November 9, 2007

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute will host lectures by Karen F. Berman, chief of the section on Integrative Neuroimaging at the National Institute of Mental Health, on Wednesday, November 14, at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento.

Berman will speak twice. During a 4 p.m. academic presentation, she will present results from multimodal neuroimaging studies on schizophrenia and Williams syndrome that elucidate neural dysfunction at multiple levels — from gene expression to behavior and reveal relationships among various levels. At a 6 p.m. community-interest lecture, she will discuss the unprecedented opportunities now available for understanding how the human brain is constructed to confer the unique characteristics that make us who we are. Findings from recent studies of schizophrenia and Williams syndrome will be described. Both presentations are free and open to the public; no reservations are needed.

Berman also leads the Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program at the National Institutes of Mental Health. Her research group conducts translational investigations, using multimodal neuroimaging to bridge the gap between neurogenetic, molecular, cellular and system-level mechanisms of brain dysfunction and the cognitive and behavioral manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and Williams syndrome. Dr. Berman is the recipient of the A.E. Bennett Award for Neuropsychiatric Research of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Independent Investigator Award, and the NIH Bench to Bedside Award. In 2005, she received the NIH Director's Award for her pioneering research on Williams Syndrome.

Berman is the second of nine distinguished lecturers in the M.I.N.D. Institute's 2007-08 series. This series receives generous support from Mort and Marcy Friedman. Upcoming speakers are: Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Ph.D., University of London (December 12); Carlos A. Pardo, M.D., Johns Hopkins University (January 9); Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina (February 13); Carolyn B. Mervis, Ph.D., University of Louisville (March 12); Laura Schreibman, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (April 9); Christopher J. McDougle, M.D., Indiana University (May 21); and Deborah Fein, Ph.D., University of Connecticut (June 11).

For more information about this and future lectures, visit the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Web site or call (916) 703-0280. Many previous distinguished lectures are available for viewing on the M.I.N.D. Institute Web site. Visit www.mindinstitute.org, then click on “M.I.N.D. videos.”

The UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute is a unique collaborative center for research into the causes and treatments of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette syndrome and learning disabilities.