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NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

More than half of people living with HIV (PWH) in the United States (US) are 50 years of age or older. Compared with those without HIV, older PWH have 2.3-fold increased risk of depression. The impact of unmitigated mental health symptoms and related conditions among this growing population is significant and includes social isolation, loss of independence, and poor engagement with healthcare, undermining progress towards ending the HIV epidemic. Due to a shortage behavioral health providers, there is growing interest in innovative interventions using community-based, peer-led approaches to improve access to effective mental health services. Behavioral activation is an evidence-based intervention that has shown promise for reducing depressive symptoms among older adults. Our team has developed a streamlined lay-delivered behavioral activation intervention called “Do More, Feel Better” (DMFB) that has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms among depressed (PHQ-9 ≥10) older adults obtaining services in community senior centers. Delivery of an adapted version of the DMFB intervention for older PWH with poor access to professional counseling could be relatively straightforward within the existing Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, supported by organizations that provide essential services such as non-medical case management to low-income PWH. Because the intervention is tailored to individual preferences and needs, it promises to be acceptable, especially after careful adaptation using input from community members and stakeholders. Our aims for the proposed work are therefore: (1) to understand the impact of mental health issues on HIV care, functioning, and quality of life and identify multi-level barriers and facilitators that could influence participation in and delivery of an adapted DMFB intervention; (2) to adapt and enhance the DMFB intervention for delivery by case management program staff or volunteers to older PWH, following the ADAPT-ITT model in collaboration with community partners; and (3) to determine the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of the adapted DMFB intervention compared to clinician-delivered Behavioral Activation therapy over 3 months in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Results of this research will have high impact by adapting an effective lay-delivered behavioral activation intervention for older PWH that is low-cost, scalable, and easily tailored to individual preferences and needs. Our ongoing work on the DMFB intervention indicates that this lay-delivered intervention has great potential to produce concrete improvements in mental health and quality of life. Our multidisciplinary team has a strong record of research on HIV care, geriatric mental health, HIV and aging, behavioral health and implementation science, and the experience with mixed methods approaches, intervention adaptation, and clinical trials necessary to successfully carry out this work. Adaptation of the DMFB intervention has the potential to be acceptable, feasible, effective and scalable when delivered within case management organizations, improving the lives and HIV outcomes of older PWH.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

The objective of the proposed K23 research and training plan is to support Dr. Emily Tilstra-Ferrell in obtaining training needed to become an independent clinical scientist with a program of research focused on developing highly scalable, efficient evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can be delivered in accessible, real-world, multidisciplinary settings. Over four million adolescents in the United States (US) have PTSD. Although PTSD EBTs are available, only one third (37%) of adolescents access these treatments. Among the few who access PTSD EBTs, over one-third (34%) prematurely drop out due to barriers including lengthy protocols (the majority of dropout occurs before session seven). The proposed study directly addresses this clinical gap by adapting Written Exposure Therapy (WET), an EBT for adult PTSD, for adolescents. WET is an efficient, five-session PTSD treatment that is non-inferior to lengthier gold-standard PTSD EBTs for adults. WET addresses many barriers faced by adolescents who seek EBTs for PTSD due its brevity and related cost-effectiveness. However, WET has not been formally adapted or rigorously tested with adolescents. In Aim 1, WET will be adapted following a systematic model: Assessment, Decisions, Administration, Production, Topical Experts, Integration, Training, and Testing (ADAPT-ITT). In Aim 2, a proof- of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be employed to compare WET to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (the gold-standard PTSD EBT for youth) delivered in a pediatric primary care setting to adolescents with PTSD. The final exploratory aim will examine the potential emotional (fear extinction) and cognitive (changes in ruminative cognition) mechanisms of action in WET. The mentorship team is comprised of numerous highly experienced mentors with NIH-funded research related to the proposed project including RCTs for adolescents with PTSD (Primary Mentor: Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson), ADAPT-ITT (Dr. Cristina López), advanced qualitative and mixed methods (Dr. Byron Powell), WET (Dr. Christine Hahn), dissemination and implementation science and EBTs for trauma-exposed youth in primary care settings (Dr. Rochelle Hanson), and longitudinal data analysis (Dr. Naomi Brownstein). The research opportunities, mentorship, and formal coursework afforded by the proposed K23 will ensure Dr. Tilstra-Ferrell gains the following skills needed to achieve her career goals: (1) conducting clinical trials with trauma-exposed adolescents, (2) using qualitative and mixed methods design to adapt and implement EBTs, (3) longitudinal data analysis, (4) dissemination and implementation science methods, and (5) improved scientific communication. The candidate will complete all proposed activities at the Medical University of South Carolina in the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, which is internationally renowned for research on adolescent PTSD EBTs with a strong history of catapulting early career scientists to independence. The proposed K23 will ultimately prepare Dr. Tilstra-Ferrell to launch a program of research developing efficient and scalable PTSD EBTs for adolescents.

