Past Events from 2021

Nii Addy, Ph.D. shared his experiences and journey as a Black scientist, mentor, mentee, sponsor, diversity, equity, inclusion leader, and mental health advocate.

This conference will focus on identifying opportunities and priorities in youth mental health disparities research.

The workshop will focus on building the research questions and opportunities to fill the data gap regarding the role of sleep in the early years in establishing healthy neural networks and reflecting aberrant neurodevelopment.

NIMH convened a two-day workshop to assess the state of the science related to suicide prevention training in clinical care with the ultimate goal of preventing suicidal behavior through improved training of providers.

NIMH conducted a livestream event on seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Matthew Rudorfer, M.D., chief of the Adult Psychopharmacology, Somatic, and Integrated Treatment Research Program at NIMH, discussed the signs, symptoms, treatments, and the latest research on SAD.

This NIMH technical assistance webinar provided an overview of the funding opportunity announcement (FOA), Effectiveness and Implementation Research for Post-Acute Interventions to Optimize Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes in Low-and Middle-Income Countries, for prospective applicants. The webinar was followed by a question-and-answer session with NIMH staff members.

NIMH and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard conducted a virtual meeting on the emerging data related to macrophage interactions with the immune system during HIV infection, macrophage reservoirs and approaches to their elimination, and the involvement of CNS myeloid reservoirs and associated co-morbidities. The meeting also highlighted recent work on macrophage inflammation in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection and work from new NIMH-funded investigators.

Glorinda Segay, D.B.H., shared her journey, her work at the Indian Health Service, and what the agency does to promote mental health among Native Americans.

During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, NIMH hosted a livestream event on suicide prevention during the pandemic, focusing on unemployment, youth, and other population subgroups who may be experiencing elevated risk.

During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, NIMH will host a livestream event on September 22, 2021, to discuss suicide prevention during the pandemic, focusing on unemployment, youth, and other population subgroups who may be experiencing elevated risk.

This webinar provided an overview of an NIMH-sponsored study that adapts an evidence-based mental health intervention for LGBTQ+ youth of color and their families. It also showcased potential mechanisms that can be used to adapt the intervention to address mental health disparities faced by SGM youth of color.

Damien Fair PA-C, Ph.D. highlighted positive developments in functional neuroimaging with the potential to put the field on a more solid footing moving forward and realize the translational potential of these non-invasive methodologies.

Whether in-person or virtually, going back to school can be stressful for students, parents, and teachers—especially while navigating a pandemic. During this Instagram event, Krystal Lewis, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist at NIMH, discussed causes or triggers of stress and coping techniques to help reduce anxiety and improve the transition back to school.

This webinar familiarized the audience with a rising star in neuroscience, Dr. Damien Fair. Dr. Fair described his academic journey and the traits that have made him one of the most productive and sought-after collaborators in the field of brain imaging.

NIMH’s Center for Multimodal Neuroimaging conducted a pre-recorded virtual workshop on naturalistic stimuli and individual differences.

NIMH hosted the James S. Jackson Memorial Award lecture with the inaugural award winner, Dr. Enrique W. Neblett, Jr. Dr. Neblett discussed how his current research, mentoring, and community engagement advances the fields of mental health disparities and minority mental health.

This meeting examined emerging data related to neurologic and psychiatric complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection and possible interactions with other infections such as HIV.

This webinar showcased the NIMH’s commitment to community-based youth suicide prevention research with the White Mountain Apache Tribe and described the NIMH-funded regional research hub (U19), which blends a Western culturally adapted, evidence-based risk reduction approach with a culturally grounded protective factor-based intervention to reduce the burden of youth suicide.

The NIMH hosted a two-day workshop on advanced statistical methods and dynamic data visualizations for mental health studies.

Roberto Lewis-Fernández, M.D., reviewed key areas in need of research on cultural and ethnoracial disparities in mental health conditions and services.

On June 22-23, 2021, NIMH is conducting a virtual meeting on the challenges and innovations in neonatal and infant imaging.

In recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month in June, NIMH hosted a livestream event on PTSD featuring NIMH-funded researcher Barbara Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP. Dr. Rothbaum discussed PTSD signs, symptoms, and treatments, as well as the latest research on PTSD. In addition, she discussed some of the challenges that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has presented for individuals living with PTSD and other mental illnesses.

The series brought together a diverse group of expert panelists to assess the state of the science and short- and longer-term research priorities related to preteen suicide risk and risk trajectories. Panelists’ expertise was wide ranging and included youth suicide risk assessment and preventive interventions, developmental psychopathology, child and adolescent mood and anxiety disorders, family and peer relationships, how social and cultural contexts influence youth’s trajectories, biostatistical and computational methods, multilevel modeling, and longitudinal data analysis.

The webinar provided an overview of bipolar disorder within the context of an intersectionality lens and highlight NIMH-funded research in this area with a focus on customizing combination therapeutic interventions for historically marginalized women and men who are at risk for or living with bipolar disorder.

This workshop shared the latest findings about sleep and its connection to suicide prevention.

Prominent researchers share their perspectives on human mobility and its impact on HIV transmission, prevention, and care.

NIMH’s Dr. Stephen O’Connor moderated a discussion on borderline personality disorder with NIMH grantees Drs. Stephanie D. Stepp and Shireen L. Rizvi. They discussed the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and the latest research on borderline personality disorder. They also discussed some of the challenges that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has presented for individuals living with borderline personality disorder and other mental illnesses.

In recognition of National Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month, NIMH is hosting a livestream event featuring experts on May 21, 2021.

Elise Robinson, Sc.D., discussed rare and common genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the association between those risk factors and ASD heterogeneity.

Beverly Davidson, Ph.D., provided an overview of recent research approaches for inherited disorders that impact central nervous system (CNS) function during her talk.

This workshop aims to highlight opportunities and challenges related to integrating genomic information and dimensional phenotypes associated with psychopathology, in alignment with the mission of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative.

In recognition of World Bipolar Day, NIMH hosted a livestream event on bipolar disorder in adolescents and young adults. NIMH expert Mary Rooney, Ph.D., discussed the signs and symptoms, proper diagnosis, and treatments for bipolar disorder in adolescents and young adults. Also, Dr. Rooney discussed some of the challenges that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has presented for individuals living with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

Mona Hanna-Attisha, M.D., M.P.H., the pediatrician and scientist who exposed the lead water crisis in Flint, Michigan, will present a first-hand account of her research efforts to discover the truth and her fight for justice in the national spotlight.

In recognition of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, NIMH hosted a livestream event featuring NIMH grantee Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D. Dr. Bulik discussed signs, symptoms, treatments, and the latest research on eating disorders. Also, Dr. Bulik discussed some of the challenges that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has presented for individuals living with eating disorders and other mental illnesses.

This workshop provided insights into the potential challenges and opportunities for gene-based therapeutic strategies for individuals with rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. It brought together a multi-disciplinary group of experts from academia, government, and industry to provide a review of the current state of science in gene-targeted therapeutics and characteristics of suitable gene/molecular targets and mechanisms amenable to gene-based therapies.

NIMH hosted a livestream event on managing stress and anxiety during the pandemic with NIMH expert Dr. Krystal Lewis.

Using examples from his research and clinical practice, Michael Ungar, Ph.D., explored the nature of young people’s patterns of resilience in contexts where children and adolescents are affected by social marginalization, migration, violence, and mental disorder.