Suicide in bipolar disorder
Written by: Gabriel Fries, PhD, MSc Being among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States and the world, suicide is considered a major public health issue and a complex multifactorial human behavior. Studies suggest that…
How can families prepare for hurricane season?
Written by Dr. Leslie Taylor It’s the end of the school year and many children and families are ready for days at the swimming pool, having cookouts or planning for vacation. Summer also marks the beginning of hurricane season, with…
Scientists discover changes in the brain’s cellular powerhouses of bipolar disorder patients
HOUSTON – (Jan. 14, 2019) – Glitches in the structures that power cells could contribute to the mood swings experienced by the nearly 6 million American adults with bipolar disorder, report scientists from The University of Texas Health Science Center…
Addressing a Growing Crisis: Merging Biological and Cognitive Science to Tackle Addiction
Addiction, one of the leading behavioral disorders, takes a heavy toll on individuals, their families, and entire communities. When caught in the downward spiral of addiction—whether to drugs or alcohol—families suffer because of destructive behavior, diminished health, and problems at…
Looking Beyond a Disease: Unraveling Huntington’s Disease Through Research
The patients who see Natalia Pessoa Rocha, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Antonio L. Teixeira, MD, PhD, carry a heavier burden than most. Some come in wheelchairs, bereft of muscle control in their legs. Others seem…
Sahu receives AACP grant for research
Geetanjali Sahu, M.D., a second-year child and adolescent psychiatry fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, has been selected to receive the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACP) Pilot Research Award for a study…
Deep brain stimulation and mental health: Novel experimental therapy gives new hope to patients with treatment-resistant depression
An experimental treatment option now available for the first time in North America for people struggling with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has researchers optimistic. The Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is…
UTHealth researchers link epigenetic aging to bipolar disorder
HOUSTON – (Dec. 11, 2017) – Bipolar disorder may involve accelerated epigenetic aging, which could explain why persons with the disorder are more likely to have – and die from – age-related diseases, according to researchers from The University of…
UTHealth researchers receive $2.6 million to study gene-environment interactions in cocaine addiction
HOUSTON – (Oct. 2, 2017) – Studying the effect of environmental stressors on the development of cocaine use is the focus of a $2.6 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to researchers at McGovern Medical School at…