NIH

Background: There have been sharp increases in stimulant use disorder among Veterans nationally over the past twenty years, including co-occurring opioid and methamphetamine use disorder. Our previous research shows a high prevalence of multimorbidity among people who use stimulants, which has important implications for delivering healthcare for this high-risk population. Since 2011, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has prioritized the availability of contingency management (CM) programs for all Veterans with a stimulant use disorder as a standard of care. Meanwhile, several recent studies have been conducted or are being done to examine how CM may improve other health outcomes. However, limited work has been done to consider CM as a method for delivering integrated care for patients with multimorbidity. This study will fill this knowledge gap by examining patterns of multimorbidity and healthcare utilization among Veterans with stimulant use disorders to develop an integrated intervention to improve health outcomes for this population. Significance: Given the elevated risks of poor health outcomes among Veterans with stimulant use disorders, VHA must provide integrated interventions to address the complex needs of this population. This study directly responds to multiple priorities of the VHA, Health Systems Research, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) to improve the health delivery of this high-risk population. Innovation & Impact: Addressing multimorbidity among high-risk patient populations necessitates an integrated approach to care rather than disease-specific treatment. Veterans with stimulant use disorders have unique health needs, given the complex interplay between substance use disorders, mental illness, and medical multimorbidity. Improving health outcomes for this population involves innovative approaches that must be patient-centered and recognize the stigma related to SUDs. This study will utilize multidisciplinary expertise in geriatric and addiction medicine to develop innovative interventions to improve a vulnerable population's health and healthcare delivery. Specific Aims: The three aims are scientifically important and reflect input from Veterans and VHA staff: (1) To describe the prevalence and predictors of multiple chronic conditions, outpatient care fragmentation, and high acute healthcare utilization among Veterans with stimulant use disorders; (2) Adapt VA contingency management (CM) programs to integrate team-based intensive chronic disease management to improve health outcomes and reduce acute healthcare utilization among Veterans with stimulant use disorders; (3) Pilot test an intervention that integrates CM with intensive chronic disease management. Methodology: In Aim 1, we will conduct a retrospective longitudinal cohort study using VHA national data to describe comorbidities and identify predictors for high acute healthcare utilization among Veterans with stimulant use disorders (n=~177,714). For Aim 2, we will conduct qualitative interviews with 35 Veterans with stimulant use disorders and 45 VHA staff and providers and elicit expert feedback from our VHA operational partners to develop an intervention. Finally, Aim 3 will involve pilot testing an intervention coupled with CM programs for the treatment of stimulant use disorders. Next Steps/Implementation: The goal is to have a fully developed protocol for use in a multi-site randomized trial of an integrated model of care intervention to improve health outcomes among Veterans with stimulant use disorders within the VHA that will be evaluated in a subsequent IIR. An evidence-based integrated intervention to address multimorbidity among a high-risk Veteran patient population will have important implications for sustained care delivery for a high-risk patient population.

NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

PROJECT ABSTRACT The proposed research will assess the impact adolescent friendship networks have on the psychosocial health of immigrant youth (i.e., the 1st and 2nd generation). Immigrant youth are a vulnerable population, with disproportionately high prevalence of adverse psychosocial health outcomes, including higher rates of mental health disorders, and lower sense of belonging, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage, marked by the ascension in the complexity and importance of peer friendships. Although immigrant youth’s friendship networks look different from non-immigrant youth’s networks in a variety of ways, very little research have examined whether and how these friendship patterns and processes may explain the immigrant-based disparities in psychosocial health. This proposed research will bring more contemporary data to the forefront of research on immigrant youth’s school friendships, generate new and rare data on immigrant youth’s non-school friendships, and use advanced social network analytical methods to provide a more comprehensive examination of the impacts adolescent friendship networks have on the psychosocial health of immigrant youth. During the K99 phase, Dr. Khuu will focus on friendships developed in school, a major peer context shared by both immigrant and nonimmigrant youth. AIM 1 is to identify and understand differences in friendship patterns and processes between immigrant and nonimmigrant youth. AIM 2 is to compare measures of psychosocial health between these two groups and test whether differential friendship patterns and processes explain differences in psychosocial health. During the R00 phase, Dr. Khuu will leverage her training in survey design and network sampling methods as well as in adolescent development and psychosocial health to lead a new data collection effort on immigrant youth’s friendship networks extending beyond school. AIM 3 is to understand how the social contexts of friendships shape friendship patterns and composition. AIM 4 is to test the relationship between immigrant youth’s psychosocial health and these friendship measures. As a sub aim, Dr. Khuu will also take the opportunity to examine heterogeneity among immigrant youth, focusing particularly on the distinctions between refugee and non-refugee youth. Dr. Khuu’s career goal is to become a leading research authority on the friendships, health, and critical life outcomes of immigrant youth. The training and findings of the proposed research will position her favorably to pursue an R01 grant, enabling her to propose a more expansive, longitudinal study that explores the social integration and health of immigrant youth, with a specific focus on refugee youth, who have resettled in a diversity of new immigrant destinations in the United States.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

Adult Suicide Prevention

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

The purpose of this program is to build and strengthen community infrastructure and readiness to support early intervention, community-led suicide prevention, and resiliency efforts for adults who are at risk for suicide.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to publish a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to solicit research applications for practice-based research centers to support interdisciplinary teams of mental health researchers to engage in high-impact studies that will significantly advance clinical practice and generate knowledge to fuel the transformation of mental health care in the United States. Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers support research projects aimed at the rapid development, testing, and refinement of novel and integrative approaches for (1) optimizing the effectiveness of therapeutic or preventive interventions for mental disorders; (2) developing and testing empirically informed patient-, provider- and system-level interventions to improve mental health care access, engagement, continuity, efficiency, and quality; and (3) continuously improving the quality, impact, and durability of optimized interventions and health for individuals with or at risk for mental health problems, including those with serious mental illness. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive research projects. This NOFO will utilize the P50 activity code.Applications must propose research that maximizes synergies across various components of the mental health research ecosystem, including new discoveries in clinical research, transformative health care technologies, advances in information science, and new federal and state mechanisms for organizing mental health care. Applicants with interdisciplinary expertise, such as behavioral science, health information and data science, health systems engineering, decision science, implementation science, and related fields, whose practice-based research needs cannot be met through standard research project grant mechanisms, should consider applying to this NOFO. Applications are also expected to include research activities that facilitate the widespread sharing of data, methods, and resources to accelerate clinical research and to provide opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career investigators to participate in interdisciplinary research-to-practice translational mental health research.

National Institutes of Health

Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers

National Institutes of Health

<p>The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to publish a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to solicit research applications for practice-based research centers to support interdisciplinary teams of mental health researchers to engage in high-impact studies that will significantly advance clinical practice and generate knowledge to fuel the transformation of mental health care in the United States. Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers support research projects aimed at the rapid development, testing, and refinement of novel and integrative approaches for (1) optimizing the effectiveness of therapeutic or preventive interventions for mental disorders; (2) developing and testing empirically informed patient-, provider- and system-level interventions to improve mental health care access, engagement, continuity, efficiency, and quality; and (3) continuously improving the quality, impact, and durability of optimized interventions and health for individuals with or at risk for mental health problems, including those with serious mental illness. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive research projects.&nbsp; This NOFO will utilize the P50 activity code.</p><p>Applications must propose research that maximizes synergies across various components of the mental health research ecosystem, including new discoveries in clinical research, transformative health care technologies, advances in information science, and new federal and state mechanisms for organizing mental health care. Applicants with interdisciplinary expertise, such as behavioral science, health information and data science, health systems engineering, decision science, implementation science, and related fields, whose practice-based research needs cannot be met through standard research project grant mechanisms, should consider applying to this NOFO. Applications are also expected to include research activities that facilitate the widespread sharing of data, methods, and resources to accelerate clinical research and to provide opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career investigators to participate in interdisciplinary research-to-practice translational mental health research.</p>

