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The Eisenberg Family Depression Center proudly welcomes the 2024-25 cohort for the Research Incubator Program. This talented group of promising early-career University of Michigan researchers is poised to tackle pressing issues in depression and mental health.

A key program in the Data & Design Core, the Research Incubator program leverages existing dataset resources to allow U-M investigators to make high-impact research advances more quickly and efficiently. The new cohort will receive vital support, including statistical analysis, project management, and mentorship from seasoned experts to help bring their innovative ideas to life. Their projects will explore creative research questions examining the intersections of mental and physical health.

“We are eager to welcome three dynamic, interdisciplinary scholars to our Research Incubator program,” said Briana Mezuk, Ph.D., Data & Design Core faculty co-lead. “After a competitive application and review process, our team is thrilled to collaborate with these talented investigators on impactful, innovative research that aims to improve the lives of individuals and communities affected by depression and other mental health conditions.”

This year’s Research Incubator cohort includes: 
 

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Peter Grau, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry 

Dr. Grau is a global mental health researcher focused on transdiagnostic approaches to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. His project will focus on evaluating a precision health approach to understanding PTSD symptoms, using data from the University of Michigan’s PROviding Mental Health Treatment (PROMPT) study.  This project seeks to establish the relationships between key daily indicators of functioning and changes in trauma-related symptoms using longitudinal assessments and establish the effectiveness of using mobile apps to manage PTSD symptoms.  

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Emily Jacobson, M.D., clinical assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics 

Dr. Jacobson is a Michigan Medicine hospitalist who sees pediatric and adult patients in the emergency department setting. As the Michigan Medicine lead for the Zero Suicide initiative, she is focused on optimizing support for patients presenting to the ED with suicidal ideation or attempt and eliminating hospital-based suicide. Her project will utilize the National Institutes of Health All Of Us dataset to examine outcomes following a suicide attempt when an adolescent or young adult is admitted to a pediatric or adult emergency department. This work aims to generate evidence-based recommendations for departments to better support adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation during a critical time, regardless of clinical setting.    

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Marie Claire O’Dwyer, MB, BCh, BAO, M.P.H., clinical assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine 

Dr. O’Dwyer is a family medicine physician and director of Resident Scholarship. Her work focuses on optimizing mental health care for patients in primary care settings. Her project will use Michigan Medicine clinical data via the DataDirect tool to examine the pharmacology patterns for adults with symptoms of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorders. As diagnosis and management of attention deficit disorders occur most frequently in primary care settings, this research seeks to better equip family physicians to manage the mental health needs of their patients.

Applications to join the next Research Incubator cohort will open in early 2025. Learn more about our program.