Implementing a mentoring program for clinical research professionals: A novel professional development initiative for university health research staff.

Clinical and translational research relies on a well-trained workforce, but mentorship programs designed expressly for this workforce are lacking. This paper presents the development of a mentoring program for research staff and identifies key programmatic outcomes. Research staff participating in this program were matched with a senior mentor.

The association between lithium use and neurocognitive performance in patients with bipolar disorder.

Lithium remains the gold standard for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD); however, its use has declined over the years mainly due to the side effects and the subjective experience of cognitive numbness reported by patients. In the present study, we aim to methodically test the effects of lithium on neurocognitive functioning in the largest single cohort (n = 262) of BD patients reported to date by harnessing the power of a multi-site, ongoing clinical trial of lithium monotherapy. At the cross-sectional level, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to examine potential group differences across neurocognitive tests [California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT trials 1-5,CVLT delayed recall), Wechsler Digit Symbol, Trail-making Test parts A and B (TMT-A; TMT-B), and a global cognition index].

Plasma linoleic acid partially mediates the association of bipolar disorder on self-reported mental health scales.

We have shown that bipolar individuals have reduced quality diets, including lower intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). We have also reported reduced plasma levels of the n-6 PUFA, linoleic acid (LA), and the n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in bipolar subjects. In the current analysis we hypothesized that LA and EPA plasma levels would mediate lower self-reported mental health and life functioning scores in bipolar subjects.

Dietary intake and plasma metabolomic analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in bipolar subjects reveal dysregulation of linoleic acid metabolism.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) profiles associate with risk for mood disorders. This poses the hypothesis of metabolic differences between patients and unaffected healthy controls that relate to the primary illness or are secondary to medication use or dietary intake. However, dietary manipulation or supplementation studies show equivocal results improving mental health outcomes.

Association of plasma ω-3 and ω-6 lipids with burden of disease measures in bipolar subjects.

Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids have been implicated in mood disorders, yet clinical trials supplementing n-3 fats have shown mixed results. However, the predominant focus of this research has been on the n-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). We used an unbiased approach to assay plasma n-3 and omega-6 (n-6) species that interact at the level of biosynthesis and down-stream processing, to affect brain function and, potentially, mood.