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RESEARCH FOR RECOVERY ACCELERATING PATHWAYS TO MENTAL HEALTH BRAIN & BEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Awarding research grants to develop improved treatments, cures, and methods of prevention for mental illness. www.bbrfoundation.org 1 FROM DISCOVERY TO RECOVERY Mission The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. Vision To dramatically improve the lives of those living with mental illness and ultimately enable them to live full, happy, and productive lives. 100% of all donor contributions for research are invested in grants that lead to discoveries in understanding the causes and improving treatments for brain and behavior disorders in children and adults including addiction, ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia, and suicide prevention. For 30 years we have awarded more than $380 million, to more than 4,500 scientists carefully selected by our prestigious Scientific Council. 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 BBRF GRANTS SUPPORT THE MOST PROMISING IDEAS IN BRAIN RESEARCH. We invest in: Basic Research to understand what happens in the brain to cause mental illness New Technologies to advance or create new ways of studying and understanding the brain Diagnostic Tools And Early Intervention to recognize early signs of mental illness and begin treatment as early as possible Next-Generation Therapies to reduce symptoms of mental illness and ultimately prevent and cure brain and behavior disorders www.bbrfoundation.org 3 Table of Contents 06 Leadership Letter 08 Leading Research Achievements by Foundation Grantees 20 Our Scientific Council 22 Our Newest Scientific Council Members 28 Webinars 29 Getting the Word Out 30 2017 Research Grants 34 Grants by Illness 43 Foundation Events 53 Donors Research Partners Donor Listings Matching Gift Companies Honor Tributes Memorial Tributes Team Up for Research 81 2017 Financial Summary 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 BY THE NUMBERS SINCE 1987 As of une 2018 AWARDED TO SCIENTISTS $380 MILLION GRANTS The breadown o our grantees since 1987 4,282 Young Investigators 828 Independent Investigators 426 Distinguished Investigators 5,500 Table of Contents 06 Leadership Letter 08 Leading Research Achievements UNIVERSITIES EDICAL ENTERS COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE U.S. by Foundation Grantees 20 Our Scientific Council 22 Our Newest Scientific Council Members 28 Webinars 550 29 Getting the Word Out 35 30 2017 Research Grants 34 Grants by Illness 175 ACTIVE SCIENTIFI OUNCIL EMBERS AND 7 EMERITUS EMBERS) 43 Foundation Events The all-volunteer Foundation Scientic The group includes: Council is composed of leading experts 52 Members of the National Academy of Medicine 53 Donors across disciplines in brain & behavior 26 Chairs of Psychiatry & Neuroscience Departments research who review grant applications Research Partners 13 Members of the National Academy of Sciences and recommend the most promising ideas 4 Recipients of the National Medal of Science Donor Listings to fund. 2 Former Directors of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Current Director Matching Gift Companies 2 Nobel Prize Winners Honor Tributes Memorial Tributes Team Up for Research 81 2017 Financial Summary 747 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10016 | 646.681.4888 | bbrfoundation.org www.bbrfoundation.org 5 Dear Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Supporters: Since 1987, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has BBRF is Accelerating Discovery… invested in the future. We support innovative brain and behavior In Genetics, Molecular Biology, Brain Imaging, Early research today which will lead to new treatments, cures, and Interventions, and Rapid-Acting Medications methods of prevention. We are proud to present you with our 2017 Annual Report. The achievements of our grantees are rooted in fostering a researcher’s career in brain science. BBRF is Leading The World… In Charitable Funding of Research Grants for Mental Illness A survey of our grantees revealed that Foundation grants increased a researcher’s ability to secure additional grant support. BBRF The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is the largest non- grants result in subsequent funding (both federal and private) governmental funder of mental health research grants in the world. and the more than $380 million in grants awarded to date has With our operating expenses covered by separate foundation resulted in more than $3.8 billion in additional brain research grants, 100 percent of every dollar donated for research is funding for these scientists. invested in research grants. A recent RAND Europe analysis of the global mental health research Now, three decades since our inception, we have awarded funding landscape found that we are the top non-governmental more than: funder cited in published articles. • $380 million, in more than 5,500 grants, to more than 4,500 Results from the investigations funded by our grants continue to researchers, from 550 institutions in 35 countries around define the leading edge of all research in the mental health field the world. and once again, this past year proved to be a year of advancement. • $19 million in grants in 2017 divided between our 17 Distin- The research findings we report on pages 8-19 in this annual report guished Investigators, 80 Independent Investigators and 400 would not be possible without the extraordinary volunteer effort Young Investigators. and leadership of our Scientific Council. This prestigious group of scientists steers the Foundation’s grants selection process. We are The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation’s sustained commit- proud to report that 12 distinguished experts joined the Scientific ment to research over the past 30 years and its plan for progress Council this year, bringing our total number to 175. Our new in the years ahead is empowered by a remarkable collaboration members are highlighted on page 22. between our donors and the worldwide leaders in brain science. BBRF is Informing the Public… BBRF is Advancing Recovery… About the Research Progress Which We Support in the Through Our Research Grants Field of Mental Health Funding the most promising and cutting-edge research is at the This past year the Foundation continued its longstanding com- core of our mission. Supporting young scientists’ careers and mitment to public education with its annual International Mental keeping them in the field of neuroscience is vital to finding cures for Health Research Symposium (highlighted on page 46), which mental illness. Communicating research results and sharing insights offered complimentary general admission to hear presentations is also vitally important to our mission. from the Foundation’s 2017 Outstanding Achievement Prizewin- ners and two exceptional Young Investigator Grantees, on topics The pathway to the future of scientific research and discovery is ranging from schizophrenia and addiction to childhood inter- a challenging and lengthy process, but we remain committed to ventions and the brain circuitry behind mood disorders. These funding “innovative and out of the box” ideas because it is this presentations are available online. cutting-edge research that will eventually result in new treatments and cures for brain and behavior disorders. The “Meet the Scientist” webinar series had more than 5,800 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 attendees from more than 52 countries register to watch the In contributing to BBRF you are supporting both an impressive program and post event, the series received more than 22,000 history of achievements that have advanced science and are paving views of the 2017 webinars on our YouTube channel. These public the way forward to change what it means to live with a mental events combined with our private fundraising events, and our illness and open possibilities for more people to live full, happy, and ongoing communications continually disseminate grantee research productive lives. We thank you for your ongoing support to help us discoveries and share stories of hope and recovery. Information get closer to realizing this vision. is available 24/7 on our redesigned and continuously updated website, bbrfoundation.org, and on our social media channels Sincerely, which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. The Foundation’s publication, Brain & Behavior Magazine, has a circulation of more than 19,000 and can also be found in the media section of our website under publications. The Foundation produces the Emmy Award-nominated public television series Healthy Minds which aims to remove the stigma of mental illness, educate the public and offer a message of hope by Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D. shedding light on common psychiatric conditions through inspiring President & CEO personal stories and experts sharing cutting edge information on research and treatment. The goal of Healthy Minds is to inspire conversations about mental illness, and provide understandable information and resources for viewers. BBRF and the Future We are excited about recent technological advances that have made possible experiments that would have seemed Stephen A. Lieber like science fiction 30 years ago. The Foundation is proud of the Chair, Board of Directors accomplishments of the scientists we fund and we are excited to focus on their promising paths of discovery. New donors, both large and small, have come forward to join us as our message
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