The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Honors Outstanding Psychiatric Researchers

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation grant program enables scientists early in their careers to pursue innovative ideas in neurobiological and psychosocial research, gather pilot data, and generate “proof of concept” for the early detection, treatment, prevention, and cures for mental illness. The Klerman & Freedman Prizes are awarded annually on the evening before the Foundation’s annual Scientific Council meeting. The group of 172 leading experts across brain and behavior research disciplines meets to discuss grant applications and recommend the most promising ideas to fund.

About the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

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For the past 30 years, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has been committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding grants that lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. The Foundation funds the most innovative ideas in neuroscience and psychiatry to better understand the causes and develop new ways to treat brain and behavior disorders. These disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Since 1987, the Foundation has awarded more than $365 million to fund more than 5,000 grants to more than 4,000 leading scientists worldwide. This has led to over $3.5 billion in additional funding for these scientists.  However, much remains to be learned, and through continued support for creative research and innovative approaches, they envision a future that will fully unlock the mysteries of psychiatric disease. 

The Foundation is also dedicated to educating the public about mental health and the importance of research, including the impact that new discoveries have on improving the lives of those with mental illness, which will ultimately enable people to live full, happy, and productive lives.

2022 Klerman & Freedman Prizes

Yaroslav Shuraev/ Pexels | The awards are presented annually to honor the work of outstanding scientists

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation announced the winners of its 2022 Klerman and Freedman Prizes, recognizing exceptional clinical and basic research in mental illness. The Klerman Prize, established in 1994 by Myrna M. Weissman, Ph.D., in memory of her late husband, Gerald L. Klerman, M.D., honors exceptional clinical research by a Young Investigator Grantee. 

The 2022 Klerman prize winner is Shan H. Siddiqi, whose analysis is targeted at the causal mapping of human mental performance and dysfunction. Utilizing methods comparable to useful connectivity MRI, Dr. Siddiqi maps mind circuits to hyperlink mind lesions and mind stimulation websites that may modify completely different psychiatric signs. These circuits can then be focused on remedies comparable to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep mind stimulation (DBS) to alleviate signs of psychiatric issues.

EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA Pexels | The Klerman and Freedman prizes recognize innovative thinking

The Freedman Prize honors the late Daniel X. Freedman, M.D., a pioneer in biological psychiatry and psychopharmacology and a founding member of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Scientific Council. It is awarded to a Young Investigator Grantee for exceptional basic studies. 2022 Freedman Prizewinner is Antonio Fernandez. Dr. Fernandez’s analysis intends to know how neuronal dynamics in distributed mind circuits assist complicated cognitive features and how small imbalances can result in pathological states.