The mission of the Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions (GIBHS) at UW Medicine is to improve the health for the millions of people at risk for and affected by mental health, substance use, and other brain health disorders. Initial areas of focus include cognitive aging, addictions and the effects of physical and/or emotional trauma on the brain.

Leadership:

Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA

Garvey Institute website

Challenge

Brain disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, autism and Alzheimer’s disease affect nearly half the world’s population, robbing millions of individuals and their families of the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.

Our Approach

  • We bring a dynamic community of clinicians, researchers, patients, families, communities and employers together to accelerate research and rapidly translate discoveries about brain health into prevention and treatment strategies for individuals with common brain disorders.
  • We work to better detect brain health problems early on by capitalizing on advances in neurosciences, genetics, computer science, engineering, brain imaging, psychiatry, psychology, neurology and rehabilitation medicine.
  • We engage patients and families in prevention and treatment programs that can substantially improve people’s lives.

University of Washington
Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
1959 NE Pacific Street
Box 356560, Room BB1656
Seattle, WA 98195-6560
gibhs@uw.edu

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Department Faculty

Molly Adrian, PhD

Michele Bedard-Gilligan, PhD

Eric J. Bruns, PhD

Jennifer Cadigan, PhD

Denise Chang, MD

Katherine Anne (Kate) Comtois, PhD, MPH

Sarah Danzo, PhD

Randall Espinoza, MD, MPH

Jesse Fann, MD, MPH

Bradford Felker, MD

Susan Ferguson, PhD

John Fortney, PhD

Kevin Hallgren, PhD

Rebecca Hendrickson, MD, PhD

Jeff Iliff, PhD

Jessica Jenness, PhD

Jason Kilmer, PhD

Sarah Kopelovich, PhD

Mary Larimer, PhD

Christine Lee, PhD

Kristen Lindgren, PhD, ABPP

Elizabeth McCauley, PhD

Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD

John Neumaier, MD, PhD

Marco Pravetoni, PhD

Richard Ries, MD, FAPA, FASM

Carol Rockhill, MD, PhD, MPH

Devon Sandel-Fernandez, PhD

Andrew Saxon, MD

Michael J. Schrift, DO, MA, FANPA

Debby Tsuang, MD, MSc

Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA

Larry Wissow, MD, MPH

Sample Projects

Adapting a resilience intervention for youth athletes

Addressing suicide risk in primary care to reduce youth suicide

Adopting a lifespan approach for ADHD management

Assessing need and acceptability of a family intervention for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder

Coach up the coaches: extending the reach of mental health professionals in sport settings

Decreasing engagement and transmission of suicide-related content on TikTok

Deploying a texting intervention for psychosis; from research to real-world practice

Developing a cannabis intervention for young adults with psychosis

Developing a digital platform to deliver family intervention for psychosis

Developing a hospital-based treatment engagement program for Alcohol Use Disorder

Developing a pediatric telebehavioral health consultation model for emergency departments

Developing an artificial intelligence digital navigator system to support patients’ use of technology-based interventions

Development of a monoclonal antibody to reverse overdose from fentanyl and its analogs: from manufacturing to clinical trials

Development of an mHealth support specialist for early psychosis caregivers in Washington State

Discovery of conversational best practices in online mental health support

Does the microbiome play a role in adverse outcomes following mTBI and PTSD?

Empowering caregivers of persons with Lewy Body Dementias using a virtual peer-to-peer intervention

Establishing a direct clinical – law enforcement partnership to address dementia crisis intervention across WA state

Evaluating large language models in conveying determinants of mental health

Evaluation and dissemination of the TRANSforming Families: Embracing Change with Teens Therapy Group

Expanding access to adolescent depression care by non-specialists with a digital intervention

Family and Caregiver Training and Support Program (FACTS) pilot

Harnessing the ECHO Model to help Washingtonians with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Identifying and treating loneliness in young adults in primary care

Implementing contingency management in a supportive housing context to promote resident well-being

Improving access to cognitive rehabilitation treatment following mild traumatic brain injury

Improving diagnostic imaging to guide treatment of neuroinflammation

Improving mental health in adolescents and young adults with long COVID through exercise

Improving opioid use disorder treatment using contingency management via mHealth

Improving patient-focused, population-informed care in clinical neurosciences

Improving resilience and recovery from traumatic events using the ECHO model

Improving treatment strategies and clinical outcomes in patients with first-episode psychosis and substance use disorders

Innovative training for suicide prevention in addiction treatment settings

Leveraging artificial intelligence to improve digital mental health interventions

Leveraging peer mentor texting to support maternal wellbeing in the perinatal period

Making generative AI safe for people with mental health conditions

Monitoring mood symptoms in young adults at-risk for bipolar disorder

Noninvasive tracking of intracranial pressure to improve care of traumatic brain injury

Opioid prescription and use following traumatic brain injury

Optimizing mental health first-aid programming for sport coaches

Optimizing telemental health with live artificial intelligence clinical scaffolding and feedback

Partnering with community pharmacies to enhance access to long-acting injectable antipsychotics in Washington State

Partnering with patients to re-envision psychiatric hospitalization and discharge

Partnering with the Quinault Indian Nation to develop a community-based contingency management intervention

Pilot of an inpatient Family Bridger Model to support families with loved ones who experience psychosis

Quantifying socio-cognitive deficits to optimize schizophrenia treatment

Reducing barriers to accessing mental health care using a web-based program for young adults

Remote assessment of cognitive aging and mental health in older African Americans during COVID-19

Strengthening financial literacy for people living with serious mental illness

Synthesizing position emission tomography (PET) data from MRI using deep learning

The RECOVER study: testing online platforms to identify patients with persistent post-COVID symptoms

Training psychiatry residents in complex communication skills for working with clients and their supports

Using deep learning to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and predict its progression

Using Large Language Models to identify video platform interactions indicating suicide risk

Using Natural Language Processing to risk-stratify inpatient psychiatry conflict and violence

Using neurocomputational modeling to track memory decline

Using technology to scale Caring Contacts and reduce suicide

Using teen Mental Health First Aid to address mental health inequity among school youth

Validating a non-invasive imaging method to measure astroglial water transport in brain health and disease