Dear members, friends and supporters,

As we near the end of 2025, I am profoundly grateful for the momentum we’ve created together. Your dedication to partnership, innovation, and advancing research and care in depression and bipolar disorder has elevated our work to new levels. I look forward to reflecting on the milestones that defined this remarkable year.

As a testament to collaboration, we experienced incredible interest in our community, welcoming Cleveland Clinic as our newest member, with 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 Los Angeles this past May with our co-hosts the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic and UT Health Houston; a record-setting and collaborative few days in Cincinnati with the University of Cincinnati, Lindner Center of HOPE and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for the Annual Conference that saw peak attendance and the most posters ever submitted; and the second annual Best Practices for Mood Disorders in collaboration with Mayo Clinic in Chicago this past fall! We had wonderful sponsorship and partnership support this year and can’t wait to build on these events in 2026!

We’ve seen monumental growth in the Mood Outcomes Program (MOP), with a data set of 129,000+ 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 it to continue to grow, especially with the transition to EHR data.

We welcomed the formation of two new task groups (Mood Disorders and Substance Use, and Psychotherapy for Mood Disorders), bringing the total of NNDC Task Groups to 13, which represents 500+ collaborators generating the forward momentum needed to make a difference in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depressive illnesses. Here, 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 2026 and beyond. Notably and coming up in January, is an exciting product theatre from Axsome Therapeutics, featuring Paul Keck, MD from the Lindner Center of HOPE.

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 2025 year-end giving, we’re running our annual fundraiser “Lighting the Path: Innovation Today, Care for Tomorrow” through the end of the year. These funds help support things like travel awards for residents and early-career members, Annual Conference poster awards and Momentum Grants for NNDC Task Groups. 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 2026.

Wishing you a joyful and restorative holiday season,

Matt Samocki, EdD

Executive Director

National Network of Depression Centers

If there is room in your year-end giving, we are running our 2025 annual fundraising effort, Lighting the Path: Innovation Today, Care for Tomorrow.

Lighting the Path is about bringing the best of mental health research and innovation directly to the people who need it most. By expanding our collective reach, we’re working to ensure that breakthroughs in understanding depression and bipolar disorder translate into real, life-changing care.

Every gift fuels new discoveries, drives innovation, and helps open doors to care for more people. Help us on this path and make your donation today to build a future where effective mental health treatment is within everyone’s reach.

Your gift—of any amount—helps support things like travel scholarships for residents and other students, poster awards at the Annual Conference, and more.

Here is a powerful testimonial from a travel scholarship recipient this year:

“I wanted to take a moment to thank you again for the incredible opportunity to attend the Best Practices Conference in Chicago. The experience was truly invaluable, and I’m so grateful for the scholarship support that made it possible for me to attend. Without that financial assistance, I would not have been able to participate, and I’m deeply appreciative of the chance to learn from experts and peers in the field.

Since returning, I’ve already been able to apply what I learned to my primary care clerkship, where I primarily work with the HIV-positive population in Austin. The knowledge I gained about mood disorders and patient communication has made me more thoughtful and effective in how I interact with my patients. I’ve found that I’m better able to recognize when mood symptoms may be affecting overall health and to approach those conversations with greater empathy and confidence.

The conference not only strengthened my clinical skills but also deepened my commitment to continuing to grow as a provider who understands the complex relationship between mental and physical health. I left feeling inspired and better prepared to support my patients in a more holistic way. Thank you again for your generosity and for making this experience possible. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity and for the lasting impact it has had on my medical training and professional development.”

— Aidan Collier Smith, MD Candidate, Dell Medical School

(For NNDC Members only) Axsome Therapeutics Virtual Product Theatre

Please join us for a virtual innovation theatre event featured at the NNDC Best Practices for Mood Disorders Conference this fall! The session, "A Rapid-Acting Antidepressant that Modulates Glutamatergic and Monoaminergic Pathways," will be presented by Paul Keck, MD, senior consultant and emeritus founding president and CEO, Lindner Center of HOPE, with registration available for two upcoming January dates!

A Rapid-Acting Antidepressant that Modulates Glutamatergic and Monoaminergic Pathways


Session 1 | Monday, January 12, 2026 — 12:00-1:00 PM PST / 1:00-2:00 PM MST/ 2:00-3:00 PM CST/ 3:00-4:00 PM EST


Session 2 | Thursday, January 15, 2026 — 9:00-10:00 AM PST / 10:00-11:00 AM MST / 11:00-12:00 PM CST/ 12:00-1:00 PM EST

*NOTE: These sessions are available for NNDC Members only, and are not open to the public.

