Jennifer Gibson, Author at Foundation of Hope

24 05, 2021

The Comorbidity of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease in Midlife Women: Investigating novel biological pathways of risk | Nathan | $39,617

The Comorbidity of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease in Midlife Women: Investigating novel biological pathways of risk 2021 Award: $39,617 The risk for developing depression and cardiovascular disease increases significantly in midlife women and this combination of illnesses is a leading cause of disability in this population. Disruption in the physiological pathways involved in stress response may underlie the connection between these illnesses, though this has not been fully studied. The primary objective of this proposal is to examine whether dysfunction in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and autonomic nervous system pathways may be a mechanistic link underlying the association between depression and cardiovascular disease in women. Need/Problem: Depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of women. About 20% of women are impacted by this comorbidity, which is also the leading cause of disability in women worldwide. The [...]

13 05, 2021

A Pilot Study of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression: acute changes, duration of effect and predictors of response | McClure | $101,078

A Pilot Study of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression: acute changes, duration of effect and predictors of response 2021 Award: $101,078 Treatment Resistance in Major Depressive Disorder (TRD) is a common and serious condition with limited therapies available. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) is a new treatment that may be an effective antidepressant. We will perform an open-label trial of PAT in TRD to measure acute changes in depressive symptoms after two PAT sessions. We will determine if the improvement in depression persists for four and eight weeks. We will assess if response continues 6, 8 and 12 months after treatment. We will determine predictors of acute response and longer duration of effect. This will: establish feasibility and provide pilot date for larger clinical trial; estimate efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms; determine duration of effect, and; identify predictors of response. Need/Problem: [...]

12 05, 2021

Developing and Evaluating a Computable Phenotype for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia | Zeng | $41,302

Developing and Evaluating a Computable Phenotype for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia 2021 Award: $41,302 Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia affects about 30% of Schizophrenia patients. Reliable identification of TRS patients within an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system will improve patient care and enhance clinical research. We will develop a computable phenotyping algorithm by combining several information technologies to characterize TRS patients from an EHR system. Need/Problem: Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) affects about 30% of schizophrenia patients. However, the utilization rate of clozapine, the only approved antipsychotic for TRS, remains low. Characterization of TRS patients from Electronic Health Records will facilitate early detection of TRS patients and subsequently increase the use of clozapine. Grant Summary: We will use an array of information technologies (database query, temporal medication mining, and natural language processing) to develop an algorithm that could quickly characterize TRS patients in an Electronic Health [...]

11 12, 2020

Lissa

Lissa I stood at the window, looking out on all the uniform buildings surrounding the grey building I am in. Everything looked so dull. I squeezed the bit of skin between my left thumb and pointer finger as hard as I could. I had googled that trick earlier, and Wikihow had informed me that doing this will keep you from crying. I could still hear my brother screaming. I could still feel the room move as he kicked the door. I stood quietly in the corner, wanting to disappear. As the tears streamed down my face, I realized that my thumb trick didn't work. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings and mania. My older brother has a severe form of the disorder, suffering from delusions and dangerous psychosis. He has been hospitalized five times since I was 13 years old. [...]

16 11, 2020

Ashley

Ashley I grew up in a relatively average family. Through most of my school-aged years I considered myself pretty “normal.” But in my senior year of high school, I began to experience anxiety and depression. I isolated myself and just wanted to be left alone. It was difficult, but I thought that going off to college would resolve the issues and get me back on track Once I got to college my anxiety worsened. I had a panic attack my first week of classes. My family connected me with a psychiatrist who proceeded to prescribe me Xanax. I learned fairly quickly that if I had a feeling that I didn’t like, I could just numb it away. I also suffered an injury and quickly became dependent on the narcotics I was prescribed. While I tried [...]

19 06, 2020

Depression in the Menopause Transition: Stress and Inflammation as Pathways of Risk | Fiacco | $31,107

Depression in the Menopause Transition: Stress and inflammation as pathways of risk 2020 Award: $31,107 In the transition to menopause (perimenopause), depressive symptoms are very common and there is a 2-4 fold increased risk to develop Major Depression (MDD) when compared to the premenopausal stage. Erratic changes in ovarian steroid hormones including estradiol (E2) seem to increase the risk for MDD, especially in women who have experienced recent life stress (e.g., divorce, death of loved one). So far, the precise biological pathways by which high E2 variability and stress lead to MDD are poorly understood. With this project, we will investigate pro-inflammatory processes as one potential pathway of risk. Need/Problem: The menopausal transition is associated with a 2-4 fold increase in risk for major depression (MDD) and other inflammatory diseases, substantial psychosocial stress, and a dynamic ovarian endocrine environment with significant [...]

10 06, 2020

A Translational Approach to Identify Biomarkers of COVID-19-related Social Stress in Healthcare Workers | Zannas & Rodriguez-Romaguera | $85,000

A Translational Approach to Identify Biomarkers of COVID-19-related Social Stress in Healthcare Workers 2020 Award: $85,000 Psychosocial stress is ubiquitous in modern societies and - especially when excessive or persistent - can lead to several psychiatric disorders, including major depressive, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety disorders. As we have all observed in the news recently, one of the most vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 pandemic is our healthcare providers. Our research will integrate human studies and preclinical mouse models of social stress to understand how persistent social stress affects this population. Need/Problem: Stress-related psychiatric disorders, including major depressive, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety disorders, are the most common mental illnesses in the United States. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) predict that the number of people suffering from [...]

4 06, 2020

A Pilot Study of Gender Differences in Neuroinflammation in Autism | Dichter | $50,000

A Pilot Study of Gender Differences in Neuroinflammation in Autism 2020 Award: $50,000 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts the functioning of brain regions that process social information, but the reasons for this are unclear. In this project we will examine whether inflammation in brain regions that process social information contributes to social impairments in ASD and whether there are sex differences in brain inflammation in ASD. Results will indicate whether treatments that impact inflammation may be beneficial for those with ASD. Need/Problem: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an etiologically heterogeneous disorder that affects 1 in 54 individuals and confers a lifelong burden to most affected individuals and their families. The brain basis of ASD remains poorly understood. Grant Summary: We will use combined positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain imaging to examine whether ASD [...]

4 06, 2020

Identifying the Role of Parental Traits in Explaining Phenotypic Variability in Children with Neurogenetic Developmental Disorders: towards early individualized intervention | Girault | $39,718

Identifying the Role of Parental Traits in Explaining Phenotypic Variability in Children with Neurogenetic Developmental Disorders: towards early individualized intervention 2020 Award: $39,718 Children with genetic syndromes affecting brain development are at substantially increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders, but symptom variability has hindered the development of effective treatments. In this project, we will determine whether family genetic background can explain symptom variability in children with neurogenetic disorders. Identifying cost-effective predictors of specific areas of risk is critical in guiding the development of personalized early interventions. Need/Problem: Children diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome are at substantially increased risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite a known genetic cause for each syndrome, substantial clinical variability exists among children with both syndromes, suggesting an important role for genetic background in shaping [...]

jgibson@walkforhope.com

About Jennifer Gibson