Research

Embedded at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and supported by a nationally recognized academic medical center, our research programs are uniquely positioned to advance the field of psychiatry and tackle complex mental health challenges facing our society.

With pioneering scientists down the hall from exceptional health care providers and across campus from gifted scholars in diverse fields, we are fostering bold collaborations to usher in a new era of mental health knowledge, hope, and healing for all.

Advancing knowledge to transform lives

Our Researchers and Laboratories

Our research team is helping to solve one of our nation’s greatest challenges: untreated mental health conditions. If we better understand how the brain works, we can uncover new treatments to bring hope to children and adults.

Explore our labs

Meet our researchers

Research news and announcements

Our researchers in the news

Mental Health, Brain, and Behavioral Science Research Day 2024

Addressing mental health difficulties can present extraordinarily tough problems. Researchers from various institutions gathered to explore innovative solutions integrating ethics, AI, and neuroscience.

Clinical Investigators Receive Award for Research Innovation

Rana Jawish, MD, and Ben Lewis, MD, were named recipients of the 2024 New Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP).

Major Funding for New Addiction Treatment Research Announced

Worldwide, someone dies from drug or alcohol addiction every four minutes. Now, researchers at Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah have been selected by Wellcome Leap to research...

Pioneering a new approach to mental health research

Utah Translational Research Building

Opening in 2026, the Utah Translational Research Building will house researchers from across the University of Utah and speed the world’s understanding of depression, anxiety, suicide, and addiction.

Researchers and educators will converge to study and address complex mental health issues side-by-side with experts in science, artificial intelligence, public policy, business, law, and more.

The state-of-the-art facility—which will include a 7 Tesla MRI, wet and dry labs, and space for specialized research neighborhoods—has been intentionally designed to revolutionize research in the field of psychiatry.

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Innovation and discovery through clinical trials

Researchers in the Department of Psychiatry conduct innovative clinical trials aimed at advancing the understanding and treatment of mental health disorders. These trials explore new therapeutic approaches, medications, and interventions, providing valuable insights to improve clinical practices.

Explore current clinical trials

Mental health professional caring for a young patient

Be a catalyst of change

You can be a catalyst for positive change by supporting research that applies the most advanced methods in imaging, genetics, epidemiology, and big data analysis to better understand the brain’s complex functions. Your gift helps researchers better translate that research into new clinical and medicinal treatments that help patients maintain a better quality of life.

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