Helen S. Mayberg, M.D.

ACNP President

Erin Shaw

ACNP Deputy Director

This year's Annual Meeting will be held in a hybrid meeting format allowing members and invited guests to attend in-person at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona or virtually on the ACNP Virtual Meeting Platform. The in-person option will include the classic annual meeting experience. The plenaries, panels, mini-panels, and study groups will not be live streamed this year as they have been in past years but will be recorded with content posted within 48 hours after the session with the presenter's approval.

Requesting Guest Invitations?

ACNP member requests for guest invitations, General Invitation Bank, and Diversity Invitation Bank invitations are now submitted through the online meeting portal in lieu of emailing the Executive Office.

*The online portal is now open!

• To request an invitation, login to the Annual Meeting Submission Site and select 'Submit ACNP Invitation Request'.
• Invitation requests must be submitted by August 6th in order to ensure your guest has ample time to register and submit a poster prior to the August 8th poster deadline.

*Guest invitations will not be sent until after registration officially opens in June.

NEW IN 2024: Member invited guest invitations will be limited to 400. Please review the requirements for the Diversity Invitation Bank and utilize the bank in lieu of your member invitation, when applicable.

What does this mean?

• Members MUST attend the meeting to extend guest invitations.
• Member guest invitations will be capped at 400 requests. As a reminder, Members, Fellows and Emeritus members have one invited guest invitation.
• Member guest invitations will be issued on a first come, first served basis. *Actual invitations will not be extended until registration officially opens in June.
• During the 2023 Annual Meeting in Tampa, 413 member invited guest invitations were issued.
• Council has discussed annual meeting growth over the years and in the last strategic plan agreed that once the meeting hit 2,000 attendees, Council should develop ways to cap the attendance. This is to keep the ability to meet in one hotel and not have to move to convention centers with multiple hotels.

Click here to read the Annual Meeting Frequently Asked Questions!

The 2024 Technology in Psychiatry Summit (TIPS), organized by the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP), is a venue to bring together leadership from academia, industry, and the public sector to discuss the latest innovations and implementations in mental health including wearables, passive sensing, deep phenotyping, AI, virtual reality, online-based therapies, and more. The summit will take place as a 1-day meeting on Saturday, December 7th in Phoenix, Arizona just prior to the ACNP Annual Meeting. TIPS closely aligns with the mission statement of the new ACNP Journal NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience which focuses on advances in digital methods to diagnose, treat, prevent, understand, and model psychiatric illnesses.

Past TIPS keynotes have included:

• Nora Volkow, M.D. – Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Sandeep Robert Datta, M.D., Ph.D. – Professor of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School
• Thomas Insel, M.D. – Co-Founder and Executive Chair, Vanna Health
• Rosalind Picard, Sc.D. – Professor, MIT Media Lab / Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Empatica / Co-Founder, Affectiva
• Dina Katabi, Ph.D. – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
• Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. – Director, National Institute of Mental Health

Visit our TIPS 2024 website for more information on how to register and view our open call for symposia/workshops. A discounted trainee/student registration rate is available. Sign up for our email list to receive TIPS updates and newsletters from the ITP.

Council approved in April to add individuals with a disability and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to the definition of historically excluded groups.

NEW Definition of Historically Excluded Groups:

Individuals who identify as Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, or Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, individuals with a disability, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds as defined by the NIH.

ACNP will make every effort to keep this information private; however, cannot guarantee this information would not be unintentionally released within the College through the course of inclusion efforts.

It is time to honor the scientific and mentorship accomplishments of a select few from a very long list of our distinguished members and colleagues. The Honorific Awards Committee, chaired by Kerry Ressler, is requesting nominations for the following

Honorific Awards:

Daniel H. Efron Research Award

Joel Elkes Research Award

Eva King Killam Research Award

Barbara Fish Memorial Award

Julius Axelrod Mentorship Award

Dolores Shockley Diversity and Inclusion Advancement Award

Paul Hoch Distinguished Service Award

Media Award

Public Service Award

Women's Advocacy Award

Detailed nomination information is available on the ACNP website under the Annual Meeting tab. The nomination deadline is June 20, 2024. Award recipients will be announced and honored at the annual meeting.

The Committee urges you to nominate a deserving colleague and encourages the nomination of women and individuals from historically excluded groups. 

This election was carried out in accordance with Article VII, Section 3 and Article IX, Section 2 of the ACNP Bylaws, and its results are binding.

Terms for the newly-elected officers will begin at the conclusion of the ACNP Annual Business Meeting on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

Congratulations to the newly elected leadership!

Rita Z. Goldstein, Ph.D.

Council Member

2024-2025

Susanne E. Ahmari, M.D., Ph.D.

Council Member

2025-2027

Dost Ongur, M.D., Ph.D.

Council Member

2025-2027

2024 Associate Members on Council

Jibran Y. Khokhar, B.Sc., Ph.D.

Tamar L. Gur, M.D., Ph.D.

The Career Development Committee interviews Cynthia Crawford, Diversity and Inclusion Officer!

