Flagged: Science Update • May 07, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC, May 7 — Researchers see new treatments on the horizon for a type of depression related to blood vessels that affects the elderly, and have discovered why some elderly people fail to respond to current medications. In other studies, scientists urge caution regarding use of antipsychotics (usually for schizophrenia or other psychosis) in this and other populations to minimize metabolic, heart, and stroke risks.
Virtual Reality, Psychotherapy, Show Promise in Treating PTSD Symptoms; Civilian Access to Care Remains a Concern: Science Update • May 07, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC, May 7 — Early data from an NIMH-sponsored double-blind study of 24 war veterans shows a marked reduction in acoustic startle — the reflex response to sudden loud sounds — in those treated with virtual reality exposure therapy combined with either d-cycloserine, an antibiotic that has been shown to facilitate the extinction of fear memories; pill placebo; or the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam (Xanax).
Imaging Identifies Brain Regions and Chemicals Underlying Mood Disorders; May Lead to Better Treatments: Science Update • May 06, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC, May 6 — Recently developed imaging techniques allow the mapping of the brain circuits and chemical systems believed responsible for a range of mood abnormalities including depression and bipolar disorder, and hold promise for improved treatments, scientists say.
Clues to Role of Brain Development as Risk for Mental Disorders May Also Lead to Better Treatments: Science Update • May 06, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC, May 6 — Increasing evidence points to links between the timing and growth rates of specific brain areas in the young brain and the likelihood of developing a wide range of mental disorders later in life, say researchers convened by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Included among these mental disorders are autism, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Studies Identify Subtle Genetic Changes’ Risk for Mental Disorders; May Lead to Targets for New, Better, Therapies: Science Update • May 05, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC, May 5 — Epigenetics — the examination of how environmental factors like diet, stress, and post-natal maternal behavior can change gene function without altering DNA sequence — plays a major role in depression and in the actions of antidepressant medications. New studies in the field are revealing new molecular targets for better therapies for depression, scientists say.
Mark Your Calendars, NIMH Science Track at APA Annual Meeting, May 3-8, 2008: Science Update • April 17, 2008
What: National Institute of Mental Health science track symposia, lectures, press conferences at the American Psychiatric Association 161st Annual Meeting.
Foreign Nativity May Not Always Protect Against Mental Disorders in the US: Science Update • January 03, 2008
Though all Latino immigrants tend to display better overall mental health compared to their US-born counterparts, a recent study by NIMH-funded researchers has found that the protective benefits of foreign nativity vary widely across subgroups of this population. Factors such as neighborhood stability, perceived discrimination, and the strength of family bonds all combine to influence the prevalence of mental disorders across distinctive Latino ethnic groups. The finding reflects varying immigration and acculturation processes experienced by Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other Latino groups. Results of the study were published in the July 2007 issue of Social Science and Medicine.
New NIMH Research Program Launches Autism Trials: Press Release • September 07, 2006
NIMH has launched three major clinical studies on autism at its research program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
Colleagues, Friends Gather to Commemorate Nobel Laureate Axelrod: Press Release • May 18, 2005
Luminaries from the fields of neuroscience and mental health will gather at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Monday, May 23, to celebrate the life and achievements of one of their most honored colleagues, the late Nobel Laureate Julius Axelrod Ph.D.
NIMH Research Showcased at APA Meeting: Press Release • May 18, 2005
At the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) annual meeting in Atlanta next week, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will showcase advances in translating new scientific knowledge into improved treatments for mental disorders.
Dr. Solomon Snyder to be Awarded National Medal of Science: Press Release • February 24, 2005
Dr. Solomon Snyder, longtime NIMH grantee and director of the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, will be awarded the National Medal of Science by President Bush at a White House ceremony March 14th.
Nobel Laureate Axelrod, Neuroscience Pioneer: Press Release • December 30, 2004
Nobel Laureate Julius Axelrod, Ph.D., an NIMH researcher since 1955, died in his sleep early Wednesday morning, December 29, 2004.
NIMH Leaders, Grantees Honored: Press Release • October 31, 2003
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D., was among 65 newly elected members of the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine (IOM), announced this week.
Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Named New Director of the National Institute of Mental Health: Press Release • September 10, 2002
Bethesda, Maryland—Elias Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the appointment of Thomas R. Insel, M.D., as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Longtime NIMH Colleague Hazel Rea Dies at 91: Press Release • June 14, 2002
Hazel Rea, who joined the fledgling NIMH Intramural Research Program (IRP) in 1949 as a secretary and rose through the ranks to become its deputy director, died in her home on May 18, 2002, three months after her 91st birthday.
Distinguished NIMH Scientist Richard Jed Wyatt Dies: Press Release • June 14, 2002
Schizophrenia researcher Richard Jed Wyatt, M.D., Chief, Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, died June 7, 2002, at the age of 63, after a long bout with cancer.
NIMH Web Information on Child, Adolescent Mental Health Honored: Press Release • January 15, 2002
The NIMH web site (www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/children-and-adolescents) has been awarded a five-star rating by the Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide for its child and adolescent mental health information.
Institute Names Acting Deputy Director: Press Release • January 04, 2002
Wayne S. Fenton, M.D., has been appointed Acting Deputy Director of the NIMH. A research psychiatrist, he has been serving as Deputy Director for Clinical Affairs, NIMH Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research & AIDS, since joining the Institute in 1999.