Butler seeks $1.2M for brain research

PROVIDENCE – Butler Hospital has launched a $1.2 million fundraising effort to bolster brain science research on its Providence campus by creating an endowment to seed projects, fund translational research and strengthen the infrastructure to support new research.
Butler already has a major research operation, with doctors testing new treatments for everything from Alzheimer’s disease to addictions to major depression.
The hospital has pioneered deep brain stimulation, a “pacemaker for the brain” that is used to treat severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe refractory depression, and it recently introduced transcranial magnetic stimulation, a groundbreaking treatment for depression involving pulses through the skull now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
But while the hospital’s research projects attract substantial external funding – from the National Institute of Mental Health and other public and private sources – Butler officials said they believe an endowment could make a big difference.
“The Butler Endowment Fund will ensure that mental health research continues to advance, offering hope for millions of people who suffer from these illnesses,” said Dr. Patricia Ryan Recupero, president and CEO of Butler, in a news release.
Hospital officials noted that mental illness takes a major toll on people’s lives and on the economy, costing U.S. businesses more than $80 billion a year in lost productivity and disability.
Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, attended an event to launch the campaign and expressed the Chamber’s support for the initiative.
“Having the best quality mental health treatment available right here in Providence is a tremendous asset to local business,” she said. “Beyond that, this fundraising initiative will bring jobs to the state, attract top quality emerging researchers and stimulate the economy.”
Ongoing projects at Butler include studies of several medications to treat mild cognitive impairments, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; a study of healthy adults’ reactions to stress; a study of the impact of childhood parental loss; studies of body dysmorphic disorder in adolescents and adults; several studies of smoking cessation strategies and of the impact of nicotine exposure; a genetic study of obsessive-compulsive disorder; and many others.
Butler Hospital is the flagship hospital in Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry, so many of its studies involve Brown faculty as well.
For more information about Butler Hospital and its research projects, including opportunities to participate in studies, call (401) 455-6265 or go to www.butler.org.