INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR BIPOLAR DISORDERS

THE SAMUEL GERSHON JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR AWARDS, NAMED IN HONOR OF DR. SAMUEL GERSON, PAST ISBD PRESIDENT AND PIONEER OF EARLY LITHIUM RESEARCH, OFFER 4 AWARDS FOR ORIGINAL RESEARCH SUBMISSIONS. AWARDS ARE BASED ON THE ORIGINALITY OF THE CONTENT, AS WELL AS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINDINGS REPORTED, AND ARE EVALUATED BY AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC
PANEL UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ISBD. THESE AWARDS ARE OPEN TO PSYCHIATRIC TRAINEES, POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS AND JUNIOR FACULTY UP TO THE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR RANK FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE AWARDS ARE PRESENTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOCIETY’S BIENNIAL MEETING, WHERE THE WINNERS PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH IN POSTER OR RAPID ORAL COMMUNICATIONS SESSIONS.

THE WEBSITE SERVES AS THE HUB OF ACTIVITY FOR THE ORGANIZATION, ALLOWING MEMBERS TO UPDATE THEIR ADDRESSES, RENEW MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY, AND ACCESS OUR SCHOLARLY JOURNAL, BIPOLAR DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THE WEBSITE ALSO CONTAINS MANY MEMBER BENEFITS, INCLUDING OVER 64 WEBINARS, 264 SLIDE PRESENTATIONS FROM OUR MEETINGS, NUMEROUS SHORT-FORM VIDEOS ADDRESSING VARIOUS AREAS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER, AND A SECTION FOR PATIENT RESOURCES, INCLUDING ADAPTATIONS OF THE WORK OF OUR TASK FORCES AND THE A COLLABORATIVE TREATMENT GUIDELINE, AS WELL AS SEVERAL TIP SHEETS. THE WEBSITE PROVIDES 24-7 ACCESS TO THE BEST OF ISBD'S EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS.

ISBD TASK FORCES CONSIST OF ISBD MEMBERS AND OTHER GLOBAL EXPERTS WHO COME TOGETHER TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IN VARIOUS BIPOLAR DISORDER SUBSPECIALTIES (E.G. IMAGING, GENETICS, REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES, COGNITION, CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH, ETC). THE TASK FORCE DELIVERABLES INCLUDE PEER-REVIEWED MANUSCRIPTS, WEBINARS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND PATIENT-FACING PAMPHLETS AND RESOURCES, MUCH OF WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO OUR MEMBERS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. AS SUCH, THE TASK FORCES ARE A MAJOR STAPLE AND ENGINE OF THE ISBD RESEARCH OUTPUT AND REPRESENT AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION. THE GOAL OF TASK FORCES IS TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO THOSE IN THE FIELD AND ANSWER IMPORTANT RESEARCH QUESTIONS; CONSEQUENTLY, THEY ARE MEANT TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE IN BIPOLAR DISORDERS.

WORLD BIPOLAR DAY (WBD) IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE SOCIETY AND A JOINT COLLABORATION BETWEEN ISBD AND OTHER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS ABOUT THE ILLNESS THROUGH
ENCOURAGING OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO HOLD EVENTS DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER. THE INAUGURAL WBD WAS HELD ON MARCH 30TH, 2014, COMMEMORATING THE BIRTHDAY OF THE FAMOUS DUTCH PAINTER VINCENT VAN GOGH, WHO WAS POSTHUMOUSLY DIAGNOSED AS HAVING HAD BIPOLAR DISORDER. ISBD HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT AND MAINTAINS THE CAMPAIGN’S PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ISBD AND WBD WEBSITES. EACH YEAR THE ISBD PROMOTES WBD THROUGH ITS MEMBERS, GLOBAL CHAPTERS, AND ADVOCACY AFFILIATES, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO HOST EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT STIGMA, THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH AND FUNDING FOR THE ILLNESS, AND TO SHARE A MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. FEEDBACK ON EVENTS IS SHARED ON THE ISBD AND WBD WEBSITES.