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY Cell-type specific recording and manipulations are powerful methods for targeting categories of neurons that have a particular behavior or disease relevance. Cutting-edge genetic engineering approaches, such as optogenetics, enable interactions with neurons in a cell type-specific manner. However, these approaches have by and large been relegated to smaller animal models, with limited success in larger animals such as nonhuman primates. This proposal seeks to address this major gap in methodology by establishing tools for interfacing with dopamine circuitry in the macaque animal model. Dopamine is a critical neurotransmitter for a suite of cognitive processes and is implicated in many neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, making it of clear interest for neuroscientific studies and the development of neurotherapeutics. Nonhuman primates are important preclinical animal models and it is essential to develop tools and technologies that continue to advance our capabilities to interface with the nervous system in this model system. In this work we will establish and characterize the dLight sensor, a genetically encoded fluorescent dopamine indicator, in the macaque model system. We will also develop a sono-chemogenetic approach to selectively modulate signaling in this neural population. Chemogenetics has emerged as a less invasive alternative to achieve similar manipulation of neural signaling to optogenetics. However, current chemogenetic approaches typically rely on systemic drug administration, which limits the temporal and tunable control of the manipulation. Sono-chemogenetics is an innovative new area that leverages ultrasound-programmable nanoparticles for drug delivery. This approach is non-invasive and facilitates precise manipulation of specific cells and overcomes barriers of previous optogenetic and chemogenetic methods. In Aim 1, we will characterize the in vivo sensitivity of the dLight sensor to targeted interventions and behavior. We will use pharmacological techniques and electrical stimulation to mediate dopamine release to validate functional changes in the recorded fluorescent signal. Additionally, we will establish the sensitivity of the sensor to natural variations in dopamine levels during behavior. In Aim 2, we will determine the timescale over which dopamine signals are stable. These longitudinal studies are critical to verify the longevity of this methodology, which is relevant to chronic studies. In Aim 3, we establish the sono-chemogenetic approach to mediate signaling in dopamine neurons and verify the functional effects in a relevant behavioral paradigm. Together these aims will take critical steps toward refining and optimizing these tools for use in a large animal model which is a valuable platform for developing therapies and treatments for human conditions.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

ABSTRACT Despite advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), only 65% of people with HIV (PWH) in the United States (US) achieve viral suppression, with significant differences observed across sociodemographic groups. Long- acting injectable ART (LA ART) has the potential to address challenges associated with daily oral ART, but its adoption has been slow, with only 1.44% of PWH—approximately 15,000 individuals—on LA ART after two years of availability. This low uptake highlights persistent barriers and mirrors challenges seen with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including slow adoption and differences in awareness, interest, and use. Further research is needed to understand factors shaping PWH decisions regarding innovative ART therapies. PWH face complex considerations when selecting treatment regimens, including regimen characteristics, psychosocial factors, and logistical barriers. While these factors are well-studied for oral ART, less is known about how PWH weigh these considerations for LA ART. This study will use advanced quantitative methods, including latent class analysis (LCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), to identify treatment preference typologies and examine how individual, provider, and clinic-level factors shape ART preferences, addressing critical gaps in knowledge. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science 2.0, this project has two aims: 1) Identify HIV treatment regimen consideration patterns (classes) and assess the association between class membership and sociodemographic characteristics among PWH; and 2) Examine how patient (treatment regimen preference patterns), provider (trust, shared decision-making) and clinic-level factors (quality of clinical care) influence ART preferences among PWH. Findings will inform multilevel interventions to improve outcomes. Moreover, the identification of patient treatment typologies will enable providers to align discussions and interventions with the unique preferences of PWH. To achieve these aims, the proposed training plan focuses on developing advanced skills in LCA and SEM, deepening expertise in implementation science frameworks, and applying these findings to design multilevel interventions. Through mentorship, coursework, workshops, and applied research, the applicant will gain the knowledge and experience necessary to become an independent behavioral and implementation scientist, equipped to address access challenges in the evolving landscape of HIV treatment. This NRSA award will provide the necessary mentorship and resources to achieve these goals.

