In March 2012, nearly 90 researchers, national partner organizations, and Outreach Partners from every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico met in Denver, Colorado for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Outreach Partnership Program Annual Meeting. The Outreach Partnership Program is a nationwide initiative of NIMH’s Office of Constituency Relations and Public Liaison, and is designed to increase the public’s access to science-based mental health information through partnerships with national and state nonprofit mental health organizations.

The purpose of this initiative is to encourage researchers to use the data in the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) to reproduce and extend published data, validate hypotheses generated during experiments performed on small samples, and generate new findings and hypotheses.

Dr. Insel discusses the dynamics of data sharing in research.

On May 1, 2012, six NIMH grantees were among the 84 new members elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a private, non-profit organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to advancing science and promoting its uses for the greater good.

Brain’s Wiring Revealed in HD

Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals’ memory-based decision-making faltered, say scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health.