Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research

The mission of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute is to reduce the burden of serious mental illness through research. Using our ongoing discoveries of genetic variants associated with disease as a launch point, we are contributing to new understandings of pathogenic disease mechanisms, the identification of disease biomarkers, and above all, new treatments.

Stanley Center Scientific Investigators are successfully working on these issues in highly collaborative teams to significantly advance our knowledge of psychiatric disease and the development of treatments. Additionally, the Stanley Center launched the Stanley Global Neuropsychiatric Genetics Initiative (Stanley Global) in 2014, collaborating with research groups around the world to expand genetic sample collection across diverse worldwide populations.

Find out more about our areas of focus:

Through research at the Broad Institute and partnerships with collaborators worldwide, scientists at the Stanley Center aim to understand the biology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and to develop diagnostics and treatments to help people with these disorders. Our research also informs our broader understanding of mental illness, neurodevelopmental conditions (such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorders), and neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), nicely bridging with work going on across the Program in Brain Health at Broad.

Click here to read the Stanley Center's Commitment to Genomic Data Sharing

Philanthropists Ted and Vada Stanley enabled this groundbreaking research. In 2014, Stanley announced an unprecedented commitment of $650 million aimed at galvanizing scientific research on psychiatric disorders and bringing new treatments based on a molecular understanding. In total, the Stanley Family Foundation’s support of the Stanley Center totals $860 million, representing the largest philanthropic commitment ever in psychiatric research.

The Stanley Center has also received generous support from other committed philanthropists and foundations. Philanthropy is critical to advancing our mission—please email Priya McCue at pmccue@broadinstitute.org if you are interested in supporting our efforts to uncover the biological roots of severe psychiatric disease and ultimately find new treatments.