Nomination materials for new Associate Member, Member, and Fellow promotion candidates are now available under the Membership tab on the ACNP website. The submission site will open with an announcement to membership in late July. The deadline for nominations and applications will be September 5, 2024. Should you have questions or need assistance, please contact ACNP at acnp@acnp.org.

REMINDER:

New Associate Member and Member nominees must have attended a minimum of one ACNP Annual Meeting prior to applying for membership.

Membership Mentors: Membership Mentors are recent past Membership Committee members who have agreed to counsel prospective membership nominees and/or their nominators on membership application to the College. The members included on this list have agreed to be contacted by applicants and their nominators.



Current Membership Mentors

2024 New Associate Members

The College would like to highlight the new 2024 Associate Member Class!

Stay tuned for the August and November Bulletins to meet our other new Associate Members.

This Week in NPP

Check out weekly publications in Neuropsychopharmacology (NPP) at @npp_journal on social media. Links to each new published article within the week can be found within the thread provided on each week’s post. In addition, summaries are provided for each manuscript. Many thanks go out to the NPP Special Projects team and Principal Editors for their dedication each week to ensure these updates are provided in a timely manner and are shared on social media to highlight NPP and our authors' research. 

DPN Editors' New Investigator Waiver Award

NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience (DPN) is offering an opportunity to waive the article processing charge (APC) for new investigators who recently established their independent research programs and wish to publish their manuscript in DPN.

FINAL Deadline Reminder: June 1, 2024

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition (ABC), the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Dana Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Society for Neuroscience, and The Kavli Foundation held a congressional briefing entitled 10 Years of BRAIN Initiative Funding – Building on a Decade of Innovation.  

The College partnered with the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) to select up to four distinguished young scientists from the 2023 ACNP Travel Award class to participate in SfN's Annual Hill Day event. 2023 Travel Awardees were asked to submit a statement of interest in public service or advocacy, a statement of their experience volunteering in governmental education efforts, advocacy outreach or elections as well as an updated C/V for review by both the chairs of the Education and Training Committee and Liaison Committee.

The following distinguished young scientists from the 2023 Travel Award class attended the virtual Hill Day events on March 12-14, 2024.

Allen Chen, Ph.D.

State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine

Sergio Dominguez Lopez, Ph.D.

State University of New York at Buffalo

Aqilah McCane, Ph.D. Oregon National Primate Research Center/OHSU

What the SfN Hill Day events meant to them!

This past March I had the honor of participating in SfN’s 18th Hill Day, an opportunity fortunately provided to me by the ACNP. I have always had an interest in public outreach and advocacy. This stems from my belief that science and education itself provide the public with both privilege and motivation. With this, I see public policy and scientific education endeavors as intricately tied to the scientific process. In this light, Hill Day was a great opportunity to interface with NY constituents and discuss the importance of neuroscience research funding. Here, I enjoyed sharing my own background while learning from the expertise and scientists of the NY region. I used my background as a psychiatrist-scientist trainee to discuss the importance of trainee fellowships and the ethical use of animal research. It was wonderful to see the passion and engagement at all training stages of the neuroscience community, as well as in those in my same field of basic neuroscience research. I hope to participate regularly in the future and certainly recommend the opportunity to others in ACNP!

Allen Chen, Ph.D.

I was privileged to represent ACNP at the Society for Neuroscience 2024 Annual Capitol Hill Day. The SfN advocacy team prepared us well for our meetings with congressional members and their staff. During the event, I had the opportunity to meet colleagues and leaders in our field. We jointly urged our representatives to continue supporting biomedical and neuroscience research in federal appropriations. We also emphasized the essential role that animal models play in understanding the biological processes that lead to diseases and in developing new treatments. I highlighted the profound impact that funding education and biomedical research has on local communities where we serve as educators and which they represent in Congress. As a first-generation Hispanic neuroscientist, participating in Hill Day was a life-changing experience that allowed me to have a voice that can make a significant impact in supporting our scientific community. I look forward to participating in Hill Day next year, and I encourage my early career colleagues and trainees at ACNP to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to develop their advocacy skills.

Sergio Dominguez Lopez, Ph.D.

I feel very honored to have been selected to represent ACNP as an Advocacy Ambassador during the 2024 SfN Hill Day. During my meetings with senate and congressional leadership, I was able to talk about my research and convey an earnest need for continued support and financial investments in neuroscience and biomedical research. As a first-time participant I felt very prepared for the meetings because of the thorough and comprehensive trainings offered by SfN. This experience has empowered me to be more active in advocacy. I am excited to participate in future Hill Days. 

Aqilah McCane, Ph.D.

The 9th Annual Biomedical Research Awareness Day was celebrated on April 18th and was a huge success!

With over 270 celebrations around the world (up from last year!), this was the biggest BRAD to date. Individuals and institutions joined to honor the critical role of animals in biomedical research while educating their community and increasing acceptance and understanding of animal research.  

How to apply to be the next ACNP/AMP BRAD Fellow: 

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!

