PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL STUDY OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

University Of California San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The primary goals of the UCSD MHCRC are (A) to generate and test hypotheses related to the neurobiology of affective disorders, (b) to train young clinical investigators in psychiatric research, and (c) to facilitate the professional development of faculty. The MHCRC accomplishes these goals by providing an enabling infrastructure which is efficient, cost effective, and state of the art: (a) a Recruitment Core to coordinate finding and screening patients and normal control, (b) a Diagnostic and Rating Core to train and oversees staff who determine diagnosis and make rating, (c) a Clinical Support Core who help screen potential subjects, diagnose and rate subjects, verify subject eligibility for specific protocols and clinical and clinical management of patients, and enter clinical data into the MHCRC Data Base, (d) a Data Management and Statistical Core which consults with experimental design and statistical analysis, manages data in an efficient and cost-effective manner, and (e) a Neuroendocrine Core which provides consultation and sate of art neuroendocrine assays. The MHCRC facilitates investigators and trainees in their research in six major themes (Sleep & Chronobiology, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroimmunology, Brain Imaging, Molecular Genetics, and Women's Psychiatric Disorders), several Collaborative Studies (Co-morbidity and Outcome, Life Events and Psychosocial Factors, Clinical Psychopharmacology Trials, Subsyndromal Depression), and several Pilot and Trainee studies (Functional Brain Imaging and Partial Sleep Deprivation in Depression, Microdialysis of Serotonin in Monkey, Temperament and Bipolar Disorder). High quality is maintained by outstanding investigators and staff, excellent research trainees, continuous training, regular meeting of all staff and investigators, and three review committees.