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The Eisenberg Family Depression Center 2021 Retreat was held Wednesday, May 26, attended by members, faculty, staff and key stakeholders. Director Srijan Sen, M.D., Ph.D., and Deputy Director Patricia Deldin, Ph.D., gave presentations which were followed by a Q&A and breakout rooms to gather feedback from the audience.

Dr. Deldin spoke on the motivations behind making a difference in the realm of mental health. She presented research on the increasing rates of depression and suicide, especially during COVID-19, and emphasized the importance of the Center’s work in “making big discoveries, taking risks, and looking for high impact, hard to find, game-changing results.”

Next, Dr. Sen provided insights from his conversations with members of the community on the foundations for key breakthroughs in research, which included interdisciplinary collaboration, taking a prevention-based approach, and increasing use of technology. He also focused on the core themes of project development, mobile technology, high-value database and faculty recruitment as primary areas for investment.

In the breakout rooms, members discussed what they hope to see the Center celebrating in 5 years, and what steps can be taken to get there. Highlights from these discussions included prospects for a more diverse faculty, increasing access to care, and ideas for more efficient research and funding.

“We have an incredibly talented and dedicated group of staff, faculty and students who are interested in working hard to fight [mental health] disorders, and there’s incredible potential in empowering you all to do this incredible work,” said Dr. Sen.