The Evolution of Mental Health Research
75th Anniversary
Date
Location
Overview
The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) 75th Anniversary Symposium Series is part of the institute’s year-long anniversary celebration. The celebration kicked off with “The Evolution of Mental Health Research” symposium on September 13, 2023, which highlighted advances in mental health research and support over the past 75 years. This symposium was held at the Natcher Conference Center on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) main campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
The symposium brought together leading experts in the field to explore cutting-edge discoveries, novel approaches, and the transformative impact of NIMH initiatives. Throughout the day, 15 speakers celebrated advances in brain and mental health research over the past 75 years and looked ahead to continued progress and innovation.
Event highlights included remarks from NIH and NIMH leadership; presentations from scientific experts highlighting exciting breakthroughs in mental health research; panel discussions with thought leaders in genetics, imaging, systems, neuroscience, services, and interventions; messages of support from 15 congressional members; and a poster session with over 40 presenters featuring work from NIMH’s Division of Intramural Research Programs.
Watch a full recording of the event on the NIH VideoCast webpage.
Speakers and recorded talks
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., Director, NIMH
Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., Acting Director, NIH
Integrating Brain Functions in Time and Space
Cori Bargmann, Ph.D., Torsten N. Wiesel Professor, The Rockefeller University
Engineering and Reverse-Engineering the Human Brain
Dani Bassett, Ph.D., J. Peter Skirkanich Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Mapping the Circuits of the Brain
Rui Costa, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor of Neuroscience and Neurology, Columbia University; President and Chief Executive Officer, Allen Institute
The Neurobiology of Stress- and Anxiety-Related Behavior
Alon Chen, Ph.D., Professor, Medical School of the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich
Inner Workings of Microbial Membrane Proteins and Brains
Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., D.H., Chen Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
I’m a Primate, You’re a Primate: Evolution of Concepts in Systems Neuroscience
Elisabeth A. Murray, Ph.D., Chief, Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, NIMH
The Physical Basis of Functional Evolution of the Brain
Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute; Editor-In-Chief, Journal of Comparative Neurology
Models and Theories of Brain Function: Evolution and Evaluation
James J. DiCarlo, M.D., Ph.D., Investigator, McGovern Institute, Peter de Florez Professor, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Director, MIT Quest for Intelligence
How Can Science Help?
Huda Akil, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Research Professor of Molecular Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan Medical School
From ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ to Personalized Neuromodulation: The Evolution of Brain Stimulation for Brain Health
Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D., Director of the Division of Translational Research, Director of the Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH
The Long and Winding Road to Improved Pharmacological Interventions for Depression and Suicide
Carlos A. Zarate, M.D., Chief of the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Chief of the Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders, NIMH
Research is Starting to Catch up with Me: Lessons that Science is Learning from Lived Experience
Karen Lincoln, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Director of the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research, University of California, Irvine
Closing Remarks
Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., Director, NIMH
Susan Amara, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Intramural Research Programs, NIMH