This is a competing renewal application for a K24 Career Award in Patient-Oriented Research. The candidate, Dr. David Steffens, is Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, where he serves as the Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Director of an NIMH-sponsored T32 Research Training Program. Dr. Steffens has established a record of scholarship in the area of geriatric depression, and he serves as Principal Investigator on two large NIMH-funded grants, an R01 focusing on longitudinal geriatric depression outcomes and on the Recruitment Core of a Conte Neuroscience Center studying cerebrovascular disease in late-life depression. He is the previous recipient of a Clinical Geriatric Mental Health Academic Award (K07). Dr. Steffens has mentored individuals at all levels, including undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, pre- and post-doctoral research fellows, psychiatry residents, geriatric psychiatry fellows, and junior faculty. These experiences make the candidate well qualified for this K24 Award. Through this Award, the candidate will expand his research by focusing on genes related to folate metabolism in late life depression. Using his funded research as a source for teaching, the candidate will be well positioned to mentor pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows as well as junior faculty. Under the Award, the candidate will spend at least 50% of his time conducting patient-oriented research and mentoring.

Public Health Relevance

There is a lack of well-trained junior investigators interested in late-life mental health research. With the aging of the population, better understanding of mental illness in older Americans is essential. Support of individuals such as Dr. Steffens who have an interest and ability to train the next generation of geriatric mental health researchers will help address an important and growing public health need.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24)
Project #
5K24MH070027-11
Application #
8393505
Study Section
Adult Psychopathology and Disorders of Aging Study Section (APDA)
Program Officer
Evans, Jovier D
Project Start
2012-07-01
Project End
2014-12-31
Budget Start
2013-01-01
Budget End
2014-12-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$178,792
Indirect Cost
$13,244
Name
University of Connecticut
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
022254226
City
Farmington
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06030
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Hybels, Celia F; Pieper, Carl F; Payne, Martha E et al. (2016) Late-life Depression Modifies the Association Between Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensities and Functional Decline Among Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 24:42-49
Riddle, Meghan; McQuoid, Douglas R; Potter, Guy G et al. (2015) Disability but not social support predicts cognitive deterioration in late-life depression. Int Psychogeriatr 27:707-14
Potter, Guy G; McQuoid, Douglas R; Steffens, David C (2015) Appetite loss and neurocognitive deficits in late-life depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 30:647-54
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Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie; Hames, Jennifer L; Joiner, Thomas E et al. (2014) Differences between suicide attempters and nonattempters in depressed older patients: depression severity, white-matter lesions, and cognitive functioning. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 22:75-85
Qiu, Wendy Wei Qiao; Lai, Angela; Mon, Timothy et al. (2014) Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and Alzheimer disease in the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 allele. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 22:177-85
Taylor, Warren D; Kudra, Kamil; Zhao, Zheen et al. (2014) Cingulum bundle white matter lesions influence antidepressant response in late-life depression: a pilot study. J Affect Disord 162:8-11
Payne, Martha E; McQuoid, Douglas R; Steffens, David C et al. (2014) Elevated brain lesion volumes in older adults who use calcium supplements: a cross-sectional clinical observational study. Br J Nutr 112:220-7

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