bbrfoundation

bbrfoundation

@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Join the fight to cure #mentalillness. Since 1987 BBRF has awarded more than $487 million in #mentalhealth research grants worldwide. Give the gift of recovery: https://bbrfoundation.org/donate?BlueSky

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bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Join us on Friday for our International Mental Health Research Symposium! The event is free & is available both virtually and in-person. . Register here: https://ow.ly/jVsP51012P7 . #mentalhealth #schizophrenia #depression #adhd #autism #bpd #bipolardisorder #anxiety #ptsd #ocd #suicide #prevention

ow.lyInternational Mental Health Research Symposium | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationFriday, October 30, 20269:30AM EDT - 12:30PM EDT Kaufman Music Center129 West 67th Street, New York City, 10023 Join us for presentations on leading research discoveries across brain and behavior disorders by the Foundation’s 2026 Outstanding Achievement Prizewinners PRESENTATIONS: WelcomeJeffrey Borenstein, M.D.President & CEO, BBRF

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
@afspnational.bsky.social

As AFSP nears 40 years since its founding, we're honored to have received the 2026 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health from the @bbrfoundation.bsky.social (BBRF), a prestigious global accolade recognizing our advancements in mental health. Read more: afsp.org/story/brain-...

afsp.orgBrain & Behavior Research Foundation Announces American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as 2026 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health RecipientThe Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) today announced that the 2026 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health will be awarded to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Patient & genome data suggest ACE, a blood pressure regulator, may be an objective biomarker for #schizophrenia & psychosis, & may have a previously unsuspected, non-enzymatic role in psychosis pathology. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/ItPE5100A2C . Johns Hopkins University

ow.lyIn an Unexpected Role, Blood Pressure-Regulating ACE Proteins May Be Valuable as Objective Biomarkers for Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationIn new research, a team led by BBRF grantees provides a vivid example of how the longstanding effort to identify risk genes for psychiatric illness can pay off in tangible ways, informing research on the biological underpinnings of disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis that could help generate novel diagnostics and therapeutics.

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Travis Faust
@travisfaust.bsky.social

Grateful to @bbrfoundation.bsky.social and its donors for supporting our research on how astrocytes and microglia shape synapse development, and how this may go awry in schizophrenia. Congratulations to @cmedwards.bsky.social too!

UMass Chan Medical School@umasschan.bsky.social

Two early-career scientists at UMass Chan—Caitlyn Edwards, PhD, and Travis Faust, PhD—are 2026 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator grantees: https://direc.to/pywL @cmedwards.bsky.social @dgordonwinder.bsky.social @travisfaust.bsky.social @bbrfoundation.bsky.social

direc.toUMass Chan scientists named recipients of prestigious Young Investigators AwardCaitlyn Edwards, PhD, and Travis Faust, PhD, were named 2026 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator grantees.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Researchers report a major advance in efforts to study how the human brain develops and how various dysfunctions and pathologies affect it. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/pflK50ZWncv . #MIAW #mentalillnessawarenessweek Stanford University

ow.lyImportant Advance in Brain Organoid Technology Provides Platform to Study Pathology and Test Therapies for Autism, Schizophrenia, Dementia, Cerebral Palsy, Among Others | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationA team led by a BBRF grantee has reported another major advance in efforts to study how the human brain develops and how various dysfunctions and pathologies, especially those occurring before birth, give rise to major brain and behavior disorders ranging from autism and schizophrenia to epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

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Schulich WesternU
@schulichmeddent.bsky.social

Congratulations to Hayley Thorpe on receiving the 2026 Young Investigator Grant from @bbrfoundation.bsky.social. Her research investigates the genetic link between cannabis use and schizophrenia, which could point to potential new treatment targets.

schulich.uwo.caYoung Investigator Grant opens new avenues for postdoctoral scholar - Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Western UniversityHayley Thorpe’s research is untangling the genetic links between cannabis use and schizophrenia
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

The Suicide Prevention Movement: Translating Science Into Action . Congratulations to the BBRF Pardes Humanitarian Prize Recipient, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Moutier will speak on behalf of them. . Register here: https://ow.ly/jxPG50TS1uw . #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MIAW

bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Treating a parent’s #ADHD with stimulant medication before beginning parental behavioral therapy compared with therapy alone led to less severe ADHD symptoms for parent & child. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/h7Wi50ZRsMz

ow.lyParental Stimulant Medication Added to Parental Behavioral Therapy Led to Better Outcomes for Parent-and-Child Pairs With ADHD | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationAn estimated 50% or more of parents with ADHD have a child with ADHD. The high heritability of the illness is of particular concern because some of its primary symptoms include impairments in executive functioning and emotional regulation—two factors that are likely to affect how parents respond to therapies designed to help them better manage their children, especially those who have ADHD.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Imaging of early #schizophrenia patients finds altered glutamate metabolism differing on brain’s 2 sides. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/llEv50ZPf6B . University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine

ow.lyImaging Suggests Disruptions in Early Schizophrenia in How Neurons and Astroglia Coordinate to Balance Excitation and Inhibition | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationThe continuing search for more effective schizophrenia treatments is directly related to efforts by researchers to more precisely understand mechanisms underlying major symptoms such as psychosis and cognitive dysfunction, as well as patients’ varying response to antipsychotic medicines. (An estimated 30% of first-episode psychosis and recently diagnosed schizophrenia patients do not respond adequately to antipsychotics.)
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Join us on October 30th for our International Mental Health Research Symposium! . Register & Learn More: https://ow.ly/p4W550WYjqq . #mentalhealth #schizophrenia #depression #adhd #autism #bpd #bipolardisorder #anxiety #ptsd #ocd #suicide #prevention

ow.lyInternational Mental Health Research Symposium | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationFriday, October 30, 20269:30AM EDT - 12:30PM EDT Kaufman Music Center129 West 67th Street, New York City, 10023 Join us for presentations on leading research discoveries across brain and behavior disorders by the Foundation’s 2026 Outstanding Achievement Prizewinners PRESENTATIONS: WelcomeJeffrey Borenstein, M.D.President & CEO, BBRF
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Researchers reported encouraging preliminary results in a trial of theta-frequency transcranial alternating current (tACS), a #brain stimulation method, in #opioid use disorder. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/QQCb50ZM1Ac

ow.lyNon-Invasive Low-Power Electrical Stimulation Is Shown in Trial to Modulate Brain Circuitry Involved in Regulating Drug Craving in Opioid Addiction | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationIn the continuing search for new and more effective methods of treating addiction, researchers in the U.S. and around the world have been testing various modes of non-invasive brain stimulation, reporting mixed success. In a newly published paper, a team led by a BBRF grantee reports encouraging preliminary results in a randomized, blinded clinical trial of a non-invasive brain stimulation method called theta-frequency transcranial alternating current (tACS), in a people with opioid use disorder (OUD).
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

#Cannabis use disorder in US adults, male & female and across multiple age groups, increased significantly from 2021-2024, an #NIH /NIDA study shows, while #alcohol use disorder, affecting 10% of adults, has stabilized or declined slightly in some subgroups. . Full study: https://ow.ly/Gt0z50ZJuuo

ow.lyNIH Research Shows Increasing Prevalence & Severity of Cannabis Use Disorder in US Adults, While Alcohol Use Disorder Steadies or Declines a Bit | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationNew findings from the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) show that the prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among American adults, both male and female and across multiple age groups, has increased significantly in recent years, while the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) has remained stable and even declined a bit in some subgroups over the same period.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Dr. Conor Liston addresses how neural connections are increased following #ketamine treatment and how these connections correspond with reduced #depression symptoms. . Read the full piece: https://ow.ly/jEiQ50ZIixE . Weill Cornell Medicine

ow.lyRestoring Dysfunctional Brain Circuits in Depression | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationDr. Conor Liston explains how antidepressant treatments, including ketamine, increase neural connections and modify functional connectivity in the brain, insights that may help predict and improve outcomes.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

A variety of mobile technologies & apps are making possible enhanced diagnosis and treatment of several brain and behavior disorders. . Read the full piece: https://ow.ly/berr50ZHN0a . #bipolardisorder #autism #depression #ADHD

ow.lyPutting Digital Technologies to Work in Improving Mental Health | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationVarious mobile technologies and apps are making possible enhanced diagnosis and treatment of several brain and behavior disorders.

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Debbie Bangasser
@bangasserlab.bsky.social

Congrats to star postdoc Dario Aspesi for receiving the Wilczynski-Georgia Research Alliance Fellowship & NARSAD grant!!! Dario’s project is the 1st proposal from the lab on stress effects on the maternal brain to be funded!!! Thx @bbrfoundation.bsky.social! So he received an appropriate statue 😉

bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

“Remember the Person, Not Just the Diagnosis...Alzheimer’s disease affects memory, thinking, behavior, and communication, but it does not erase the individual." . Read the full article: https://ow.ly/pxMh50Zx7UO . #alzheimers #health #mentalhealth

ow.lyHow to Talk About Alzheimer’s Disease: Communicating with Compassion and Respect | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationTalking about Alzheimer’s disease can be difficult. A diagnosis may bring fear, grief, uncertainty, and questions about what the future will hold. Friends and family members may worry about saying the wrong thing, while the person living with Alzheimer’s may feel embarrassed, anxious, frustrated, or excluded. Yet avoiding the subject can deepen isolation. Thoughtful, respectful communication can help preserve connection, reduce distress, and remind a person that they remain valued and understood.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

