School of Medicine awarded $1.5 million suicide prevention grant

The School of Medicine has received a three-year, $1.5 million Focus Grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to explore innovative approaches to identifying blood-based biomarkers that may predict suicide risk. “Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning techniques, the project will combine blood molecular data with clinical information from two key groups: individuals who have died by suicide and major depressive disorder patients who are being monitored for suicidal behavior,” said principal investigator Adolfo Sequeira, UC Irvine associate researcher in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior. The development of more accurate and effective tools for identifying specific molecular changes, such as gene activity and DNA chemical alteration that can serve as reliable indicators, could pave the way for more targeted and personalized treatment strategies.