Early-stage investigators and postdoctoral fellows are eligible for the ACNP/AMP BRAD Fellowship, an exciting opportunity to gain science communication and advocacy experience for the importance of animals in biomedical research! You can learn more about the Fellowship, including relevant deadlines and instructions for applying, on the BRAD website. Click here to view the application flyer.

Applications for the 2024-2025 ACNP/AMP-BRAD Fellowship are now open for early career scientists through June 1! Check out this video to learn more about the program, and please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Logan France (logan@amprogress.org) and current BRAD fellow Dr. Lindsey Galbo-Thomma (galbothomma@uthscsa.edu) with any questions.

Top ACNP Social Media Posts on X

Please see the following top social media posts on X from the first quarter!

Follow ACNP (@ACNPorg), NPP (@npp_journal), and DPN (@dpn_journal) on X if you do not already!

"ACNP Travel Award Applications open TODAY for the ACNP 63rd Annual Meeting: December 8-11, 2024, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, Phoenix, AZ. Deadline to Submit is April 18, 2024, at 5:00 pm Central. https://t.co/zSCC9OJZ51 #ACNP2024 #travelawards https://t.co/T08q1H1RTT" 

Views: 20,200 / Likes: 43 / Reposts: 43

 "OA publishing is reported to increase the visibility and impact of scientific research but may also have higher APC's. Chen et al analyze the effect of OA publishing on article impact for @npp_journal publications https://t.co/UecxELyOK2 @BriKChen @drtonypgeorge66 @LisaMonteggia https://t.co/P3CXKYUtgx"

Views: 4,160 / Likes: 15 / Reposts: 8

"GABA-A receptors have a vast pharmacology & are the target of many useful medications. Read this @npp_journal paper https://t.co/zOx6nnXZO2 about where we are with existing GABA drugs in psychiatric disease & where we are headed with a new generation of novel compounds @sthom003 https://t.co/i7ioyNp78C" 

Views: 3,090 / Likes: 30 / Reposts: 10

• June 20, 2024: Deadline to submit Honorific Awards
• August 8, 2024: Deadline to submit Poster Abstracts
• September 5, 2024: Deadline to submit new Membership Nominations and Promotions
• December 8-11, 2024: ACNP 63rd Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona

Upcoming Meetings:

To see a list of upcoming meetings in the field of neuropsychopharmacology, please click below:

Employment and Grant Opportunities:

To see a list of new employment and grant opportunities in the field of neuropsychopharmacology, please click below:

Stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders is the most common barrier for people getting care. The mission of Stop Stigma Together is to unite our passion, drive and expertise into powerful strategic actions that end the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders.

On June 24 – 26, 2024 Stop Stigma Together will host it’s first-ever National Summit to End Stigma. Taking place at the beautiful Grand America Hotel, the three-day event will focus on research, program initiatives, and policy that addresses stigma in rural communities, children, youth and families, the media and news, the criminal justice system, faith-based communities, the workplace, marginalized communities, and underserved populations.

This one-of-a-kind experience will leave you inspired and ready to take action. Whether you are an industry professional, an advocate fighting for change, or a person living with a mental health condition, the Stop Stigma Together Summit has something for you.

Registration is now open. Learn more at www.stopstigmatogether.org.

For a full listing of the ACNP Staff in the Executive Office, click here.

Request for Information (RFI):

Improving research frameworks to enable rigorous study of the effects of racism on brain and behavioral health across the lifespan

This Request for Information (RFI) invites input on identifying and addressing gaps in (1) the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive (e.g., learning, memory, attention, decision-making), and behavioral function across the lifespan, and (2) the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research. This RFI seeks input from healthcare providers, scientific research communities, patient advocacy groups, people with lived experience of brain or behavioral health disorders (e.g., substance use and mental health disorders), educators, and other interested parties. The NIH encourages organizations (e.g., patient advocacy groups, professional organizations) to submit a single response reflective of the views of the organization and membership as a whole. Responses may incorporate empirical research, lived experience, public records, and any other sources that may inform the RFI.

Deadline: June 14, 2024

The American College of Psychiatrists acknowledges outstanding contributions to psychiatry made by mental health professionals by presenting several awards, including the following. To learn more about these honors, and to nominate a colleague, please visit the College website at http://www.acpsych.org/awards:

The Disinguished Service in Psychiatry Award - Deadline for 2025 / June 30, 2024 - The Distinguished Service Award recognizes significant achievements and leadership in the field of psychiatry. The Award consists of a gold medallion and a certificate. The recipient receives travel, hotel, and free registration at the Annual Meeting.

The Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education - Deadline for 2025 / June 30, 2024 - The Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education recognizes a teaching program that demonstrates innovation in psychiatric education. The Award consists of a $1,000 grant and a certificate. One representative from the program receives travel, hotel, and free registration at the Annual Meeting; a second representative receives free registration.

Honorary Fellows - Deadline for 2026 / June 30, 2024 - The American College of Psychiatrists awards Honorary Fellowships in the College to distinguished professionals who have made significant scientific and clinical contributions to the field of psychiatry but are ineligible for Membership in the College. Although Honorary Fellows do not pay dues and are not eligible to hold office or Committee Membership, they are invited to attend all College meetings.