Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare’s Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital has received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a research center focused on psychiatric biotyping, according to an Oct. 27 report from the Hartford Courant.
The initiative aims to advance psychiatric biotyping, which integrates brain imaging, genetics and physiology to identify subtypes of illnesses and develop targeted treatments with hopes to find more effective ways to treat mental health conditions. The funds will support the transformation of the Stauton-Willians building at the Institute of Living into a modern space for research and clinical care.
Hartford HealthCare executives said the project represents a shift away from traditional approaches to mental health diagnosis, which typically lack biological tests. Michael Stevens, PhD, director of the Clinical Neuroscience and Development Laboratory in the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center at the institute, said research could eventually reduce diagnostic timelines and personalize treatments.
Javeed Sukhera, MD, chair and chief of psychiatry at the institute, and Peter Yoo, MD, chief academic officer for Hartford HealthCare emphasized that the grant allows the organization to pursue innovation in a field that has historically lacked clinical biomarkers.