National Institute of Corrections

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) acknowledges the pressing challenges facing behavioral health care within correctional settings nationwide. Correctional facilities increasingly contend with complex mental health and substance use issues among incarcerated individuals, yet existing behavioral health services are consistently limited by service gaps, inconsistent institutional policies, and insufficient staff training, as revealed through research and dialogue with NIC s Mental Health Network. These shortcomings jeopardize the rehabilitation and well-being of those in custody, while also causing elevated staff stress, burnout, and organizational instability.Through this cooperative agreement, NIC will launch a comprehensive initiative to address these systemic concerns. The project will encompass an in-depth gap analysis of behavioral health services, a rigorous review of institutional policies to ensure alignment with national standards, and robust stakeholder engagement to inform program development. Input from corrections professionals and behavioral health experts will play a pivotal role in shaping project strategies and solutions.A primary outcome of these efforts will be the creation of a dynamic behavioral health training e-course designed for correctional staff. This curriculum will draw on evidence-based best practices including trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, and crisis intervention strategies. By equipping staff with practical, accessible tools rooted in the realities of correctional work, the initiative will enhance staff skills, foster professional development and wellness, and ultimately contribute to a safer and more stable correctional environment.

National Institutes of Health

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to foster research that will inform and support the optimization, delivery, sustainability, and effectiveness of empirically-supported practices for addressing the mental health needs of older adults with serious mental illness (SMI). To this end, NIMH seeks applications that propose work that is focused on practice-relevant questions and conducted within and/or across settings where older adults with SMI are likely to be identified as needing care (e.g., primary care and geriatric specialty clinics, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and community centers). Applications may propose research related to adapting, optimizing, and implementing efficacious treatment and services interventions and strategies to improve clinical and functional outcomes among aging populations; examining mutable factors that impact fair and impartial mental health care access, utilization, quality, and outcomes and may serve as targets for intervention development for older adults with SMI; and developing and testing innovative treatment and service interventions that address barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Projects may also focus on systems-level factors and approaches for addressing SMI and improving access to evidence-based interventions in later life, such as evaluation of health system policies and practices, interventions that facilitate care transitions and continuity across settings, and strategies to improve care linkages and coordination across systems.

National Institutes of Health

Advancing Research on Empirically-Supported Interventions for Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to foster research that will inform and support the optimization, delivery, sustainability, and effectiveness of empirically-supported practices for addressing the mental health needs of older adults with serious mental illness (SMI). To this end, NIMH seeks applications that propose work that is focused on practice-relevant questions and conducted within and/or across settings where older adults with SMI are likely to be identified as needing care (e.g., primary care and geriatric specialty clinics, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and community centers). Applications may propose research related to adapting, optimizing, and implementing efficacious treatment and services interventions and strategies to improve clinical and functional outcomes among aging populations; examining mutable factors that impact fair and impartial mental health care access, utilization, quality, and outcomes and may serve as targets for intervention development for older adults with SMI; and developing and testing innovative treatment and service interventions that address barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Projects may also focus on systems-level factors and approaches for addressing SMI and improving access to evidence-based interventions in later life, such as evaluation of health system policies and practices, interventions that facilitate care transitions and continuity across settings, and strategies to improve care linkages and coordination across systems.

Administration for Children and Families - OCS

The Office of Community Services (OCS) intends to fund Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and tribes that received FY25 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) awards and own affordable housing units. The purpose of the AHSSD is to demonstrate the potential for improving housing stability, economic mobility, and well-being by boosting public welfare and support service enrollment for residents of affordable housing who are American citizens. AHSSD does this by improving the coordination of public and private assistance programs to prevent and reduce dependency among this population cohort. Recipients will offer direct provision of specific public welfare and support services, internal referrals to assistance programs, external referrals to programming offered through other agencies, and/or case management and human-services coordination. Recipients must also provide services to eligible residents who live in affordable housing units.The range of service enrollment is broad, including educational opportunities for children and adults; afterschool and/or summer programs for children and teens; direct provision of childcare programs/opportunities for children ages 0 to 5 or connections to Head Start and Early Head Start programs; older adult care services; mental health, alcohol, and addiction services; services for Americans and eligible residents with disabilities; self-sufficiency resources; resources on homeownership; financial literacy training; transportation services for residents; referrals and connections to resources to help meet concrete needs; and healthcare services.

