Thursday Lecture Series: Innovative Research and Treatments Impacting Mental Health in the U.S. (1/30 - 2/27)   

Recent years have seen a significant increase in mental health issues. Over 50 million people currently experience some form of mental illness. This decline is particularly acute in youth and in rural, low-income, and minority populations. Addressing this challenge will demand scientific advances and innovative treatments. This lecture series will look at some of these including brain scanning diagnostics and treatment, research on social media impacts on adolescent mental health, treatments using Ketamine or psychedelics, alternative treatment modalities such as mindfulness and meditation, and enhancing services to underserved populations.

Committee Members: Bruce Friedman, Teresa Schneider, Mike Wixom and co-chairs, Jim MacBain and Leo Shedden

All lectures will also be live streamed through Zoom.

This presentation will explore the current state of youth mental health. First, we will review symptoms of common mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders), along with effective treatments. Next, we’ll examine recent trends in youth mental health and explore potential factors contributing to these changes. Finally, we will discuss how concerned family, friends, and community members can support these youth.

Dr. Emily Laird Bilek is a board-certified clinical psychologist, and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Dr. Bilek’s clinical expertise centers on evidence-based psychotherapy for youth anxiety, depressive, and related disorders. Dr. Bilek is also committed to clinical research focused on developing, refining, and improving access to these treatments.

This lecture will also be live streamed through Zoom.

More new treatments for depression have emerged in the last 5 years than in the previous 30 years, working on different targets and using different strategies than before. Most of these are new medications such as ketamine and psilocybin; others are newer brain stimulation methods like transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS. They work much faster than older treatments. This talk will provide an overview of these innovations.

Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., FRCPC is Professor of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine and Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. Dr. Parikh is the author/editor of three books and over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His research includes clinical trials of medication and psychotherapy in bipolar disorder and major depression, biomarkers of response, ketamine, digital tools, health services research, and pharmacogenomics. He has won multiple awards for research and teaching.

This lecture will also be live streamed through Zoom.

Mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have shown promise as integrative treatments for conditions like mental health disorders (eg. anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder) and chronic health issues including chronic pain. These techniques are designed to help individuals focus on the present moment with acceptance and non-judgment, which can alleviate stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges that exacerbate both mental and physical health conditions. Dr. Bhandiwad will define and expand on the concept of mindfulness. He will discuss how mindfulness and MBSR are being used at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Anup Bhandiwad graduated from the Wayne State School of Medicine in 2016. Currently, Dr. Bhandiwad is an assistant professor and clinical provider in the Department of Family Medicine – Integrative Medicine at Michigan Medicine. His clinical focuses include lifestyle medicine, patient-centered care, and management of chronic diseases. Within that, he has focused on mindfulness becoming a Level 1 Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor.

This lecture will also be live streamed through Zoom.

The lecture explores the potential of brain imaging and neuromodulation to enhance diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Brain imaging techniques, such as fMRI and EEG, provide insights into neural activity patterns associated with mental health conditions. Neuromodulation methods, including transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation, offer targeted interventions to alter dysfunctional brain circuits. Together, these tools hold promise for developing more personalized, precise approaches to mental health care.

Professor Alexandru Iordan earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. He joined the University of Michigan in 2016 as a Postdoctoral Fellow, becoming an Assistant Research Scientist in 2020. His work focuses on cognitive neuroscience, aging, cognitive training, and network neuroscience. In 2020, he received an Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan.

This lecture will also be live streamed through Zoom.

This presentation introduces an innovative approach for increasing access to mental health treatment in underserved, under-resourced communities by partnering with existing, preferred community resources and using technology to support service delivery. The presenter will describe an online depression treatment program delivered in rural churches that was developed and evaluated in Michigan with promising results. Discussion will focus on developing mental health service delivery models that are acceptable, accessible, and sustainable in underserved communities.

Addie Weaver, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Associate Director of the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity. Dr. Weaver partners with communities and leverages technology to improve access to mental health treatment in underserved, under-resourced communities. Dr. Weaver leads projects evaluating delivery of tailored, entertaining, technology-assisted depression treatment in rural churches, WIC program, Head Start programs, and school settings.

This lecture will also be live streamed through Zoom.