The cover article for the current issue of Scientific American Mind features an article ‘Inside the mind of a psychopath’ by Kent Kiehl and Joshua Buckholtz :
http://www.sciamdigital.com/index.cfm?fa=Products.ViewIssue&ISSUEID_CHAR=85A97654-237D-9F22-E80DD99E534E7CAF
Just all part of The Mind Research Network mission to better understand how the human brain functions…and this understanding drives our scientists in their dedication to find earlier and better ways to treat mental illness, addiction, autism, epilepsy and other brain disorders.
Read about MRN discovery in the 2010 Research Report at www.mrn.org !
SUNDAY NIGHT BRYAN CRANSTON WON HIS THIRD STRAIGHT EMMY FOR HIS STARRING ROLE IN THE AMC SERIES ‘BREAKING BAD’! BRYAN RECENTLY DONATED HIS TIME AND AWESOME TALENT TO THE MIND RESEARCH NETWORK’S FIRST PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (see it at: www.mrn.org)….
AND ‘BREAKING BAD’ IS SHOT ALMOST ENTIRELY IN MRN’S HOME TOWN, ALBUQUERQUE.
IN ADDITION, CRANSTON’S CO STAR—AARON PAUL—GOT AN EMMY AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR.
CONGRATS FOR GREAT WORK TO REALLY TERRIFIC PEOPLE! THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE MIND RESEARCH NETWORK DRIVE ITS SECOND DECADE OF DISCOVERY TO BRING BETTER OUTCOMES TO SO MANY OF OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FACING ADDICTION, MENTAL ILLNESS, AUTISM, EPILEPSY, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND OTHER BRAIN DISORDERS!!
AND READ MORE ABOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF MRN IN OUR ‘HOT OF THE PRESSES’ 2010 RESEARCH REPORT WHICH YOU WILL ALSO FIND AT WWW.MRN.ORG!
Learn more about the mission and the progress of The Mind Research Network.
A great description of MRN comes from Cathy Smith, one of our fearless MR Technologists. Her article appears in the current issue of ASRT (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) Scanner Magazine. Here it is:
ASRT Article-CSmith 08.2010
And the Albuquerque Journal featured Rex Jung’s work with creativity this weekend. “Making Brain Waves”. You’ll find the article at www.mrn.org/News&Press and click on “MRN In The News”.
Thank you Cathy and Rex for flyin’ the flag and crowing about the women and men of MRN!
And a reminder: The MRN “2010 Research Report” is now available online at our website!
ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Keeping at-risk children and adolescents free of brain disease is a focus of studies funded by more than $10.8 million in recent awards to The Mind Research Network (MRN).
“The grants will boost MRN studies into addiction with great emphasis on preventing drug and alcohol abuse by adolescents,” said MRN President and CEO John Rasure, PhD. “The awards will also dramatically accelerate our early childhood development programs, and we expect the research to help us better understand what causes epilepsy and autism in youngsters.”
The funding will also support MRN breakthroughs in the study of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the grants will help MRN build what is already one of the most comprehensive brain data bases in the world. Using advanced imaging techniques and genetics research, MRN is dedicated to finding better tools for early diagnosis, intervention and ultimately cures for mental illness, other brain diseases and brain injury. By the end of 2010, MRN will have 53 active research projects for a total of $77million in awards.
The National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the State of New Mexico are among the agencies making grants to MRN. Collaborators for the research include Sandia National Laboratories, the University of California-Irvine, the Radiological Society of North America, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of New Mexico.
MRN is a nonprofit organization founded in Albuquerque twelve years ago by U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (Ret., N.M.). Since 1998, MRN has expanded into a multi-million dollar facility with world-class status in the bioscience industry. MRN employs 160 people with a payroll of $7.75 million. MRN has been listed as New Mexico’s second largest biotech company by New Mexico Business Weekly.
For more information on The Mind Research Network, visit our website at www.mrn.org. MRN’s “2010 Research Report” with details on the past year’s advancements is also available at our web site. You can also contact MRN Communications Director Lisa Breeden at lbreeden@mrn.org or (505) 681-7110.
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We’ve added new works to “Art of Extremes” at The Mind Research Network. Here is a preview:
 Ghost Dancer by Helen Valdez [caption id="attachment_194" align="aligncenter" width="188" caption="Hey Young Bear by Rudy Via"]  [/caption]
Find out more about “Art of Extremes” at www.mrn.org.
And if you see a picture you like but you cannot attend the exhibit, call VSA arts of New Mexico at (505)345-2872.