Administration for Children and Families - OCS

<p>The Office of Community Services (OCS) intends to fund Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and tribes that received FY25 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) awards and own affordable housing units.&nbsp;</p><p>The purpose of the AHSSD is to demonstrate the potential for improving housing stability, economic mobility, and well-being by boosting public welfare and support service enrollment for residents of affordable housing who are American citizens.&nbsp; AHSSD does this by improving the coordination of public and private assistance programs to prevent and reduce dependency among this population cohort. Recipients will offer direct provision of specific public welfare and support services, internal referrals to assistance programs, external referrals to programming offered through other agencies, and/or case management and human-services coordination. Recipients must also provide services to eligible residents who live in affordable housing units.</p><p>The range of service enrollment is broad, including educational opportunities for children and adults; afterschool and/or summer programs for children and teens; direct provision of childcare programs/opportunities for children ages 0 to 5 or connections to Head Start and Early Head Start programs; older adult care services; mental health, alcohol, and addiction services; services for Americans and eligible residents with disabilities; self-sufficiency resources; resources on homeownership; financial literacy training; transportation services for residents; referrals and connections to resources to help meet concrete needs; and healthcare services.</p>

NIA - National Institute on Aging

Project Summary/Abstract As the frequency, prevalence, and severity of extreme weather events and disasters increase, the long- term and life course consequences on the older population in the US of experiencing cyclones, heat waves, droughts, floods, and wildfires grows in terms of its significance for research, policy, and population well-being. Of particular urgency is developing a better understanding of the effects of disasters exposures and post-disas- ter experiences on disparities in well-being over the older life course years, on levels and differentials in health and mortality, and for policies aimed at mitigating long-term consequences of disasters. A predominant focus of the literature addressing disaster effects on health and well-being is the period in the immediate aftermath of the event. Much is known about short-term effects on mortality, mental health, displacement, living arrange- ments, and recovery. For subsequent post-disaster years, however, there is a dearth of data sources, and hence of population-level empirical research, on individual outcomes, especially among the elderly population. Key issues that remain uninvestigated include whether disaster effects are fleeting, whether they have long- term negative consequences, or whether individuals may actually be better off. This project will build on a ma- jor investment we have made to create a linked data source for addressing the medium- and long-run effects of Hurricane Katrina on the pre-disaster population of New Orleans. We will use these new linked data to exam- ine living arrangements, well-being, and mortality among the older population of New Orleans aged 60-plus years in the period following Hurricane Katrina. Using within-New Orleans comparisons along with an external counterfactual comparison group, we will address two aims. First, we will examine how exposure to Hurricane Katrina for the older New Orleans population affected long-term trajectories of living arrangements and resi- dential neighborhood attainment compared to the counterfactual comparison group. Second, we will examine post-Katrina mortality and disability disparities within the older New Orleans population by race, pre-Katrina social and economic characteristics, hurricane impact, and post-disaster experiences. This is a novel and ex- ploratory project to establish a general and broadly-applicable approach to studying the effects of disasters on the older population using linked census and administrative data. It will also make significant substantive con- tributions by combining stress and social vulnerability theories to generate and evaluate testable hypotheses about the effects of pre-disaster socioeconomic resources and disaster exposure on key health and well-being outcomes among the older New Orleans population. The project will set the stage for future replications for other disasters as well as for a variety of enhancements and extensions in order to answer pressing questions on the consequences of disasters on the health and well-being of the older US population.

NINR - National Institute of Nursing Research

PROJECT SUMMARY There are over 177,000 women detained in U.S. jails and prisons on any day and another 800,000 serving sentences in the community under custodial supervision. About 20% of women with criminal legal system involvement (CLSI) are age 50 or older. Rates of women and older adults have both risen dramatically in recent decades, 700% and 280%, respectively. For many women, incarceration and probation are profoundly stressful experiences, often overlapping with other life circumstances—trauma and abuse, homelessness, substance use, mental illness—that disrupt women's support systems and health services access. Many women who experience CLSI also do so repeatedly, cycling in and out of incarceration and probation over many years. The toll on health can be profound. CLSI is associated with disproportionately high rates of many chronic and infectious diseases and early mortality in women of all ages and is hypothesized to lead to acceleration of aging-related conditions. Most of what we know about the health of older women (age 50 and older) with CLSI is extrapolated from the groups of older men and younger women. We lack an understanding of how CLSI functions as a social determinant for aging-related health in the group, including how much, when, and in conjunction with what other factors over the life course experiences of incarceration and probation contribute. We also know almost nothing about the health in aging attitudes, goals, self-efficacy, and experiences of community-dwelling older women with CLSI. The objective of the Aging-Related Health and Aging Acceleration in Older Women with Criminal Legal System Involvement Study (AGELIS) is to fill critical gaps in our knowledge about how CLSI functions as a life course social determinant and what women with CLSI mean by and want from health in aging. Closing such gaps is crucial in moving the field toward intervention readiness and ultimately improved health outcomes. The specific aims of AGELIS are to (a) establish relationships between the health in aging construct, functional ability, life course factors, and CLSI in older women with CLSI, compared with a matched comparison group in the Health and Retirement Study and (b) characterize attitudes, goals, self-efficacy and experiences of health in aging in older women with CLSI using semi-structured interviews and ethnographic case study. In partnership with a community research team, we will bring results from the two aims together in an integrated model of health in aging with CLSI. AGELIS will provide an empirical and experiential basis for subsequent intervention design and point the way forward for investigation in aging with other groups that experience significant life course stress.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

