Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Highlights Top Mental Health Research Breakthroughs of 2025
New York, Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) today announced its Top Research Achievements of 2025, highlighting groundbreaking discoveries by BBRF Grantees, Prize Winners, and Scientific Council Members that are advancing the understanding and treatment of mental illness.
The research—published throughout the year in leading peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Science, JAMA, PNAS, and Molecular Psychiatry—spans basic neuroscience, next-generation therapies, and early identification and prevention of mental illness across the lifespan.
“Each of these discoveries brings us closer to understanding the biological roots of mental illness and translating that knowledge into better care,” said Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of BBRF. “By investing in bold, innovative science, we are helping accelerate progress toward earlier detection, safer treatments, and improved outcomes for millions of people worldwide.”
BBRF Research Achievements of 2025:
(Presented in Order of Publication)
Proof-of-Concept Test for an RNA-Based Therapy to Prevent Effects of an Autism-Related Gene Mutation
Marta Biagioli, Ph.D., University of Trento (Italy)
(Molecular Therapy, March 5, 2025)
Brain Signaling Pathway Explains Loss of Pleasure From High-Fat Food That Supports Obesity
Stephan Lammel, Ph.D., and Neta Gazit Shimoni, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
(Nature, March 26, 2025)
Modified LSD Molecule Retains Therapeutic Effects While Limiting Hallucinations
William A. Carlezon, Jr., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital and Conor Liston, M.D., Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine
(PNAS, April 14, 2025)
Non-Invasive Focused Ultrasound Shows Promise Across Mood, Anxiety, and Trauma Disorders
Gregory A. Fonzo, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
(Molecular Psychiatry, April 24, 2025)
Sleep Disturbances Predict Depression Severity and Self-Harm in Preadolescents
Caroline P. Hoyniak, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis
(Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, May 14, 2025)
Alcohol-Regulating Hormone Combined With GLP-1 Drug Reduces Alcohol Consumption
E. Zayra Millan, Ph.D., University of New South Wales
(Neuropsychopharmacology, May 26, 2025)
Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Brain Changes Underlying PTSD
Matthew J. Girgenti, Ph.D., Yale School of Medicine
(Nature, June 18, 2025)
Addictive Screen Use Linked to Suicidal Behaviors in Young Adolescents
J. John Mann, M.D., Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute
(JAMA, June 18, 2025)
More Screen Time in Childhood Followed by Depression in Early Adolescence Is Linked to Less Sleep and White Matter Changes
João Paulo Lima Santos, M.D., University of Pittsburgh (JAMA Pediatrics, June 23, 2025)
Stem-Cell Models Reveal Early Human Brain and Spinal Cord Development
Sergiu P. Pasca, M.D., Stanford University
(Science; Nature, 2025)
AI and Smartphone Sensors Successfully Track Symptoms in Adolescents with Depression
Christian Webb, Ph.D., McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
(Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience, October 13, 2025)
Study Sheds Light on MDMA’s Prosocial Effects & Lower Abuse Potential
Robert C. Malenka, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine
Neir Eshel, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine
(Molecular Psychiatry, July 24, 2025)
A Way to Repair a “Leaky” Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is Tested
Stewart A. Anderson, M.D., University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
(Science Translational Medicine, August 20, 2025)
New Research Underlines the Importance of Recognizing Mood Instability Between ‘Major Episodes’ in Bipolar Disorder
Sarah H. Sperry, Ph.D., University of Michigan
(Nature Mental Health, September 22, 2025)
Smartphone Sensors + ChatGPT Successfully Tracked & Predicted Symptoms in Adolescents with Anhedonia
Christian Webb, Ph.D., McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School
(NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience, October 13, 2025)
Personalized Deep-Brain Stimulation Produces Rapid Improvement in Severe OCD
Andrew Moses Lee, M.D., Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco
Andrew D. Krystal, M.D., University of California, San Francisco; 1997
(Translational Psychiatry, October 31, 2025)
Collectively, the 2025 achievements underscore the breadth and impact of BBRF’s research portfolio, which spans basic neuroscience, translational studies, and clinical innovation—all aimed at improving outcomes for people living with mental illness.
“Science is delivering answers we could not have imagined even a decade ago,” Dr. Borenstein added. “These findings bring us closer to a future in which mental illnesses are detected earlier, treated more precisely, and—ultimately—prevented.”
More information about the 2025 Leading Research Achievement researchers and their projects is available HERE.
About Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) awards research grants to develop improved treatments, cures, and methods of prevention for mental illness. These illnesses include addiction, ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, and schizophrenia, as well as research on suicide prevention. Since 1987, the Foundation has awarded more than $475 million to fund more than 5,700 leading scientists around the world. 100% of every dollar donated for research is invested in research. BBRF operating expenses are covered by separate foundation grants. BBRF is the producer of the Emmy® nominated public television series Healthy Minds with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, which aims to remove the stigma of mental illness and demonstrate that with help, there is hope.