Precision phenotyping of behavioral risk and response to electromagnetic and psychedelic therapies

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) awarded the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center a $5.96 million Project Grant under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420) on September 1, 2025, for "Precision Phenotyping of Behavioral Risk and Response to Electromagnetic and Psychedelic Therapies" (PRE-EMPT). The four-year project, completing August 31, 2029, delivers integrated research and development services focused on identifying behavioral phenotypes associated with suicide risk and evaluating treatment responses to novel electromagnetic and psychedelic therapeutic modalities for military personnel and veterans. The research combines advanced neuroimaging, genetic analyses, machine learning, and clinical assessments to develop predictive models and biomarkers that characterize individuals at risk for suicidal behavior and measure therapeutic efficacy of emerging interventions.

The project is executed through a collaborative research network with four sub-awardees: Georgia State University Research Foundation Inc. leads predictive deep learning model development and multimodal brain imaging data analysis; Washington University provides circulating RNA (circRNA) biomarker identification and sequencing services from blood samples; the Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico coordinates veteran participant recruitment and clinical assessments; and the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute conducts neuroimaging protocols, clinical assessments, and electroencephalography/functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquisition and analysis. Collectively, these subawards deliver specialized neuroimaging, bioinformatics, genetic sequencing, machine learning architecture development, and clinical research coordination services designed to advance understanding of suicide risk phenotypes and inform development of precision medicine approaches for military behavioral health.