A clinical trial in patients w/major #depression + #suicide ideation demonstrated that a pharmacological intervention—follow-on treatment with low-dose buprenorphine—can maintain and enhance the anti-suicidal effects of a single #ketamine infusion over 1 month. Full study: https://ow.ly/OsZB50ZFGbp

ow.lyFollowing Ketamine with Daily Buprenorphine for 1 Month Led to Continued Declines in Suicidal Ideation in Patients Treated for Major Depression | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationA research team led by BBRF grantees has reported the first randomized, controlled trial in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to demonstrate that a pharmacological intervention—follow-on treatment with low-dose buprenorphine—can maintain and enhance the anti-suicidal effects of a single ketamine infusion over the course of a month.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

In a reversal of the usual development pattern, older #adolescents with #autism in study had lower neural functional connectivity in response to nonfamilial voices relative to their mother’s voice, compared w/responses in developing older adolescents. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/GMjX50ZENy6

ow.lyIn Reversal of Typical Development Pattern in Adolescence, Older Autistic Youths Show Less Neural Engagement with Nonfamilial Voices, Study Finds | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationNewly published research by a team led by BBRF grantees finds distinct age-related patterns in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that may help explain challenges in social communication that characterize the disorder and how they change over time.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Researchers testing ways to capture #stress and #trauma in #childhood found that adding the QUIC-5 screen for unpredictability will identify children at risk who will otherwise be missed. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/8TPf50ZxFvz . UC Irvine

ow.lyUnpredictability Is an Important Childhood Adversity That a Simple Screen Can Capture, Study Shows | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationOver the last quarter-century, a number of pivotal studies focusing on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have powerfully documented the cumulative effects of exposure to potentially traumatic experiences on a wide range of health conditions affecting the brain and body. Abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence in and beyond the household setting are now understood to take a heavy toll on young people, with impacts often extending far beyond childhood.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

1st-ever randomized, controlled trial of #ketogenic diet in #schizophrenia, #bipolar disorder finds it “feasible” to administer over 4 mos. & “promising” in its impacts on #psychosis-related symptoms, mood, cognition, & metabolic health. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/17xT50ZwAly

ow.lyKetogenic Diet, in a First Randomized Trial, Correlates With Symptom Improvement in Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder With Psychosis | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationA team led by BBRF grantees and Scientific Council members has reported the first-ever randomized, controlled trial to assess the effects of a ketogenic diet on psychiatric symptoms, metabolism, and cognition in people with schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar I disorders.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

“From a mental health perspective, how we talk about Alzheimer’s matters...Our words, tone, and body language can affect a person’s sense of dignity, emotional safety, and belonging." . Read the full article: https://ow.ly/2etr50Zx7VT . #alzheimers #health #mentalhealth

ow.lyHow to Talk About Alzheimer’s Disease: Communicating with Compassion and Respect | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationTalking about Alzheimer’s disease can be difficult. A diagnosis may bring fear, grief, uncertainty, and questions about what the future will hold. Friends and family members may worry about saying the wrong thing, while the person living with Alzheimer’s may feel embarrassed, anxious, frustrated, or excluded. Yet avoiding the subject can deepen isolation. Thoughtful, respectful communication can help preserve connection, reduce distress, and remind a person that they remain valued and understood.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Researchers tested a way to infer how regular #cannabis use alters the dopamine system in #adolescents. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/wAwi50ZwA7z . Brown University

ow.lyStudy Suggests Regular Cannabis Use in Adolescents Alters the Dopamine System, With Still Uncertain Impacts on Brain Development and Mental Health | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationStudies in both animals and humans have suggested that adolescence is a vulnerable time in which to begin using cannabis, owing to various ways it is thought to modify the brain’s development process. Of course, the adolescent years are precisely those in which young people so inclined will typically begin to experiment with cannabis or begin using it regularly.
bbrfoundation
@bbrfoundation.bsky.social

Study of women & girls with #anorexia nervosa yields evidence of important disruptions in perception & interpretation of signals from the gut. . Read the full study: https://ow.ly/cUbS50ZoVYr

ow.lyAbnormalities in Perception of GI Tract Signals Are Found to Be a Possible “Core Pathology” in Anorexia Nervosa | Brain & Behavior Research FoundationIt has long been thought that people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), and perhaps those with other eating disorders, have problems properly sensing and interpreting signals from within the body—what researchers call interoception.