From the Executive Director | Reflecting on a Year of Growth and Looking Ahead to 2025

Dear members, friends and supporters,

As 2024 comes to a close, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride for all the progress we have made together this year. Your unwavering commitment to collaboration, depression and bipolar disorder research and care has propelled us to new heights, and I am excited to share some of the highlights from this transformative year.

This year, we experienced incredible interest in our community, welcoming two new members with the trio of Van Andel Institute, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine & Western Michigan University and our first international Center of Excellence in UANL (Mexico) to the Network – and inquiries from several more. Each new member site strengthens our collective impact, bringing fresh perspectives and renewed energy to our shared mission of improving mental health care for all.

Our event line up was in full swing, with a fantastic, co-hosted networking event at APA in New York in May with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Mayo Clinic and UT Health Houston, a picturesque and collaborative few days in Salt Lake City with the University of Utah’s Huntsman Mental Health Institute for the Annual Conference and the first annual Best Practices for Mood Disorders in collaboration with Mayo Clinic in Chicago this past fall. We had wonderful sponsorship and partnership support can’t wait to build on these events in 2025!

We’ve seen monumental growth in the Mood Outcomes Program (MOP), with a data set of 107,000+ and steadily climbing. The MOP is a learning health system designed to track, analyze, and improve mood-related outcomes for individuals in our care network at scale. The program has provided actionable insights that are shaping more personalized and effective interventions, and ensuring better support for those who need it most. We only expect to see it continue to grow in the years to come.

Our 11 Task Groups now represent 450+ collaborators generating the forward momentum needed to make a difference in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depressive illnesses. In these groups, the best minds in the field come together, creating unprecedented scientific collaboration and addressing the most pressing mental health challenges.

Looking ahead, we hope to embark on several new initiatives and partnerships in the coming year to amplify our reach and deepen our impact in 2025 and beyond.

As we celebrate these milestones, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you. Your dedication and support make all of this possible. Together, we are not only improving lives but also reshaping the future of mental health care. If you still have capacity in your 2024 year-end giving, we’re running our annual fundraiser titled “Open Minds, Open Doors: Uniting for Stigma-Free Depression Care for All” through the end of the year. Several people have generously donated so far, and we are tremendously thankful for that. You can learn more and make a donation of any amount here.

Let’s continue this momentum into the new year. I look forward to seeing all that we will achieve together in 2025.

Wishing you a joyful and restorative holiday season,

Dr. Matt Samocki

Executive Director

National Network of Depression Centers

A Lasting Legacy: Remembering George Wiegers

George Anthony Wiegers, a pioneering figure in finance and a beloved mentor to countless professionals, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2024 in his residence in Denver, CO. George was passionate about mental health and was instrumental in the founding of the NNDC.

After reading an Op/Ed piece in The New York Times by Andrew Solomon calling for an aggressive national effort to treat mood disorders, Mr. Wiegers met with national experts including Dr. Marshall Thomas. Their collaboration resulted in a donation to the University of Colorado School of Medicine to establish the University of Colorado Depression Center.

Mr. Wiegers also funded the National Network of Depression Centers, solidifying his stature as a pioneer in mental health care.

Read George's obituary here, more about his legacy from the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center here and the wonderful tribute titled "It all started with George" here.

2025 Momentum Grant Applications: Due January 31, 2025

The NNDC is now inviting Task Groups to submit applications for a 2025 Momentum Grant! Each application will be ranked by a review committee composed of members of the NNDC Executive Committee.

The maximum amount awarded for a single project is $10,000 and up to $30,000 will be funded in total The application deadline is January 31, 2025. We highly encourage members of Task Groups to take advantage of this funding opportunity! 

Click here for the Momentum Grant Application and FAQ

Open Minds, Open Doors Fundraising Progress

We're over a third of the way there with $40,000 raised! Learn more about how you can get involved at nndc.org/donate. You can also check out more about the campaign with this quick video from our Executive Director, Matt Samocki on why this effort is important and how you can get involved.

Biomarkers RFA Awardees Announced!

We are thrilled to announce the following projects were chosen for the Bio-K Awards. The NNDC awarded funding ($12,500 per project) for four projects that will utilize biospecimen remaining from the blood-based biomarker studies of ketamine response.

