Research Areas Overview
NIMH researchers conduct research ranging from studies into mechanisms of normal brain function, conducted at the behavioral, systems, cellular, and molecular levels, to clinical investigations into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness, throughout the lifespan. Areas of research with associated Principal Investigator (PI) or Core/Service Director (Dir) include:
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN) (PI: Dr. Daniel Pine)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology (LMCN) (PI: Dr. Susan Amara)
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service (Dir: Dr. Audrey Thurm)
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology (PI: Dr. Alex Martin)
- Section on Social and Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience (PI: Tonya White)
- Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB) and Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders (PI: Dr. Carlos Zarate)
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (GEB-SDGE) (PI: Dr. Kathleen Merikangas)
- Human Genetics Branch (PI: Dr. Francis McMahon)
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics (PI: Dr. Armin Raznahan)
- Emotion and Development Branch (E & D)
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN) (PI: Dr. Daniel Pine)
- Neuroscience and Novel Therapeutics Unit (NNT) (Lead: Dr. Melissa Brotman)
- Office of the Clinical Director (Dir: Dr. Maryland Pao)
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging (PI: Dr. Karen Berman)
- Section on Social and Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience (PI: Tonya White)
- Rodent Behavior Core (Dir: Dr. Yogita Chudasama)
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource (Dir: Dr. Ted Usdin)
- Section on Behavioral Neuroscience (PI: Dr. Yogita Chudasama)
- Section on Critical Brain Dynamics (PI: Dr. Dietmar Plenz)
- Section on Neural Function (PI: Dr. Benjamin White)
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation (PI: Dr. Mario Penzo)
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits (PI: Dr. Soohyun Lee)
- Unit on Neural Computation and Behavior (PI: Dr. Mark Histed)
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology (PI: Dr. Alex Martin)
- Section on Learning and Plasticity (PI: Dr. Christopher Baker)
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)
- Section on Learning and Decision Making (SLDM) (PI: Dr. Bruno Averbeck)
- Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (SNLM) (PI: Dr. Betsy Murray)
- Section on Neural Coding and Computation (SNCC) (PI: Dr. Barry Richmond)
- Unit on Neurons, Circuits and Behavior (UNCB) (PI: Dr. Arash Afraz)
- Systems Neurodevelopment Laboratory
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging (PI: Dr. David Leopold)
- Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (PI: Dr. James Bourne)
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits (PI: Dr. Soohyun Lee)
- Oligodendroglial Interactions Group (Lead: Dr. Toby Merson)
- Section on Behavioral Neuroscience (PI: Dr. Yogita Chudasama)
- Unit on Neural Computation and Behavior (PI: Dr. Mark Histed)
- Unit on Computational Decision Neuroscience (PI: Dr. Silvia Lopez-Guzman)
- Unit on the Neural Computations in Learning (PI: Dr. Angela Langdon)
- Behavioral Endocrinology Branch (PI: Dr. Peter Schmidt)
- Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB) and Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders (PI: Dr. Carlos Zarate)
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (GEB-SDGE) (PI: Dr. Kathleen Merikangas)
- Human Genetics Branch (PI: Dr. Francis McMahon)
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Neuroscience and Novel Therapeutics Unit (NNT) (Lead: Dr. Melissa Brotman)
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (GEB-SDGE) (PI: Dr. Kathleen Merikangas)
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Core Facility (FMRIF) (Dir: Dr. Peter Bandettini)
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology (PI: Dr. Alex Martin)
- Section on Learning and Plasticity (PI: Dr. Christopher Baker)
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods (PI: Dr. Peter Bandettini)
- Computational Neuroimaging and Perception Team (Lead: Dr. Eli Merriam)
- Magnetoencephalography Core (MEG) (Dir: Dr. Allison Nugent)
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility (Dir: Dr. David Leopold)
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core (Dir: Dr. Paul Taylor)
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging (PI: Dr. Karen Berman)
Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology (LMCN) (PI: Dr. Susan Amara)
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience (PI: Dr. Lee Eiden)
- Section on Synapse Development Plasticity (PI: Dr. Zheng Li)
- Molecular Imaging Branch
- Section on PET Neuroimaging Sciences (PI: Dr. Robert Innis)
- Section on PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences (PI: Dr. Victor Pike)
- Section on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (PI: Dr. Jun Shen)
Neural Development and Plasticity
- Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (PI: Dr. James Bourne)
- Section on Neuroplasticity (PI: Dr. Heather Cameron)
- Section on Synapse Development Plasticity (PI: Dr. Zheng Li)
- Behavioral Endocrinology Branch (PI: Dr. Peter Schmidt)
- Section on Neural Function (PI: Dr. Benjamin White)
- Unit on Translational Immunopsychiatry (PI: Dr. Chris Bartley)
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration (PI: Dr. Hugo Tejeda)
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit (Director: Dr. SH Lisanby)
- Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB) and Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders (PI: Dr. Carlos Zarate)
- Behavioral Endocrinology Branch (PI: Dr. Peter Schmidt)
- Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) (Dir: Dr. Stephano Marenco)
- Psychosis and Cognitive Studies Section (PI: Dr. Karen Berman)
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR) (PI: Dr. Samer Hattar)
- Sleep and Neurodevelopmental Service (Dir: Dr. Ashura Buckley)
Suicide
- Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB) and Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders (PI: Dr. Carlos Zarate)
- Office of the Clinical Director (Dir: Dr. Maryland Pao)