Pioneering Solutions for Depression and Bipolar Disorder

At some time in our lives, one in five of us will develop a mood disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Its impact will reverberate far beyond any individual's life. Families, friends, communities, economies — all are affected by these diseases. By 2020, depression will rank second in morbidity among all illnesses worldwide; bipolar disorder will rank fifth. Tragically, suicide, often triggered by a mood disorder, takes more than one million lives worldwide every year.

• 900 inpatients per year
• 8,000 total patients annually
• 55 clinical trials completed since 2003
• 800 undergraduates and 130 postdoctoral fellows trained between 2004 and 2012
• 250 medical students per year
• 200 leading-edge interdisciplinary research projects under way

Although the incidence and impact of mood disorders are undeniably on the rise, hope for solutions has never been higher. Through the Stanford Mood Disorders Center and Research Program, scientists and physicians are building on Stanford’s traditions of excellence, healing, and innovation. They are leveraging new knowledge of genetics and the brain’s molecular processes, and drawing on new techniques for imaging and healing the brain. Merging Stanford’s expertise across disciplines—psychiatry, biology, engineering, and myriad other fields—they are streamlining the process of translating laboratory discoveries into breakthrough treatments.

For the past 24 years, Stanford has led the quest for new knowledge and therapies for mood disorders. Today, the center is expanding its reach and mobilizing Stanford’s diverse expertise toward a powerful shared mission: to overcome mood disorders through innovation and compassion.