Research at SWBB

Psychiatric Illness are widespread in the United States, with eight percent of the population suffering from serious mental disorders. The most prevalent types of mental disorders include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. Symptoms of these illnesses can occur at any time in life, but usually appear in the individual’s mid-twenties. Psychiatric illness can be devastating not only to the individual who has the illness, but also to his/her family and the greater community. While their causes remain largely unknown, scientists are actively working to understand these mental illnesses and develop treatments and cures. Researchers are currently exploring a variety of research tools, including brain tissue, to help provide answers. Brain bank is currently focused on the subjects related to the following illness.

  • Suicidality
  • Alcohol and Substance Abuse
  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Mood Disorders (Bipolar Disorder, MD)
  • Psychotic Disorders (Schizophrenia)
  • Trauma and Stressor Related (PTSD)
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease

Current Research Projects at SWBB:

  • Inflammation and suicidality
  • Sorting different cell types in brain by Flow Cytometry
  • RNA-Sequencing and Proteomics to screen for genes and proteins specific for major depression and suicide
  • Risk and Resilience in adolescents
  • Childhood Trauma in adolescents
  • Treatment resistant anxiety/depression cellular models
  • Traumatic Brain Injury

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