Scan the QR codes above or register for one of the sessions via the dates below, and we hope to see you there!

2026 Momentum Grant Applications are open!

Applying for an NNDC Momentum Grant gives Task Groups a timely boost—providing the resources, visibility, and support they need to push promising ideas forward and accelerate meaningful progress in mood disorder research.

Please review the "NNDC 2026 Momentum Grant Application Guidance and FAQs" document before submitting a request. Completed forms must be submitted by January 30, 2026. Awards will be announced by March 13, 2026.

SAVE THE DATE! | Join us for the 2026 APA Reception in San Francisco

We want to put in on your radar that we are planning for next year's NNDC Reception in San Francisco on May 16, 2026 at 111 Minna Gallery. Registration details will be sent out in January, so look for more information from us soon! This has been a wonderful way to connect with members and friends and we can't wait to host everyone in 2026!

ASCP 2026 Award Submissions are open!

Each year we encourage NNDC members to submit for the annual ASCP Awards and the deadline to apply is January 28, 2026.

Submissions open! | 2026 Gerald L. Klerman Awards

Submissions for the 2026 Gerald L. Klerman Awards are due January 7

We are excited to share the opening of the nomination period for the Gerald L. Klerman Award, the highest honor that DBSA bestows upon members of the scientific community. Each year, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances knowledge of the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder.

The deadline for nominations is 11:59 pm (CT) on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. (Please note that at least one letter of recommendation must accompany each nomination for it to be considered.)

Read more about this honor and the submission process from Mark Frye, MD, Board Chair for the NNDC and DBSA's Scientific Advisory Board Chair in the link below.

Psychedelics & Related Compounds | Expanding Access

States across the country are advancing legislation to safely expand access to psilocybin, with impressive results. Oregon and Colorado have implemented regulated psilocybin programs that include licensed service centers, product testing, and facilitator training. New Mexico just approved legislation to authorize limited medical psilocybin access for patients with qualifying conditions. Lawmakers in Arizona, California, Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Missouri, and Washington continue to seriously consider multiple proposals for psilocybin regulation and access.

These efforts, like the proposals contained within Massachusetts H.2203 and H.4200, represent the growing movement from criminalization to sensible regulation grounded in public health and harm reduction. 

Psilocybin and Clinical Psychiatry


Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” has been touted as a potential game-changer for depression and other psychiatric disorders.

Over the past two decades, more than 130 clinical trials of psilocybin-based therapies have been conducted. Yet not a single agent has been green lit by the FDA.

But that could change in the near future. A number of experimental psilocybin-based drugs are in the pipeline — with one — maybe two — predicted to reach the FDA in the next 1 or 2 years.

As psilocybin-based therapies move closer to potential integration into mainstream psychiatric care, the US National Network of Depression Centers Task Group on Psychedelics and Related Compounds has issued a consensus statement outlining both the therapeutic promise of psilocybin and the significant gaps that must be addressed before widespread adoption.

Inside Bipolar Podcast | On finding hope

How To Find Hope When Bipolar Steals It Away

Life with bipolar disorder often feels like a constant battle, so being told to find hope can seem like a cruel joke. But what if hope isn’t naïve — it’s necessary? In this episode, Gabe Howard, who lives with bipolar disorder, and Dr. Nicole Washington dive deep into the real, practical power of hope and how to find it even when it feels impossible.

From planning something to look forward to, to saying “yes” to new experiences, they explore small, science-backed ways to keep hope alive. Gabe shares personal stories about concerts, silly dance videos, and even late-night wrestling shows that reignited his optimism, while Dr. Nicole breaks down why hope isn’t just wishful thinking — it’s a key part of recovery.

Listen here

Podcast | Dealing with Grief

Broadcast journalist and podcast host Anderson Cooper joins Michelle and Craig to share what he’s learned from hosting his grief-focused podcast “All There Is.” The three talk about how they managed (or avoided) the grieving process and how their moms prepared their kids to live without them. Plus Anderson shares his thoughts on the Vanderbilts inspiring an episode of “The Gilded Age.”

Listen here