Several overarching areas of depression, bipolar disorder, and related research are of special interest to Eisenberg Family Depression Center investigators. These include:
- Underlying biological, psychosocial and stress changes that increase an individual’s risk for these illnesses
- Ways to improve early identification, prevention of recurrences, and progression
- The genetic underpinnings of depression and bipolar disorder
- The relationship between sleep and depressive illnesses
- Imaging of key neurobiological changes in the brain
- The co-occurrence of depression with other conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse
- Stress and its effects on the body, especially stress hormones and their effects on the brain
- Suicide prevention, with a special focus on adolescents and returning veterans
- New treatment options for patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD), including brain stimulation approaches.