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Mood Disorders Research Program

The Mood Disorders Research Program at UC Davis specializes in developing innovative approaches to evaluate, treat, and prevent mood and related disorders in youth, young adults and adults. The program has a three-fold mission of advancing scientific discovery, improving care, and training the next generation of clinicians and researchers dedicated to the research, treatment, and prevention of bipolar disorder.

Currently, the research program is embarking on a number of clinical trials to test the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapies, behavioral therapies, transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep brain stimulation.

Learn more about our current clinical studies

Manpreet K. Singh, M.D., M.S.

Manpreet K. Singh, M.D., M.S.

Robert H. Putnam Endowed Chair in Bipolar Disorders Research and Treatment
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
mpksingh@ucdavis.edu

Our Focus Areas

Research

Our research focuses on unraveling the complexities of the origins and pathways of psychiatric disorders that start during childhood, and finding ways to protect and preserve function throughout lifespan.

Young teen listening, with 2 women providing care

Patient Care

Our research program seeks to investigate, measure and improve clinical care and outcomes for patients receiving psychiatric care for mood disorders and treatment-resistant depression.

General psychiatry resident Jacqueline Williams, M.D., with Dr. Singh, presenting poster

Training

Our aim is to recruit, train and sustain the next generation of basic, translational clinical researchers in treatment resistant depression and other mood disorders, including bipolar disorder.


Our Research Team

Julie Schweitzer, Manpreet K. Singh, and other UC Davis researchers and traineesKey Collaborators

We premise our research work on a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach.

Some of our key UC Davis collaborators include: 

Jill Silverman, Ph.D.
Silverman is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute and a basic and translational science researcher in neurodevelopmental disorders. Visit the Silverman Lab for more about her work.

Julie Schweitzer, Ph.D.
Schweitzer is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Attention, Impulsivity and Regulation (AIR) Program at the MIND Institute.

Amanda Guyer, Ph.D.
Guyer is co-director of the Center for Mind and Brain and a professor in Human Development and Family Studies.


TMS team in APT clinicMeet Our Team

Our researchers are active in the biology of mental illness and have published extensively on the neurobiology and psychopharmacological treatment of pediatric mood disorders. Currently, our team’s research and clinical interests involve testing the efficacy and safety of a spectrum of interventions including pharmacotherapies, behavioral therapies, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation.

Team members include:

Manpreet Singh, M.D., M.S., Program Director

James Bourgeois, O.D., M.P.A., M.D.

Debra Kahn, M.D.

Katharine Marder, M.D.

John Claro Onate, M.D.

Matthew Settle, N.P.


Psychiatry trainees with Dr. SinghMeet Our Trainees

We have several trainees who play important roles in our research program. Meet our trainees!

Sally Bae, M.D.
Research track resident focusing on transcranial magnetic stimulation

Emma Hare, D.O.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow working on measurement of aggression in youth

Jacqueline Williams, M.D.
Adult psychiatry resident focused on clinical trials

Hosanna Kim, M.D.
Adult psychiatry resident focused on neurodevelopment

Jake Branchini
ARC-MD medical student interested in substance use disorders and advanced psychiatry interventions

Current Clinical Studies

We have the following clinical studies underway. 

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TRANSCEND Study

The TRANSCEND clinical study is for people with depression who have been unable to find relief from their symptoms after at least four antidepressant treatments. The study is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depression. 


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CReW BP-1 Study

The Bipolar CReW study is investigating how well Cariprazine, a treatment for Bipolar I Disorder, helps people in their everyday lives. This study will assess its benefits, how well patients can tolerate it, and its effects on their overall quality of life.

Learn more about our studies


Anne McBride, Manpreet K. Singh, Helen Kales and Melissa Hopkins from the psychiatry department

Related Publications

For over 20 years, first at the University of Cincinnati and then at Stanford University, Manpreet K. Singh, M.D., M.S., has dedicated her career to unraveling the complexities of bipolar and other mood disorders. She has more than 200 published articles, several of which can be found on PubMed via this link.

Following are a few of her published works:

View Singh’s bibliography