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Transforming the understanding
and treatment of mental illnesses.

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Photo of Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.

Director’s Messages from 2019

Harnessing the Power of Technology for Mental Health

By Joshua Gordon on

In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon discusses the potential that technology holds for expanding the reach of mental health care.

What Can Animals Tell Us About Mental Illnesses?

By Joshua Gordon on

In this Director’s Message, directed toward a general audience, Dr. Gordon discusses the role of animals in mental health research and what they can tell us about human mental illnesses.

A Hypothesis-Based Approach: The Use of Animals in Mental Health Research

By Joshua Gordon on

In this Director’s Message, directed toward the research community, Dr. Gordon provides guidance to researchers on the use of animals in mental health research funded by NIMH.

Suicide Deaths Are a Major Component of the Opioid Crisis that Must Be Addressed

By Joshua Gordon, Nora Volkow on

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In observance, Dr. Gordon has partnered with Dr. Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), to highlight a dimension of the opioid crisis that receives too little attention—the links between opioid use, opioid use disorder, and suicide.

New Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Guessing Right on Ketamine

By Joshua Gordon on

In his latest message, Dr. Gordon discusses the role of NIMH and other researchers in the development of esketamine, an FDA-approved, rapid-acting medication that targets treatment-resistant depression.

Planting the Seed: Today’s Research Shapes Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs

By Joshua Gordon on

In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon digs into the historical roots of the hippocampus and the role it plays in human memory – an example of how scientists build upon past research discoveries and, in turn, advance the science that could benefit future generations.

I’m Optimistic about Depression

By Joshua Gordon on

In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon discusses research-based advances in the understanding and treatment of depression.

Progress and Priorities in Autism Research: It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Springtime

By Joshua Gordon on

April is Autism Awareness Month and in this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon discusses the past, present, and future of autism research.

A Bench-to-Bedside Story: The Development of a Treatment for Postpartum Depression

By Joshua Gordon on

In this message, Dr. Gordon discusses the role of NIMH and others in the bench-to-bedside story of brexanolone, which has just been approved by the FDA as the first treatment specifically for postpartum depression.

Around the World and Back Again: Global Mental Health Efforts

By Joshua Gordon on

Mental illnesses are a global problem. In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon discusses his recent trip to Nepal and Kenya to see how NIMH is helping bring cutting-edge research to bear on the problems facing individuals with mental illnesses in low-resource settings.

NIMH and the NIH HEAL Initiative: Collaborating to address the opioid epidemic

By Joshua Gordon on

Dr. Gordon discusses NIMH’s role in the HEAL (Helping End Addiction Long-term SM) Initiative -- the National Institutes of Health(NIH)’s all-in, coordinated response to the opioid epidemic.