Heinz C.

Prechter Bipolar Research Program

Understanding bipolar disorder to advance care

The NEED
Nearly 6 million adults in the U.S. and an estimated 200 million people worldwide live with
bipolar disorder. This disruptive mental illness most often emerges in adolescence or young
adulthood. The burden of this disease on individuals, their families and society is among the
highest of all illnesses. The symptoms consume daily life, plaguing patients with profound swings
in mood, ranging from mania to debilitating depression. Thirty percent of individuals with bipolar
disorder attempt suicide, and 20 percent die by suicide. Bipolar disorder runs in families, tends
to recur throughout life, and is affected by genes and experiences. Research to identify the
mechanisms and expression of bipolar disorder can provide more timely intervention and more
effective treatments.

The VISION
The University of Michigan Depression Center is the nations first comprehensive center
devoted to the prevention, detection and treatment of depression, bipolar disorder and related
illnesses. After the death of her husband, a Michigan businessman who suffered with bipolar
disorder and died by suicide, Waltraud Wally E. Prechter established the Heinz C. Prechter
Fund for Manic Depression. In 2004, the fund was moved to the U-M Depression Center and
is now named the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program. The programs mission is
to provide a repository of longitudinal clinical, genetic and biological data for collaborative
research on the causes, prevention and treatment of bipolar disorder. The goal is to personalize
treatment and prevent recurrences, enabling those with bipolar disorder to lead healthy and
productive lives.

The team at the U-M Depression Center is led by research director Melvin G. McInnis, M.D., the
Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression. Since
2004, the program has leveraged the exceptional breadth of expertise at U-M by collaborating
with faculty in top-ranked departments across the university and beyond to advance research
and patient care. Four major initiatives are:
The Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder. The largest long-term research study for
bipolar disorder in the nation has over 1200 participants and has been following the cohort
since 2005. Billions of data points have been generated through biological samples of DNA,
neuropsychological testing, clinical interviews, bi-monthly follow-ups and voice recordings,
giving scientists the chance to study tiny differences in DNA and behavior that may play a role
in how the disorder develops and what makes individuals vary in their response to treatment.
The Prechter Bipolar Genetics Repository. The nations largest privately funded bipolar
genetics repository contains DNA samples from thousands of research volunteers, with and
without bipolar disorder. The objective is to accelerate the pace of genetic research into the
origins of bipolar disorder to find more effective therapies with the hope of eradicating the
illness.
Predicting Individual Outcomes for Rapid Intervention (PRIORI). U-M has developed
a cell phone app and software to analyze the sound waves of a patients speech to identify
changes before a mood episode. PRIORI is designed to allow intervention prior to onset,
decreasing the likelihood of extreme episodes of mania and depression, and suicide.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Research. K. Sue OShea, Ph.D., Crosby-Kahn Collegiate
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and director of the U-M Center for Pluripotent
Stem Cell Research, is transforming induced pluripotent stem cells from skin biopsies of
patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and control individuals cells into stem cells and
ultimately into nerve cells that look and behave like brain cells. This allows us to understand
in a laboratory how individuals might react to different treatments.

T h e O P P O RT U N I T Y
The Prechter Bipolar Research Program at the U-M Depression Center is a national leader in the
fight against bipolar disorder. Your support will help us accelerate cutting-edge research that will
expose the underlying mechanisms of the illness and lead to innovative new interventions and
personalized treatments to prevent recurrences.

Gifts made today may be eligible for a matching gift sponsored by the World Heritage Foundation-
Prechter Family Fund, doubling the impact of your generosity. The Prechter family has committed
$5 million in matching funds to encourage support of this vital research. Together, we can give
millions of people struggling with bipolar disorder the healthy and productive lives they deserve.

TO PARTNER WITH US, CONTACT:

Lisa Fabian
Associate Director, Mental Health Programs
Michigan Medicine Office of Development
734-763-4895 office | fabianl@umich.edu
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