One Mind Honors 2024 Rising Stars in Mental Health Research

August 27, 2024 at 09:00 AM EDT

Research focused on Chemistry behind Suicide, Neurons and Stress, and Hormones and Depression

Winners to Present Their Groundbreaking Research at the Science & Innovation Symposium, Part of the 30th Annual One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health, Presented by Bank of America and Bristol Myers Squibb

One Mind^™ is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 One Mind Rising Star Awards. This year, three exceptional, early-career scientists have been selected to receive a $300,000 research grant over three years, alongside leadership training through the One Mind Rising Star Leadership Program.

The One Mind Rising Star Awards celebrate innovative researchers in neuroscience, psychiatry, and related fields, who are pursuing high-risk, high-reward projects aimed at advancing our understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental health conditions. Selected through a rigorous grants process by One Mind’s Scientific Advisory Board—comprised of ten of the world’s leading scientists and clinicians—these awardees represent the future of mental health research.

The winners will present their pioneering research at the Science & Innovation Symposium, which is part of the 30th Annual One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health on September 7, 2024. The day-long festival, presented by Bank of America and Bristol Myers Squibb, offers a unique blend of world-class wine tasting, culinary excellence, and groundbreaking science, all set against the stunning backdrop of Napa Valley.

“Science and research are the backbone of our work,” said Dr. Kathy Pike, CEO of One Mind. “Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to support the most promising neuropsychiatric researchers, the most innovative entrepreneurs, and the most pioneering workplaces looking to transform our understanding of mental health and mental illness. At the Science & Innovation Symposium, we highlight research that is transforming lives for the better. It is a celebration of what is possible when we bring together scientists, practitioners, people with lived experience, private industry, and communities - all for the common good of advancing health and improving lives.”

This year’s Rising Star Awardees are:

Hilary Marusak, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, recipient of the 2024 One Mind-Miñana/Lovelace Rising Star Award.

Understanding adolescent suicide risk: Investigating the role of the endocannabinoid system: Suicide among young people is a critical global issue, with suicidal ideation (SI) occurring frequently during adolescence. Yet, the underlying biological mechanisms linking stress response and SI in youth remain unclear. By investigating the role of the endocannabinoid system in adolescent SI and its association with brain regulation of emotion, Dr. Hilary Marusak aims to uncover crucial biomarkers that may predict SI risk. This research promises to advance our understanding of adolescent mental health, paving the way for targeted interventions and innovative treatments to support at-risk youth.

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and the Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, recipient of the 2024 One Mind-Kicking the Stigma Rising Star Award.

Activating neurons in the skin to relieve symptoms of chronic stress: Chronic stress can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder where individuals have deficits ranging from an inability to engage in social interactions to anxiety and maladaptive fear. One approach that has been shown to relieve negative symptoms of chronic stress is social support. Dr. Abdus-Saboor aims to isolate some of the stress-relieving benefits of social support by targeting neurons in the skin that are activated during social touch. By discovering molecules that could activate these social touch neurons in the skin, Dr. Abdus-Saboor aims to develop a therapeutic strategy in the peripheral nervous system that could provide relief from symptoms of chronic stress and potentially other psychiatric disorders.

Talia Lerner, PhD, Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, recipient of the 2024 One Mind-Bristol Myers Squibb Rising Star Award

Understanding stress hormone regulation of dopamine function to treat depression: Stress is a major risk factor for the development and exacerbation of depression, a mood disorder associated with deficits in reward processing. Dr. Talia Lerner is examining how glucocorticoids like cortisol – the body’s primary stress hormone – impact dopamine – a neurotransmitter well-known to regulate reward processing. She has found that glucocorticoids regulate dopamine differently in males and females. By understanding this sex difference and elucidating its relationship with depression, she hopes to provide crucial mechanistic neurobiological insights to support the development of new depression treatments and to ensure these treatments work for men and women.

The 2024 Rising Star Awards are made possible by the generous support of Bristol Myers Squibb, Indianapolis Colts - Kicking the Stigma, and Alicia Miñana and Rob Lovelace. Their commitment to advancing mental health research enables promising scientists to pursue innovative studies that can lead to transformative impacts on mental health care worldwide.

Innovation and Impact Beyond Research

Alongside the Rising Star Awardees, founders from One Mind’s Accelerator cohort will share their inspiring stories of building businesses to improve mental health. These entrepreneurs will discuss how One Mind’s intensive Accelerator program is helping them rapidly build and scale their ventures to benefit those with mental health conditions.

One Mind at Work leaders will also present insights into how the initiative is transforming workplace mental health, highlighting key successes and discussing how they are helping companies implement effective mental health practices.

Keynote speaker Dr. Susan Coller Monarez, Deputy Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and global leader in health innovation, will offer her insights during the Science & Innovation Symposium.

30 Years of Transformative Advocacy

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Music Festival, an event that began as a heartfelt response to the Staglin family’s personal experience with mental illness. What started as a local fundraiser has grown into One Mind’s flagship event, raising millions annually to support ground-breaking research and mental health initiatives.

Over its three decade history, the Music Festival has raised hundreds of millions—allowing it to leverage millions more in grants from the National Institute of Mental Health—to support research by the country’s brightest minds and the most innovative solutions to support those living with, and impacted by, brain disorders.

“Over the past 30 years, we have made tremendous strides to reduce stigma and develop breakthroughs to empower people facing mental illness to thrive as we deserve,” said Brandon Staglin, Co-Founder and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer of One Mind. “This progress is fueled by the stories and advocacy of artists, scientists, and everyday people who inspire us to continue the global collaboration for solutions.”

After the Science & Innovation Symposium, festival attendees will enjoy a wine tasting reception, sponsored by Lewis Cellars, featuring premier Napa Valley vintners and a specially curated tasting menu from local chefs. Following the reception, guests will be treated to a concert sponsored by JaM Cellars, featuring the talented Elle King, an American singer, songwriter, and actress, who is also a passionate mental health advocate. The evening will conclude with a VIP dinner curated by Chef Paul Bartolotta, the two-time James Beard Award winner and visionary co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, where his culinary excellence will be showcased in a masterfully crafted four-course menu.

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About One Mind^™

Launched in 1995 by Shari and Garen Staglin as their means to “run toward the problem” of their son’s schizophrenia diagnosis, One Mind is today a leading mental health non-profit that heals lives by direct support for neuropsychiatric brain research. By convening the brightest minds in brain science and advocacy around a collective vision of “Accelerating Brain Health for All,” One Mind is advancing a three-pronged program strategy of accelerating discoveries, improving services, and transforming culture. Through such achievements as enrolling over 10,000 patients in innovative clinical studies and the One Mind at Work initiative that has brought supportive workplace mental health practices to over 7 million employees, One Mind is creating a world where all people facing brain health challenges can build healthy, productive lives. Brandon Staglin, whose own experiences triggered the creation of the non-profit, now serves as its Co-founder and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, exemplifying the change One Mind seeks in its disruptive research and workplace initiatives.