NAMI awards Dr. Charles L. Bowden Mental Health Research Award

Posted on October 19, 2006

Arlington, VA — For his research on Bipolar Disorder, Professor Dr. Charles L. Bowden received a $50,000 award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at the Second Annual NAMI Research Gala on October 18, 2006 in Washington DC . The award was presented to Dr. Bowden from Academy Award winning actress Patty Duke.

The 2006 Mind of America Scientific Research Award recognizes a scientist whose research has led to a greater understanding of mental illness.  Dr. Bowden is a world-renowned professor, researcher and doctor, authoring and editing more than 300 publications, publishing seven textbooks, and serving as the principal investigator for over 70 studies. His work focuses mainly on the symptoms and characteristics of bipolar disorder and the effectiveness of mood stabilizing medication.

"Dr. Bowden is a leader in his field and we hope that by giving him this award, it will inspire other researchers to follow his example in helping to forge a universal understanding and acknowledgment of mental illness," said Ann Pincus, co-chair of the NAMI 2006 Research Gala. Other co-chairs of the event were Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), and Kay Redfield Jamison. Patty Duke was the Honorary Chair of the event.

Dr. Bowden is the Nancy U. Karren Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. He is active in numerous professional societies and on editorial boards including those for the ‘Journal of Bipolar Disorder and Essential Psychopharmacology’

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Bowden thanked the Advisory Committee, stating, "This is just the beginning of where we need to be for mental health research -- I hope that someday, mental health research will be a top priority for our nation."

In addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Bowden is also editor-in-chief of "Medscape Mental Health", part of Medscape, Inc., the most referenced electronic medical database in the world. Dr. Bowden is listed among the “Best Doctors in the U.S.” in the area of mood disorders.

Also in attendance at the Gala were Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), Michael Fitzpatrick, NAMI Executive Director, author Kay Redfield Jamison, former football star Ken Harvey, Al Hunt, artist Judy Collins, and the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Thomas Insel.

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has become the nation’s voice on mental illness, a national organization including NAMI organizations in every state and in over 1100 local communities across the country who join together to meet the NAMI mission through advocacy, research, support, and education.

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