The AI-Facilitated Partner Communication for PrEP study aims to enhance HIV prevention among women by empowering them with skills to discuss pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with male sexual partners. Existing PrEP interventions rarely address the complex barriers to partner communication that influence PrEP uptake. This R34 proposal aims to develop and pilot a Virtual Practice Environment (VPE) using large language models (LLMs) to simulate realistic conversations that allow women to practice PrEP communication strategies in a supportive, risk-free setting. This study offers an innovative, scalable approach to strengthening PrEP implementation efforts by addressing partner-level barriers.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY Despite the broad use of antibody tools, their reliability and scalability remain major challenges for reproducible cellular and anatomical profiling in large tissue volumes, such as whole-mouse and human brains. In this project, we propose to develop an AI-assisted platform for recombinant antibody resources that meets the high standards required to advance brain research. By integrating our teams' complementary expertise in AI algorithms, structural analysis, antibody validation, and brain imaging, we aim to create a synergistic technical and resource platform for curating recombinant antibody tools, establishing a new paradigm for antibody applications in brain research. As part of the BICCN/BICAN effort, we have validated an extensive collection of commercial and open- source monoclonal antibodies using a high-content screening pipeline, providing a strong experimental foundation for recombinant antibody curation. However, the current experimental approach has limitations in efficiently selecting and prioritizing thousands of monoclonal antibody sequences for cost-effective conversion and validation. It also relies solely on existing sequences without effective optimization or design using structural information for diverse applications. Our integrated approach, leveraging our expertise in AI-based protein structure prediction, modeling, and simulation, will analyze antibody sequences to provide a comprehensive understanding of recombinant antibody structural properties, including antigen binding sites and affinities across target species. This will significantly accelerate the conversion and validation of recombinant antibodies. Additionally, we will continue refining our approach to enhance flexibility in optimizing and designing recombinant antibodies, tailoring them to specific epitopes and cross-species targets for diverse applications. We will also develop a curated database of recombinant antibody resource for easy reference and adaptation within the field. This database will include a comprehensive collection of validated recombinant antibodies, featuring their defined sequences, predicted antibody-antigen binding structures, 2D IHC data in mouse and human, and 3D whole mouse brain labeling datasets for key BICCN targets. To ensure broad accessibility, the database will be available through a user-friendly online portal. This integrated recombinant antibody platform, rAb-GenAI, will be open to incorporating advanced AI algorithms and continuously refined through iterative experimental feedback. Both our AI pipeline and recombinant antibody resource will be highly scalable and adaptable, maximizing cost efficiency to support consistent large-scale profiling, including human brain cohort mapping. Through this project, we aim to establish a new paradigm for antibody-based research, laying the foundation for brain-wide proteomic investigations across species and enabling studies on whole brain cellular and structural dynamics in health and disease.