Early diagnosis and intervention are key to solving the puzzles of mental illness, brain disease and brain injury. The “2010 Research Report” for The Mind Research Network underscores the promise of MRN studies to identify these problems in the early stages and produce more positive outcomes for individuals facing these challenges.
MRN’s “2010 Research Report” is a summary of discovery by MRN staff and associates of the past year including sections dedicated to advancements in better understanding schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, addiction, epilepsy, autism and traumatic brain injury.
MRN scientists developed an approach which was able to classify patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. While more work is needed, these results show the potential of functional brain scanning to eventually be used as a diagnostic tool. The award of an 11 million dollar COBRE grant could help advance research aimed at the early diagnosis of schizophrenia or to better predict treatment outcome. The past year has brought progress in identifying biomarkers for autism and identifying children at risk of such developmental problems. MRN is also continuing work on a method to predict relapse in individuals addicted to alcohol and drugs and this tool has a ninety percent accuracy rate in predicting relapse in stimulant addicts. These are just some examples of the MRN discoveries covered in the “2010 Research Report.”
Unique imaging equipment and scanning techniques combined with genetics research at MRN could eventually bring to the clinic quicker and more accurate diagnoses and treatment that is tailored specifically to each patient—-care that is not currently available for many brain disorders.
The “2010 Research Report” is available on line at: www.mrn.org. MRN can also mail a report if you request it at: info@mrn.org or by calling (505)272-5028. For more information, contact Lisa Breeden, Director of Development at lbreeden@mrn.org or (505) 681-7110.
FROM THE MRN WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
• Accepted paper: B. Anderson, M. C. Stevens, S. Meda, M. Jordan, V. D. Calhoun, and G. D.
Pearlson, “Functional Imaging of Cognitive Control During Acute Alcohol Intoxication,” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, In Press.
• Dr. Matt Shane has been awarded an R01 entitled “Error Detection and Error Awareness in Incarcerated Cocaine Dependent Individuals” at a five year value of $1,870,305. Drs. Kent Kiehl and Vince Calhoun are Co-investigators, and Dr. Angela Bryan is a collaborator.
The present study will collect electrophysiological (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from a large sample of incarcerated cocaine abusers, to better characterize their error-monitoring deficits, and to investigate the extent to which such deficits predict future abstinence and relapse rates. The results of this work will aid delineation of cognitive and neurocognitive deficiencies underlying substance abuse, and may serve as a gateway for future treatment options that target these cognitive deficiencies.
• Congratulations to Dr. Kent Hutchison on award of a 5 year competing renewal for “Alcohol Dependence: Integrating Genetic & fMRI Methods”, valued at over three million dollars. Vince Calhoun and Eric Claus are Co-Investigors on the grant, and Angela Bryan (UNM Psychology Dept) is a collaborator.
This research combines neuroimaging and genetic approaches to examine how specific genetic variations are related to responses to alcohol cues. This research will also test whether the number of years of heavy alcohol exposure interacts with specific genetic variations to predict how people respond to alcohol cues. Improvements in our understanding of genetic factors and neurobiological mechanisms that influence the etiology of alcohol dependence is expected to have implications for new prevention and treatment approaches.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MRN TEAM AS WE SPEED PROGRESS IN FINDING EARLIER AND BETTER WAYS TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT BRAIN DISORDERS!
You still have time to enjoy the MRN art exhibit featuring the artists of VSA arts of New Mexico! Now through September 15, we show off these great works. Read more about it at www.mrn.org. If you aren’t near New Mexico to shop and you see a painting on our web site you might want to purchase, email:lbreeden@mrn.org. All proceeds go directly to the artists!
 Super Woman by Priscilla Rodriguez  Totally In by Cheryle Coburn
The trick to all the problems of our lives and our health and other problems–know when to let down and have some fun. It is the best medicine. Like today at mi casa with kids on horseback. Tonic for so many ailments!
 Jessica on Tequila, a skin cancer survivor (the horse!!)  Lily on India Note: Lily is the granddaughter of MRN founder US Sen. Pete Domenici. She is with her papa, Pete, Jr.
Savor the rest of summer.
“IMAGE” magazine this month features The Mind Research Network, and how MRN investigators manage the challenges of neuroimaging research. Here’s a link to the article online:
http://bit.ly/a2mk4w
More national attention to the remarkable progress of the MRN team as MRN continues to find solutions to the puzzles of brain disease and brain injury!
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