Building Community, Catalyzing Progress: BD²’s Investigators Meeting
Last month, BD² brought together over 115 researchers, clinicians, and leaders from across our programs to reinforce our shared commitment to advancing bipolar disorder research and care.
The meeting underscored the power of collective expertise and the crucial impact of teamwork in addressing the complex scientific challenges of bipolar disorder. The opportunity for all BD² teams to connect allowed us to thoroughly explore and identify synergies between programs, facilitate learning, and pinpoint gaps and solutions to deepen the work.
Our time together also marked a milestone with the addition of four new Integrated Network sites: University of Cincinnati/Lindner Center of HOPE, University of California San Diego, The University of Texas at Austin, and The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. These sites join six inaugural locations, bringing the network to ten sites, with an international site announcement forthcoming. This expansion strengthens BD²’s capacity to integrate diverse expertise and accelerate the translation of research into care.
Additionally, the Integrated Network has reached the milestone of enrolling over 500 participants in the longitudinal study. The participants and their care teams are connected to BD²’s network of experts, allowing for real-time collaboration and the realization of this first-of-its-kind research and clinical care model. Learn more.
Reflections from the BD² Community
At the meeting, researchers came together to share insights, align on goals, and reflect on what makes this initiative uniquely powerful. In addition to welcoming the new Integrated Network sites, this meeting was the first to include the Cycle 2 Discovery Grant teams that joined the network this past fall. From expanding clinical care models to unlocking the biological mechanisms of bipolar disorder, these new clinicians and investigators shared what they’re most excited about as they join the growing BD² community.
Caleb Adler, MD, Lead PI at University of Cincinnati/Lindner Center of HOPE Integrated Network Site, emphasized the network’s groundbreaking potential, describing BD² as “an opportunity to be part of something significant and to collaborate with some of the top research sites in the country.”
Caitlin Millett, PhD, Lead PI at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Integrated Network Site, highlighted the value of collaboration within the network, noting, “BD² is an amazing opportunity not only to contribute data, but also to work with brilliant investigators on difficult-to-probe research questions that we haven’t been able to tackle before.”
Jorge Almeida, MD, PhD, Lead PI at The University of Texas at Austin Integrated Network Site, pointed to BD²’s capacity to enhance real-world clinical care, explaining, “This platform will finally allow us to do the work we’ve been trying to do for decades—learning from others in the network and implementing best practices in real-world settings without being confined to a research study.”
Lisa Eyler, PhD, Lead PI at University of California San Diego Integrated Network Site, underscored the power of scale, stating, “BD² lets us take the work we were doing on a smaller scale and multiply its impact nationwide and soon internationally. It’s a chance to reach more people with bipolar disorder than ever before.”
Lance Kriegsfeld, PhD, Lead PI at the University of California, Berkeley Discovery Research Team, emphasized the scientific potential of BD²’s integrated model: “The BD² community—spanning discovery science and clinical research—creates an unprecedented opportunity to deepen our understanding of bipolar disorder, from genes to brain circuits to behavior. This shared approach will help us translate research from bench to bedside and make a real impact for people living with bipolar disorder.”
Paul Harrison, MA, BM, BCh, DM (Oxon), FRCPsych, Lead PI at the University of Oxford Discovery Research Team, reflected on the importance of dedicated support: “BD² is the first organization truly focused on improving the lives of people with bipolar disorder through sustained, high-quality research. It’s giving us the resources to do the kind of science we’ve always hoped to pursue.”
Tracy Young-Pearse, PhD, Lead PI at Mass General Brigham Discovery Research Team, noted the collaborative spirit of the meeting: “It’s been incredibly welcoming. Every conversation sparks new ideas—things I hadn’t considered, things others hadn’t either—because we’re all coming from different areas of expertise but united in our goal to understand this complex disorder.”