Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded the University of California, Los Angeles $117,263 under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) on May 6, 2026, for a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award concluding April 30, 2028. This award supports the development of individualized novel phenotyping and predictive models for risk and resilience in psychosis and bipolar spectrum disorders (PBSD). The research synthesizes data from NIMH-sponsored clinical high-risk cohorts, including the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study 2 and 3 (NAPLS-2, NAPLS-3) and Accelerating Medical Partnerships – Schizophrenia (AMP-SCZ), to identify demographic, social determinants of health, clinical, cognitive, and biological factors associated with risk, remission, and resilience using machine learning methodologies.

The primary deliverables include validated predictive models identifying novel combinations of risk and protective factors in PBSD, external validation of these models using digital phenotyping measures, and development of a clinician-facing nomogram for automated real-time prediction of PBSD outcomes. Additionally, the research applies temporal deep learning and explainable artificial intelligence techniques to align clinical high-risk variables with common data elements within the EPIC electronic health record system, positioning the candidate as an independent clinical researcher capable of implementing precision-based interventions and preparing for future R01 funding applications.