Initial Areas of Focus

The Garvey Institute is committed to developing, testing and rapidly deploying innovative approaches to prevent and treat a wide range of brain health and mental health problems including anxiety and depression, schizophrenia and suicide. Our initial work is focused in five areas:

Brain health and cognitive aging. This program focuses on innovative strategies to promote brain wellness across the lifespan, to prevent brain disorders when possible, and to delay the effects of brain aging and degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Trauma. This program focuses on the effects of traumatic brain injury, physical trauma and emotional trauma on brain health. We work to develop protective strategies for preventing brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to develop treatments that promote resiliency.

Addictions. This program develops and tests new approaches to reduce the impact of drug abuse and addiction. We work to identify genetic and social vulnerabilities responsible for addiction and changes in the addicted brain and use genetic, pharmacological and psychosocial approaches to develop new prevention and treatment strategies.

Technology. This program focuses on innovative uses of technology to improve access to behavioral health care. We leverage technological breakthroughs that create opportunities to improve brain research, early risk detection, treatment and prevention.

Adolescent and young adult mental health. This program focuses on developing and testing innovative approaches to care for youth and young adults with mental health and addiction problems.