American Psychological Foundation

Supports psychological research, education, and programs addressing mental health, behavioral health, and social issues.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability, with substantial individual and societal costs. The heterogeneity of MDD and the lack of predictive tools for individualized treatment present significant challenges to effective care. This proposal aims to leverage recent advances in foundation models, a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that has demonstrated remarkable success in natural language processing, to develop a neuroimaging-based tool that can aid in prognostication, treatment stratification, and biotype discovery in MDD. Foundation models are pretrained on massive datasets, enabling them to learn generalizable features that can then be adapted to smaller, more specific datasets. This approach is ideally suited for psychiatric neuroimaging, where clinical datasets are scarce; however, non-clinical datasets like the Human Connectome Project and UK Biobank are extensive. I have developed a functional prototype by adapting a transformer architecture to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time-series data and training it on the UK Biobank. Preliminary data generated using this prototype indicate strong potential for this approach. Applying this innovative technique to psychiatry holds great promise for advancing the understanding and treatment of MDD. To achieve this, I propose three specific aims. Aim 1: Use pooled fMRI data from individuals with MDD to fine-tune the pretrained model to decode depression severity and uncover MDD biotypes; Aim 2: Use pooled fMRI scans from longitudinal treatment data to fine-tune the pretrained model to predict antidepressant response and identify neural circuits of treatment response; Aim 3: Prospectively evaluate the performance of MRI-based treatment prediction models in a pilot clinical trial. If successful, this work will yield a novel neurocomputational framework for personalized treatment stratification and significantly advance our understanding of MDD neurobiology and heterogeneity. Through this research, training, and expert mentorship, I will gain expertise in: 1) AI foundation models, including transformer architectures and interpretability techniques; 2) applying foundation models to neuroimaging to generate clinically actionable predictions and mechanistic insights; 3) clinical trial design and analysis of longitudinal data; and 4) professional skills for transitioning to independence. The training plan—which includes coursework, workshops, close mentorship, and hands-on research experience—builds on my existing expertise in neuroimaging, network neuroscience, and clinical psychiatry. Stanford University offers an exceptional environment with access to cutting-edge computational resources, neuroimaging facilities, and a vibrant community of AI experts and clinician-scientists. In sum, through the K23 award, the proposed research, training, mentorship, and pilot data will enable me to successfully compete for independent research funding and establish a high-impact patient-oriented research program in neurocomputational psychiatry at the intersection of AI, neuroimaging, and precision treatment.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The K23 application proposes to examine learning and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying food approach in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) using computational methods and will position the applicant, Marita Cooper, Ph.D., to transition to research independence with expertise using computational modeling to examine mechanisms of restrictive eating disorders (ED) in youth. ARFID is the most prevalent ED in childhood, with sequelae including malnutrition, delayed growth, cardiac complications, and death. Early data suggest youth with ARFID exhibit executive functioning deficits, including weak central coherence and poor response inhibition. These data underly the hypothesis that youth with ARFID may be slow to learn food approach, impacting food intake, and requiring more exposure to novel foods for learning to occur. Knowledge of neurocognition and learning in ARFID is in its infancy, yet computational modeling offers an innovative approach to probe underlying processes and identify target mechanisms related to aberrant food approach. Two approaches with utility in other EDs, active inference and reinforcement learning, have not been applied to ARFID. The study will examine learning mechanisms and neurocognition of aberrant food approach in ARFID. We will recruit 99 youth (66 with ARFID, 33 controls) ages 8-18, matched on age and sex. Participants will complete a three-armed bandit task, assessing learning mechanisms (via food and neutral stimuli), and a meal-based buffet task assessing food approach (macronutrient and caloric intake). We will assess neurocognition, ED symptoms, and approach/ avoidance. Aim 1 hypothesizes that youth with ARFID will exhibit poorer performance (under both neutral and food conditions) than healthy controls and that worse performance will relate to overall intake during the buffet task. Aim 2 follows participants naturalistically, repeating assessments at 6- and 12-month follow-up. We will examine whether baseline performance predicts improvement in ARFID symptoms at follow-up. Aim 3 will compare whether active inference or reinforcement learning models best fit participant learning behavior. The project will be an important major step in developing a data-driven model of ARFID, providing critical information about potential drivers of aberrant food approach. The proposed project will support expert mentorship and training for Dr. Cooper including 1) learning and neurocognitive development in youth; 2) conducting and managing longitudinal research in clinical samples; and 3) practical skills in computational modeling transferrable to future research. The resources of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania and an expert team of mentors (with expertise in mechanisms of ARFID/restrictive ED, development, clinical research, and computational modeling) provide an outstanding context to launch Dr. Cooper’s career. Project findings are consistent with the NIMH strategic goal to identify validated targets for intervention and will inform a competitive R01 application examining computational learning mechanisms in a transdiagnostic sample of youth with restrictive ED.