www.nature.com/npp ABSTRACTS COLLECTION ACNP 59th annual meeting: panels, mini-panels and study groups Neuropsychopharmacology (2020) 45:1–67; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00889-0 Sponsorship Statement: Publication of this supplement is sponsored by the ACNP. Individual contributor disclosures may be found within the abstracts. Asterisks in the author lists indicate presenter of the abstract at the annual meeting Study Group programs at UCLA and nationally. Dr. Shawn McClintock will present on how inclusion and diversity can be infused into the 1. Inclusion and Diversity Efforts Within Large Scientific continuing education and scientific programs as part of the ACNP Organizations: Tangible Methods: That Work conference, as well as strategies to translate knowledge from the conference to the membership’s place of work. Dr. Sade Spencer April Thames*, Sade Spencer, Lisa Eyler, Shawn McClintock, (co-Chair) will lead an interactive discussion and exercise to Erika Nurmi engage the audience in determining an action intention to take 1234567890();,: back with them to their spheres of influence based on what they Study Group Summary: Owing to the scarcity of women and have learned in the symposium. Overall, this timely and innovative underrepresented minorities in science especially in senior and work group sets the stage within and beyond the ACNP leadership roles, diversity and inclusion are aspirational “buzz- conference to ensure successful integration, implementation, words” that are used widely across institutions, organizational and long-lasting state-of-the-art diversity and inclusion practices. settings, and the scientific community. At federal, state and Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. private sector levels, billions of dollars have been allocated to “fix” this longstanding systemic problem. Unfortunately, there remains no clear consensus on methods deemed effective to improve Study Group institutional diversity and inclusion. Moreover, those who are tasked with initiatives to create systemic change are often 2. Clinical High Risk (CHR) for Psychosis: Where Do We Go members of underrepresented groups who are given many Next? responsibilities, but little to no authority or support. Consequently, these individuals often report feeling as though they are Cheryl Corcoran*, Carrie Bearden, Robin Murray, Raquel Gur, “preaching to the choir” and/or end up sustaining a career cost Scott Woods, Sarah Morris, Brandon Staglin, Michael Sand, from engaging in such efforts. To create lasting change while Yulia Landa, Michael First, Rolando Castillo-Passi, Jerome minimizing burden on underrepresented individuals, it is impor- Taylor, Robert Bilder tant to ensure that efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are evidence-based and rely on methods with demonstrated positive Study Group Summary: The field of research and services on transformation. Given that effective strategies are often based on clinical or ultra-high risk for psychosis (CHR/UHR) has evolved over social psychological and behavioral change theories tested with time, engendering some controversy as to potential ethical clinical trial methodology, it is particularly important for members fi concerns and relative merit. CHR is no longer circumscribed to of scienti c societies, such as the American College of Neurop- risk for psychosis, or even risk itself, as the construct was included sychopharmacology (ACNP), to be aware of optimal practices in “ ” fi in the DSM-5 as Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome (APS), a this area. The proposed study group will introduce speci c “condition for further study”. Ethical concerns about stigma methods, tailored towards fostering inclusion and diversity efforts fi remain and are the focus of empirical research. CHR programs in large scienti c organizations and institutions. Drs. April Thames, exist worldwide, with increased funding for CHR research and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern services, and sustained efforts for harmonization of research California and Lisa Eyler, Professor of Psychiatry at the University methods and tools. Promising biomarkers of psychosis risk have of California San Diego will discuss methods of enhancing been identified and replicated, however, there is still no evidence- inclusion and diversity efforts from an organizational perspective based pharmacological treatment for CHR. Our study group has that includes developing and sustaining workgroup efforts, fi “ ” representation from NIMH, pharma, charitable nonpro ts, the identifying tangible outcomes and products, use of social media, DSM, the CHR research community, and investigators who can collaboration with international colleagues, and co-advising from contextualize CHR research in the broader effort of early organizational executive leadership. Dr. Erika Nurmi, Associate identification and prevention of schizophrenia. The ACNP com- Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and Greater Los Angeles VA, will munity is the ideal forum for a discussion of CHR research, and discuss the development and integration of strategies and where to go next. We aim to have a lively discussion in which all activities to promote inclusion and diversity in medical and fi perspectives are presented, with input from presenters and the scienti c education and training; she will present data illustrating audience. There are several questions to consider. (1) One set of successes and challenges in designing and implementing these questions addresses the CHR construct itself. How important is © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2020 ACNP 59th annual meeting: panels, mini-panels. 2 psychosis outcome, given decreasing rates of transition among mice were injected with AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry or control CHR worldwide? What are the ramifications for broadening of virus to target excitation of OT neurons in the hypothalamus outcomes of interest in CHR research? While this leads to greater (PVN), or retroAAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry or control virus was focus on comorbidity, cognition, negative symptoms, function and injected to target their projections to the central amygdala recovery, are we moving toward a general psychiatric risk (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). CNO (3 mg/ construct for young people? What are the roles of healthy and kg) was injected (IP) to activate the excitatory DREADD 30 min patient controls for understanding specificity? Heterogeneity in prior to testing. Mice were injected (IP) with the peripherally- CHR, once considered a threat to validity, is now a research restricted OTR antagonist Atosiban (1 mg/kg) or central OTR priority. Is it worthwhile to consider what features and mechan- antagonist L368,899 (10 mg/kg) 45 min prior to injection of OT isms are common across CHR? How important is risk? What can be (0.5 mg/kg) or vehicle, which was given 30 min prior to testing. done about variability in nomenclature and criteria? How similar Results: Chemogenetic activation of PVN OT neurons reduced should CHR and APS remain, and have we made progress in the binge-like drinking and operant alcohol self-administration, “further study” of the APS “condition”? (2) A second set of mimicking the effects of systemic OT treatment. CNO had no questions focuses on intervention. How do we aggregate effects in mice with control virus. This effect was blocked by promising biomarkers so as to understand mechanisms that pretreatment with L368,899 but not Atosiban in the binge model. may inform treatment? How does academia work with pharma to Activation of PVN OT neurons projecting to BNST or CeA also develop treatments, given the large sample sizes needed to reduced binge-like drinking. The centrally active OTR antagonist address heterogeneity and length of time needed to determine L368,899, but not the peripherally-restricted OTR antagonist outcome? Which outcomes should we focus on? Should we Atosiban, blocked the ability of OT to reduce binge-like drinking integrate pharmacology with the network of coordinated specialty and stress-induced alcohol relapse-like behavior, with females less care for CHR funded by SAMHSA and other funding agencies? (3) responsive to OTR antagonism. A third set of questions address ethical concerns, including limited Conclusions: Chemogenetic activation of OT neurons in the resources. To what extent has the field addressed the problem of PVN reduced alcohol intake in two models in a similar manner as stigma related to CHR? How can we best include in our research systemic administration of the neuropeptide. This effect was planning individuals with lived experience and their families, who reversed by pretreatment with a centrally-active OTR antagonist. are key stakeholders in the CHR research and services endeavor? Also, pharmacological antagonism of OTR in the brain, but not in Also, more broadly, in the context of limits in resources and the periphery, blocked the ability of systemically injected OT to funding, is the CHR approach the most optimal to advance early reduce binge-like drinking and stress-induced reinstatement of identification and prevention of serious mental illness? Namely, alcohol seeking behavior. Finally, targeted activation of PVN OT can advocates of the CHR approach answer the criticism that only neurons that project to CeA and BNST reduced alcohol binge-like a small proportion of individuals who develop a first episode of drinking as well. Collectively, these results suggest that OT effects psychosis have attended CHR services, and therefore a public