News
- Out of sync with the world: Brain study shows body clocks of depressed people are altered at cell level
Finding of disrupted brain gene orchestration gives first direct evidence of circadian rhythm changes in depressed brains, opens door to better treatment
May 13, 2013
Every cell in our bodies runs on a 24-hour clock, tuned to the night-day, light-dark cycles that have ruled us since the dawn of humanity. The brain acts as timekeeper, keeping the cellular clock in sync with the outside world so that it can govern our appetites, sleep, moods and much more.But new research shows that the clock may be broken in the brains of people with depression — even at the level of the gene activity inside their brain cells.
It’s the first direct evidence of altered circadian rhythms in the brain of people with depression, and shows that they operate out of sync with the usual ingrained daily cycle. The findings, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, come from scientists from the University of Michigan Medical School and other institutions.
Read the full article at UofMHealth.org
Read the abstract of the journal publication at PNAS - Probing the roots of mental illness & addiction: U-M researchers win national award
Huda Akil and Stanley Watson receive Institute of Medicine’s Sarnat Prize
October 15, 2012
A pair of University of Michigan mental health researchers who are partners in both research and life have won a prestigious national prize for their studies on the biological roots of emotions, mental illness and substance abuse.
Huda Akil, Ph.D., and Stanley J. Watson, M.D., Ph.D., who co-direct the U-M Medical School’s Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute (MBNI), were awarded the 2012 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The prize, which consists of a medal and $20,000, was presented at the IOM’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
- Huda Akil and Stanley Watson Receive Institute of Medicine's 2012 Sarnat Prize For Their Research on Underpinnings of Mental Illness, Addiction
October 15, 2012
The Institute of Medicine today awarded the 2012 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health to Huda Akil and Stanley J. Watson, co-directors of the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in recognition of their individual and collaborative efforts to elucidate the neural underpinnings of emotions, mental illnesses, and substance abuse. Akil’s and Watson’s work has revealed key aspects of the molecules and neurobiological circuitry behind pain and stress and substantially expanded understanding of mood disorders, addiction, and other conditions, pointing the way to new targets for treatment and prevention. In addition, they have developed research tools and models that have been widely adopted in the neuroscience field. The Sarnat Prize, which consists of a medal and $20,000, was presented to the pair at IOM’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
- UCI psychiatrist wins prestigious CINP award for mood disorders work
May 29, 2012
The Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum is honoring Dr. William Bunney with its prestigious Pioneers in Psychopharmacology Award, bestowed annually upon three individuals who’ve made globally recognized contributions to the field’s growth. Bunney, a Distinguished Professor of psychiatry & human behavior at UCI’s School of Medicine, has furthered the understanding of mood disorders. His early research helped establish lithium’s effectiveness in treating bipolar disorder, and his efforts led to official approval of the drug for the condition.
- Obituary for Edward G. Jones
January 15, 2012
Edward (Ted) G Jones died unexpectedly on 6 June 2011 while attending a meeting at UCLA Medical Center. He was 72 years of age.
Ted Jones distinguished himself in many areas of neuroscience.
“The modern view of schizophrenia as a disorder of cortical microcircuitry evolved out of this work, which was conducted through his role in the Pritzker Consortium.”
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Scientific Council Members Elected to National Academy of Sciences
January 3, 2012
Huda Akil, Ph.D. of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Robert C. Malenka, Ph.D., M.D. of Stanford University School of Medicine join nine other Scientific Council Members on the National Academy of Sciences. Election to NAS membership is one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a scientist and recognizes those who have made distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Read the full article at the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation »
- AKIL: Our incomparable nation
Keep American Science Alive
December 27, 2011 – Huda Akil – The Washington Times
When I was growing up in Damascus, the notion that a little Syrian girl could become a scientist seemed like an impossible dream. Then I read the story of Marie Curie and her move from Poland to France to study physics, and I became obsessed with the thought of some day going to Paris to study science. One evening, my parents were indulgently telling a family friend about my wild ambitions when he turned to me and said: “If you want to dream big, dream about going to America. That’s where great science happens these days.”
