"Transforming Our Approach to Mental Illness"

In spite of impressive breakthroughs in neuroscience and genomics, the morbidity and mortality from mental illness has not changed significantly for the better in the past three decades.  How can we use science to improve outcomes for people with these disabling brain disorders?  This lecture will speak to three required transformations: transforming diagnosis, transforming therapies, and transforming the research culture.  Diagnosis can incorporate data from many sources, from digital to biological phenotypes.  Treatments can integrate existing modalities of drugs, devices, and psychosocial interventions to optimize and personalize care.  And the culture of clinical science can shift from "research to practice" to "practice to research"; engaging patients, providers, and payers in the process of improving outcomes.  All of these changes are feasible within the bounds of existing knowledge.  They are necessary (even urgent) but not sufficient.  Ultimately, to prevent and cure mental illness we will need a much deeper understanding of human neuroscience, especially a deeper understanding of the brain circuits for normal and abnormal behavior.