The Eisenberg Family Depression Center recently granted Sarah Sperry, Ph.D. the Eisenberg Scholar Award. Dr. Sperry, an assistant professor of psychiatry and adjunct assistant professor of psychology, is one of the key investigators within the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program and director of the Emotion and Temporal Dynamics (EmoTe) Lab at the University of Michigan. Her project, entitled “Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Affective Response Inhibition in Bipolar Disorder: Linking Biomarkers to Real-World Behavior,” seeks to use multimodal assessments–including neurophysiology, behavior and momentary self-report–to identify potential mechanisms of emotion-based impulsivity (EBI) in the lab and in daily life. The project hopes to increase understanding of the mechanisms relevant to affective and cognitive processes and in order to develop novel intervention targets for bipolar disorder.
Dr. Sperry’s project further develops the work of Ivy Tso, Ph.D. and others in the Heinz C. Prechter Research Bipolar Program around identifying electroencephalogram (EEG) based biomarkers of bipolar disorder.
The Eisenberg Scholar Award provides funding and support to a selected early-career researcher at the University of Michigan who demonstrates strong potential to advance understanding of mechanisms and treatments in depression, bipolar, and related mood disorders. Award recipients are granted $100,000 to cover a two-year project.
The Eisenberg Family Depression Center’s research awards program will be re-launched in 2023.