- Neuroscience Advances Showcased in Washington
Dr. Huda Akil’s presentation mentioned in NIMH Director’s Blog
November 18, 2011 – Thomas Insel – National Institute of Mental Health
Anyone who wonders about the vitality of our field should have attended the Society for Neuroscience meeting here in Washington, DC, this week. Over 32,000 neuroscientists, many of them under 30, descended on Washington for five days of lectures, symposia, and posters about the nervous system. Having attended this meeting almost every year since 1982, this year I was struck by the increasing interest in neuropsychiatric disorders, especially autism and schizophrenia.
- William E. Bunney: 2011 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health Recipient
October 17, 2011
William E. Bunney, M.D., is receiving the 2011 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize for his groundbreaking research in depression and schizophrenia.
- 2011 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Announced
10th Anniversary of Award Recognizes Individuals, Families with Exceptional and Sustained Records of Giving
October 14, 2011 – Carnegie Corporation of New York
The recipients of the 2011 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which recognizes philanthropists who, like Andrew Carnegie, believe in dedicating their private wealth to the public good, were announced today by Carnegie Corporation of New York. They are: the Crown Family; the Danforth Family; Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller; Li Ka-shing; Fred Kavli; the Lauder Family: Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Jo Carole and Ronald Lauder; Pamela and Pierre Omidyar; the Pew Family; and the Pritzker Family.
- U-M among international group to find genetic variants that may lead to mental illness
September 19, 2011 – UofMHealth.org
Several newly discovered genetic variants may increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or both, according to an international research consortium that includes the University of Michigan School of Public Health and U-M Health System.
- In rememberance of Edward G. Jones (March 26, 1939 - June 6, 2011)
It is with great sadness that on June 6th, 2011 UC Davis and the greater neuroscience community lost Dr. Edward G. (Ted) Jones, who passed away while attending a conference in Los Angeles.
- U-M researcher receives top scientific honor
May 4, 2011
Huda Akil, Ph.D., Co-Director of the University of Michigan’s Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Gardner C. Quarton Distinguished Professor of Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry at the U-M Medical School, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors attainable by an American scientist.
- Brain researchers at University of Michigan found a chemical that may predispose some people to anxiety
May 13, 2009 – Wall Street Journal
Brain researchers at the University of Michigan found a chemical that may predispose some people to anxiety.
- Brain chemical reduces anxiety, increases survival of new cells
May 13, 2009 – BioCompare
New research on a brain chemical involved in development sheds light on why some individuals may be predisposed to anxiety. It also strengthens understanding of cellular processes that may be common to anxiety and depression, and suggests how lifestyle changes may help overcome both.
- Brain chemical reduces anxiety, increases survival of new cells
May 13, 2009 – Society of Neuroscience
New research on a brain chemical involved in development sheds light on why some individuals may be predisposed to anxiety. It also strengthens understanding of cellular processes that may be common to anxiety and depression, and suggests how lifestyle changes may help overcome both.
- Brain chemical may play key role in anxiety
May 12, 2009 – Reuters
A chemical important for brain development may play a role in explaining why some people are genetically predisposed to anxiety and could lead to new treatments, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
- Depression and gene expression
October 28, 2004 – Nature, Research Highlights, vol.431
Major depressive disorder is a serious affliction for all too many people. Using microarray technology, S. J. Evans et al. show that changes in certain gene transcripts could help to explain the molecular basis of this condition.
- A new culprit in depression? Study finds surprising differences in gene activity in the brains of depressed people
October 18, 2004 – Science Daily
The brains of people with severe depression have lower levels of several related molecules that are key to the development, organization, growth and repair of the brain than the brains of people without the disease, or those with the bipolar form of depression, a new study finds.
- Scientists find new clues underlying mood disorders
October 15, 2004 – Medical News Today
Researchers have found altered gene activity in people who suffer from major depression, a discovery that may one day help doctors better diagnose and treat the condition. Scientists found that the fibroblast growth factor system, which is a family of proteins involved in the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells, had an overall decrease in levels in patients who had major depressive disorder.
- A new culprit in depression?
October 15, 2004 – Medical News Today
The brains of people with severe depression have lower levels of several related molecules that are key to the development, organization, growth and repair of the brain than the brains of people without the disease, or those with the bipolar form of depression, a new study finds.
- Depression may alter genes that protect neurons
October 15, 2004 – Genome News Network
Halfway through a project to document how the brain changes in response to mental illness, researchers have identified a family of genes that is consistently less active in the brains of depressed individuals compared to mentally healthy men and women.
