The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness has awarded over $560,000 in research grants to seven investigators from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The awards reflect the Foundation’s largest funding cycle in its 31-year history.

Three of these grants were awarded to seasoned investigators in excess of $100,000 each, and represent some of the country’s most groundbreaking research in the fields of brain stimulation, PTSD, and addiction.

“This is very exciting research, and I feel so hopeful for solutions we will see in our lifetime,” said Shelley Eure Belk, Executive Director of The Foundation of Hope. “Funding grants of this size and scale is a new direction for The Foundation of Hope. And we have been able to accomplish this because of our enormous growth over the past three years.”

Additionally, The Foundation of Hope funded four projects in the early stages of research. These projects focus on Tourette’s Syndrome, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, brain development in high-risk children, and genetic risk for eating disorders.

Since 1984, The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness has awarded 119 scientific research grants totaling more than $4.3 million, as well as over 30 community grants and projects. The Foundation of Hope funds scientists through the Department of Psychiatry at UNC-Chapel Hill, whose projects explore the biological, neurological, and genetic bases of mental illness, and in so doing, forges paths to improved diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. David Rubinow, Chair of the UNC Department of Psychiatry, knows firsthand the impact The Foundation of Hope has on the research community. “UNC has consistently been one of the top recipients of National Institute of Health (NIH) funding,” said Rubinow. “I attribute this success in large part to the generosity of the Foundation of Hope, particularly their support of early stage, highly innovative research.” The Foundation of Hope’s research grants have leveraged well over $140 million in funding from the NIH and other federal institutions, established national and international branches of research, and been published in a variety of elite research publications.

Rubinow, who also serves on the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee, underscores the impact that this year’s Foundation of Hope grantees have on the research and treatment of mental illness: “The projects and investigators awarded grants in this round are at the very forefront of translational psychiatric neuroscience, with enormous potential impact on both fundamental pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PTSD, depression, and addiction and, even more critically, the development of and improved access to novel treatments to reduce the suffering caused by these disorders.”

About The Foundation of Hope

The Foundation of Hope funds scientific research aimed at discovering the causes and potential cures for mental illness in order to develop a more effective means of treatment. The Foundation is committed to raising community awareness and supporting effective treatment programs. The Foundation provides financial support for ongoing and new research and treatment, as well as the development of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, its affiliated psychiatric institutions, and local mental health agencies. To learn more about how you can support The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness, please visit www.walkforhope.com or call 919.781.9255.

List of 2015 Grants Awarded

Flavio Frohlich, Ph.D. | Award: $200,000

“Next Generation Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: A Novel Solution Enabled by Mobile Technology and Big Data”

Eric Elbogen, Ph.D. | Award: $100,000

“Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation to Reduce Emotional Dysregulation in Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”

Garret Stuber, Ph.D. | Award: $100,000

“Defining, Mining, and Reversing Neurocircuit Adaptions in Addiction”

James Crowley, Ph.D. | Award: $40,000

“Identifying Susceptibility Loci for Tourette’s Syndrome in a Densely Affected Pedigree”

Mary Kimmel, M.D. | Award: $39,912

“The Gut Microbiome and Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD): A Pilot Study to Examine the Microbiome in Relation to Perinatal Changes in Stress and Immune Systems”

Sarah Short, Ph.D. | Award: $46,921

“Investigating Brain and Behavior Development in Typical and High-Risk Children”

Stephanie Zerwas, Ph.D. | Award: $39,981

“Autoimmune Illness, Infections, and Genetic Risk for Anorexia Nervosa”