• Project 1: Ketamine sessions 1, 2, and 3 will be associated with a particular EV and cargo profile that may differ between sessions and treatment response/remission. There will be sex and reproductive stage differences in EV type and cargo related to antidepressant treatment response and non-response. Awardee: Neill Epperson, MD

• Project 2: Blood mtDNA copy number and mtDNA D-loop methylation are significant predictors of ketamine treatment response in treatment-resistant MDD. Awardee: Luis R. Patino Duran, MD

• Project 3: Ketamine-related biological pathways (e.g., inflammation, kynurenine pathway, metabolic/bioenergetic, neurotrophic signaling) will be associated with poorer antidepressant response to ketamine in adults with TRD. Awardee: Giselli Scaini, PharmD, PhD

• Project 4: Ketamine treatment will attenuate key inflammatory transcription factor-binding motifs (e.g., NF-кB, AP1) that are over-represented among differentially expressed genes from baseline to post-treatment (after infusion 3) and this reduction will be associated with improvement in depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning and greater response and remission rates. Awardee: Marzieh Majd, PharmD, PhD

Congratulations to the recipients and we are looking forward to seeing the impact of this work for years to come!

Members Representing the NNDC at ACNP

As an ACNP Advocacy Affiliate, the NNDC receives invitations to the ACNP Annual Meeting. This year, the NNDC Executive Committee selected two junior faculty members from NNDC sites for the opportunity to represent the NNDC at the 63rd Annual Meeting this past December at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. Representing the NNDC was:

• Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, Associate Chief Research Officer, Lindner Center of HOPE
• Andrew Novick, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry-Other CI Services, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Here's what they had to say about the event:

Event Feature: University of Louisville Depression Center

“What Works for Depression” was recently presented at the “Building Hope” lecture sponsored by the University of Louisville Depression Center. The event's featured speaker was Jesse H. Wright, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Depression Center and professor and vice chair for academic affairs of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UofL School of Medicine.

Wright examined the most effective methods for treating clinical depression, including effective treatment methods for people who find themselves stuck in a depressive state.

Learn more about the event here.

We're seeking event co-hosts for the 2025 NNDC Reception at APA in LA!

Interested in being a co-host this year for our annual reception at the APA Conference in Los Angeles? Reach out to either Courtney Soule at csoule@nndc.org or Matt Samocki at msamocki@nndc.org and we'll get you more information!

Save the Date for the 2025 NNDC Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio!

We had a fabulous time in Salt Lake City this year and we're already looking forward to the 17th Annual Conference in Cincinnati, OH on September 10-11, 2025! Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks!

Save the Date! 2025 Best Practices for Mood Disorders with Mayo Clinic

The second annual Best Practices for Mood Disorders in collaboration with Mayo Clinic is ready for pre-registration. We'll have more information about the second annual event soon! But for now, save the date for October 3-4, 2025 in Chicago at the Swissotel!

Learn more and pre-register here!

Holiday Stress + Mental Health with Dr. Mark Frye

For many, the holidays are a time for happiness and connecting with family and friends. It’s often a time of celebration. But for some, it can be a time of increased stress, anxiety and sadness. In some cases, our good health habits such as eating healthy, regular exercise and getting adequate sleep are replaced by overeating, consuming excess alcohol and taking on too many responsibilities.

A recent study by the American Psychological Society found that 89% of those surveyed felt stressed during the holiday season. What are the most common reasons for this stress? Can we avoid it? If not, what are the best ways to manage it? Hear more on this topic with Mark Frye, M.D., a psychiatrist from the Mayo Clinic and NNDC Board Chair.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

The Mel Robbins Podcast | Conflict + Understanding

Harvard Psychologist Shares 6 Words That Will Change Your Family

This episode will change the way you think about every relationship in your life. Harvard’s Dr. Stuart Ablon is distilling 30 years of behavior change research into one hour. Dr. Ablon is the Founder and Director of Think: Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, which focuses on Collaborative Problem Solving. An award-winning psychologist, Dr. Ablon is also a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Ablon shares a completely new approach to dealing with difficult people, challenging kids, and family members.

The discussion isn’t just about solving conflicts; it’s about creating a deeper understanding of others and fostering lasting change. Whether you're a parent, partner, or simply navigating life’s challenges, this conversation is for you. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts