October 27 & 28
2006 NARSAD Gala Awards Dinner & Scientific Symposium
New York City

View summaries of symposium presentations

Leaders from the world of brain and behavior research gathered at New York’s Pierre Hotel on Friday, October 27, when NARSAD held its 19th annual gala awards dinner.

At the dinner-dance, NARSAD presented the mental health research field’s six major prizes for outstanding achievement: The Lieber Prize for Schizophrenia Research, The Falcone Prize for Affective Disorders Research, The Ruane Prize for Child and Adolescent Disorders Research, The Goldman-Rakic Prize for Cognitive Research and The Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Prize, awarded for innovative and promising research as chosen by the Lieber Prize recipient. Additionally, the winner of The Staglin Family Music Festival Schizophrenia Research Award, Eva Anton, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill was announced. Over the years, NARSAD’s research prizes have recognized the accomplishments of more than 60 leaders in brain and behavior science.

That same morning, NARSAD kicked off its 18th annual New York Mental Health Research Symposium. The day-and-a-half-long symposium featured presentations by 15 NARSAD Young Investigators who have been chosen for their outstanding research projects. In three sessions on Friday morning and afternoon and Saturday morning, the investigators discussed their latest findings in basic science, affective disorders and schizophrenia research. The symposium, which was free and open to the public, took place at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Stern Auditorium. To view summaries of the symposium presentations, click here .

“Our organization continues to make major efforts to expand mental health research while promoting the understanding that mental illnesses are biological disorders which will be overcome by the results of basic research,” explains Constance E. Lieber, president of NARSAD and chairwoman of the New York gala.

At Friday night’s gala, scientific and philanthropic leaders joined together to celebrate the accelerating progress in finding better treatments and cures for severe mental illnesses. The evening will also included a unique tribute to our 94 member Scientific Council celebrating 20 years of volunteer service. This esteemed group of leaders in the field of psychiatric sciences was honored for their dedication and generosity in guiding and influencing NARSAD’s research grants program.