Dear members, friends and supporters,

We are busy gearing up for a dynamic 2026, with lots of opportunities for growth and collaboration and we are excited for all that this year has in store.

There are many upcoming awards and events you won't want to miss, with many deadlines in January! This week, for NNDC members we've got one more session with Axsome Therapeutics on "A Rapid-Acting Antidepressant that Modulates Glutamatergic and Monoaminergic Pathways," presented by Paul Keck, MD, senior consultant and emeritus founding president and CEO, Lindner Center of HOPE! Learn more and register below!

Thank you for being a valued member and follower of the National Network of Depression Centers. Let's make this month one of growth, resilience, and above all, kindness toward ourselves and one another.

Thank you all of our members and friends who gave generous donations to the National Network of Depression Centers in 2025. Your support is a powerful investment in hope and healing for those affected by depression and bipolar illness. Thanks to you, we raised over $40,000 in support of our members and advancing the work of the Network.

Through Lighting the Path: Innovation Today, Care for Tomorrow, these gifts help fuel opportunities like Momentum Grants, travel awards for emerging leaders, and events that foster professional growth and connection — including expanded programming and CME opportunities.

This helps to strengthen member partnerships, energize Task Groups, and grow the Mood Outcomes Program, driving research, improving care delivery, and creating measurable impact. Because of your support we’re bringing the best of mental health innovation directly to those who need it most. Together, we’re lighting the path to better care today and for the future.

(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 one more session this week!

A Rapid-Acting Antidepressant that Modulates Glutamatergic and Monoaminergic Pathways


Remainiing Session | 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 code above or register below, and we hope to see you there!

2026 Momentum Grant Applications — Submit today!

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 it on your radar that we are planning for the NNDC Reception at the APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco on May 16, 2026 at 111 Minna Gallery. Registration details will be sent out in early February, 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.

Second Annual Coalition of Athletic Communities for Mental Health Conference (COACmH) — February 17-19

NNDC Member CU Anschutz is proud to host the 2nd Annual Coalition of Athletic Communities for Mental Health (COACmH) Conference, bringing athletes, researchers, subject matter experts, coaches and athletic staff, athletic trainers, parents and caregivers, health professionals and other interested parties together to advance mental health in athletics.

The conference will focus on offering accessible information that comes from multi-disciplinary sources, has a multi-perspective lens, impacts all levels of sport, ans is designed to move from awareness, to understanding, to action. The goals is to enhance the public good by changing the landscape in athletics to inform other audiences.

Join this event for three days of research-driven conversations, real-world solutions, and collaborative action. All presentations will incorporate multiple perspectives, including professional, academic, and personal.

Location: Anschutz Health Sciences Building, 1890 N. Revere Ct., Aurora, CO, 80045 (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus). NOTE, there is also a virtual attendance option and student discounts!

Full Conference: $300 (all meals, social events, snacks)

One-Day Feb 17: $150 (training sessions, day-of meals, social events, snacks)

One-Day Feb 18: $150 (day-of meals, social events, snacks)

One-Day Feb 19: $150 (day-of meals, social events, snacks)

Virtual: $100 (all plenary sessions)

Lunch + Learn event: Dr. Scott Rauch on February 20

Scott L. Rauch, MD, is currently the inaugural Trustees’ Endowed Chair for Innovation in Psychiatry at McLean Hospital and a professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the immediate past [emeritus] president, psychiatrist in chief, and Rose-Marie & Eijk van Otterloo Chair of Psychiatry for McLean Hospital as well as immediate past [emeritus] chair of Behavioral & Mental Health for Mass General Brigham. Dr. Rauch is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, as well as past president and current secretary of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. He has also served in leadership roles for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America as well as the National Network of Depression Centers.

He received his undergraduate degree with honors in Neuroscience from Amherst College (’82) and attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati. He completed his residency training and chief residency in Psychiatry, as well as a Radiology Research Fellowship, at Mass General Hospital (MGH) in affiliation with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rauch served on the faculty at MGH for more than 15 years, during which he founded the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the Psychiatric Neurotherapeutics Program, and the Psychiatric Neuroscience Division.

Please join Dr. Rauch for a presentation and conversation about his career path. All class years and majors are welcome to attend!

CU Anschutz | Practicing Gratitude

Stephanie Lehto, PsyD, assistant professor of psychiatry, explains why a nod to the day's small wins works and how to get started.

Inside Bipolar Podcast | Advocacy 101

Advocacy 101: From Political Change to Family Boundaries

Advocacy isn’t yelling, protesting, or going viral — and for people with bipolar disorder, doing it the wrong way can actually make things worse. In this episode, we break down what real, effective advocacy actually looks like, starting where the stakes are highest: your everyday life and expanding to social and political activism — covering everything in between.



From setting boundaries with family members who won’t stop asking about your mental health to advocating calmly (and safely) with doctors, insurance companies, and healthcare systems to presenting in front of politicians, this episode tackles the uncomfortable truth: how you advocate matters just as much as what you’re advocating for.

Listen here

Podcast | Is Modern Life Stealing Our Life Force?

Esther Perel: The Modern World Can Sap Your Life Force

The legendary psychotherapist unpacks the concept of "hostile dependency" and explains why cutting people off doesn't always work on the 10% Happier podcast with Dan Harris.

This episode talks about:

• What Esther Perel really means by eros
• How modern life quietly depletes our sense of feeling alive
• Why aliveness can coexist with grief, pain, and difficulty
• The danger of numbness
• Introverts, extroverts, and the many non-social ways we experience vitality
• Vital sources of connection and meaning
• And more!

Listen here