December 2 & 3, 2007
2nd Annual Silver Ribbon Symposium & Gala
Los Angeles

NARSAD’s 2nd Annual Silver Ribbon event took place on December 2nd and 3rd in Los Angeles and featured a public symposium, dinner dance and art auction.

The two-day event got underway on Sunday, December 2, with a free public symposium on the UCLA campus from 1 – 5 PM. The program featured four NARSAD Investigators speaking on the latest advancements in mental health research. Dr. Tyrone Cannon, Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles) served as Moderator with Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University) as the Keynote Speaker. Detailed summaries of the symposium presentations will be available for review in the coming weeks.

Symposium Presentations

• “Early Symptoms and Prevention of Psychosis”
  Carrie Bearden, Ph.D.
  University of California, Los Angeles
  
  
• “How Thinking and Behavior Become Disorganized in Schizophrenia”
  Cameron Carter, M.D.
  University of California, Davis
  
  
• “Cognitive Impairments in Bipolar Disorder”
  David Glahn, Ph.D.
  University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
  
  
• “Why Do Alcoholism and Depression Often Go Together?”
  Carol Prescott, Ph.D.
  University of Southern California
  
  The 2007 Silver Ribbon Gala was held at the Beverly Hilton on December 3rd, and was emceed by Dr. Drew Pinsky (“Loveline”). Silver Ribbon Awards were presented to Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison and Connie and Steve Lieber. Dr. Jamison is a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and a leading expert on bipolar disorder, which she has helped to de-stigmatize through her best-selling autobiography, “An Unquiet Mind”. She has been cited as one of the "Best Doctors in the United States" and was chosen by Time magazine as a “Hero of Medicine”. Annette Bening presented the award to Dr. Jamison.
  
  Connie and Steve Lieber received a Silver Ribbon Award for their 20 years of devotion, unfailing dedication and philanthropic support to NARSAD and mental health research. In addition, Ms. Lieber was recognized for her commitment, leadership and years of hard work as NARSAD’s president, a post she filled as a full-time volunteer from 1989 until stepping down earlier this year to become president emeritus. Linda Hamilton presented the award to the Liebers.
  
  The Gala will also featured “Mysteries of the Mind,” a WordTheatre production created exclusively for NARSAD with performances by Gary Dourdan (“CSI”), John Heard (“Prison Break”), Camryn Manheim (“Ghost Whisperer”), Samantha Mathis (The Punisher, American Psycho), Richard Schiff (“The West Wing”), Brenda Strong (“Desperate Housewives”), and Jon Tenney (“The Closer”). In addition, two pieces of art were auctioned live and over 50 pieces were featured as part of a silent auction. The live auction included a one-of-a-kind painting completed during the course of the evening by Thom Bierdz. The silent auction featured works created by and on behalf of artists with brain disorders (courtesy of NARSAD Artworks) as well as unique tile art created by Mike Wallace, Angelica Huston, Joe Pantaliano among others.