Dedicated to understanding and treating mood disorders
Overview
For more than two decades, the
UCLA
Department of Psychiatry
has maintained a renowned clinical program for the treatment of persons suffering from mood disorders.
In the early 1990s, the
Department of Psychiatry determined there was a need to bridge the gap
between research and the clinical implementation of treatment. Thus, in
1995, the
UCLA Mood Disorders Research Program
was established.
Lori
Altshuler, M.D.
was recruited to be the
founding director of the Program and, from the
outset, set a standard for academic and clinical
excellence that exists to this day.
Built on a strong research
foundation, the Program is focused on cultivating a better
understanding of the causes of mood disorders and developing
improved treatment options. The program also
focuses on exploring the neural underpinnings of the
disorders through a series of neuroimagining studies,
and implements treatment studies for mania and
depression.
Over the years, the Program has expanded, supported by numerous grants from federally-funded
sources and non-profit organizations, as well as industry sponsored awards.
The Mood Disorders Research Program
works in tandem with the university’s renowned
Mood Disorders
Clinic
and Women’s Life Center. Medical staff work in both the Research Program and
at the clinics, while many patients in the clinics take part in mood disorder research studies.
A leader in the ongoing
understanding of mood disorders and the advancement of treatment options,
the Mood Disorders Research Program is part of the prestigious
UCLA David GeffenSchool of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behaviorial
Sciences.