Mental Health Conferences: Comparative & Primate Studies

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): At this time, neuroscience holds the prospect for rapid and unprecedented translation of basic science findings into effective therapeutic interventions for mental health diseases. This is due, in part, to the successful use of animal models, such as rodents and nonhuman primates, to elucidate the complex brain circuitry that underlies the affective and cognitive behaviors that are most impacted in the major mental health disorders, including mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and autism. However, new advances in our understanding of mental health disorders could likely be leveraged by a concerted effort to better integrate these research efforts. This is particularly true for studies using nonhuman primates, in that they represent a limited resource, and the studies are costly. This grant proposes to bring together an interdisciplinary Core Group of scientists selected to include investigators using humans, nonhuman primates and rodents in their research, covering a range of mental health focus areas, and with expertise across a range of technologies to hold a series of conferences to undertake the following specific aims: (1) define issues in nonhuman primate studies of the roots of mental illness that need further attention in order to maximize information gained from each study, (2) define research areas in which the development of clinically relevant animal studies has been hindered by lack of information or technical difficulties, and focus on resolving these issues, (3) bring new technologies and perspective to the research community studying the roots of mental illness, focusing on brain imaging, genetics and neurodevelopment, and (4) disseminate new information about useful research strategies in studies of the roots of mental illness to the broader scientific community. This conference series will focus on four mental health areas: depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and autism; focus on new technologies in genetics and brain imaging; and integrate a developmental perspective in all areas. The conference series will comprise 1 Core Group meeting and 2 broader conferences each year for a period of 5 years. Products of the conference will be shared information and expertise across a wide range of laboratories, an interactive web site in the public domain that allows access to shared information and expertise, and an edited volume on translational research in the field of mental health written by conference participants.