The event, entitled “Resilience: Emerging Stronger from Life’s Greatest Challenges,” drew more than 300 attendees and raised over $700,000 for life-saving mental health research.   

The day included a major announcement of new discoveries by HDRF’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, a collaboration of top neuroscientists who are pooling expertise and data to find urgently needed new treatments and diagnostics for depression. 

The event also featured a heartfelt award ceremony, where acclaimed actress and producer Dakota Johnson accepted the2023 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy. Other awardees were Sage Therapeutics, which received the HOPE Corporate Visionary Award; and Michael Dudgeon, who received the HOPE Community Award for his commitment to funding advanced depression research.  

Among the guests were Brooke Shields, a former HOPE Award recipient (2009), and her daughter Grier Henchy, who as a Teen Race of Hope Ambassador is continuing in her mother’s advocacy footsteps.

Master of Ceremonies, Chuck Scarborough began by welcoming guests and then introduced keynote speaker, Dr. Dennis Charney, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. 

Dr. Dennis Charney has made significant contributions to the understanding of human anxiety and depression, and is the author of Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges  with Steven Southwick and Jonathan DePierro.

The book is based on extensive research with trauma survivors, such as prisoners of war who were subject to torture in Vietnam.  In his remarks, Charney shared ways to build resilience which he covers in the book, including: developing optimism, finding a supportive network, embracing a moral compass, creating positive statements about oneself, and attending to physical well-being. 

In addition, Dr. Charney shared his own personal story when he had to put resilience factors to the test after being shot by a former faculty member at Mount Sinai.  He spent weeks recovering in the I.C.U.

“Realistic optimism is key – you need to know what you are facing and not be Pollyanna about it,” he said. “But also have faith that you will prevail.”

He added, “It’s important to accept what happened without blaming yourself, and then work to get stronger.”

Charney added that finding inspiration in music was critical for him.  He listened almost non-stop to Bruce Springsteen’s “Stronger than the Rest.”

In conclusion, Charney touched on the resilience of New York City to bounce back after the 9/11 attack and Hurricane Sandy.  He said he believes New York is a resilient city because of its immigrant population and heritage of survival and grit. 

Another guest featured in the program was Dr. Kafui Dzirasa, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University and a member of HDRF’s Depression Task Force.  Dzirasa gave brief remarks on how the study of depression can specifically benefit from machine learning techniques.

“The brain has over 200 billion cells and by understanding their electrical patterns, we can find new diagnostics and treatments for mental illness,” he said.  “Artificial intelligence allows us analyze billions of electrical signals at once and find coherent patterns.”

HDRF Founder and Chair Audrey Gruss took the stage to speak about the exciting progress of the acclaimed HDRF Depression Task Force.

“When I formed HDRF, my vision was to create a think tank to defeat depression, where some of the greatest neuroscientists on the planet could collaborate in a way that breaks the traditional mold of academic research,” Gruss said.  “The field was stuck, so we hoped that by working together, we would provide real results faster.” 

To unveil major research results, Gruss then introduced Dr. Eric Nestler, Chair of the HDRF Depression Task Force and Director of the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai.   Nestler announced that the DTF’s research had identified 20 promising genetic targets for developing new antidepressants.  All of these gene targets were narrowed down from a field of over 20,000 human genes over the past ten years, and have been extensively validated for their role in depression.  The 20 new targets are now ready to go to proof of concept clinical trials. 

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton then took the podiumto discuss HDRF’s community outreach and education efforts. She highlighted HDRF’s Race of Hope 5K in Palm Beach and Southampton, as well as the Teen Race of Hope in NYC in May, and several mental health symposiums throughout the year for the general public. 

Mike Dudgeon accepted the 2023 Hope Community Award for his unwavering commitment to mental health research and support for HDRF.  In his poignant remarks, Dudgeon said that the impetus for funding depression research was the death by suicide of his 20-year-old son in 2020.  He hoped to find new cures for severe depression that shatters lives and families.  

Sage Therapeutics, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company on a mission to deliver potentially life-changing brain health medicines, received the 2023 HOPE Corporate Visionary Award. Earlier this year, Sage introduced a breakthrough new treatment for postpartum depression to the market, the first and only oral treatment option for women specifically with Post Partum Depression. 

Sage Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mike Quirk said, “We are here to celebrate the power and importance of neuroscience research in transforming the lives of people living with mental illness.”

Audrey Gruss then presented Dakota Johnson with the HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy.  

“We are honoring Dakota because she has spoken candidly and openly in the media about her experience with depression and anxiety since being a teenager, “said Gruss.   “This kind of candor and sharing is part of the answer to the complex crisis of depression.”

In her remarks, Dakota Johnson moved the audience with her authenticity and humor.   She opened by quipping that she was honored to receive the award for best depressed person. After the audience’s laughter died down, she said she was inspired by the work of the Depression Task Force to defeat depression, because her first-hand knowledge of depression is that there are no immediate answers or cures. 

She spoke about the value of therapy and medication in her journey with depression.  In addition, she practices transcendental meditation every day, and finds great relief in deep tissue massage, breath work, yoga, and swimming in natural water.

“I fully support needing the assistance of more urgent help, like the temporary use of SSRIs and EMDR or brain spotting, which I find to be incredibly amazing. As long as you are not harming yourself or others, whatever helps you, helps you.”

She concluded: “Removing the stigma of anxiety and depressive disorders and the means to help them is essential. We are in too much trouble as a human race to feel further isolated by the brain chemistry and complexities of the mind that we are born with, or the life experiences that we may not have chosen given the state of the world. If we help each other understand that caring for our mental health is essential, perhaps that will turn practicing self-love and self-compassion into a vital part of living. And then perhaps that will radiate compassion and love for each other and the Other, and then the world we live in will also become a vital part of living.” .

This year’s Event Co-Chairs included Susan Gutfreund, Maru Hagerty, Gillian Hearst, Kim Heirston, Tania Higgins, Eleanora Kennedy, Kristen Maltese Krusen, Susan R. McCaw, Kitty and Bill McKnight, Peter S. Paine III, Barbara and Randall Smith, and Scott Snyder. 

Each year, the HOPE Luncheon Seminar is held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and is attended by over 300 New York philanthropists, asset managers, business and media professionals, socialites, and celebrities who gather to raise awareness about depression and its related mood disorders as well as funds for continued research. 

Founder Sponsors: EGL Charitable Foundation

Benefactor Sponsors: Brian Flaherty, Christina Flaherty, Annemarie Flaherty Shea & Max Shea, Abraham Fuchsberg Family Foundation, Richard S. and Karen LeFrak Foundation, Paulson Family Foundation and SAGE Therapeutics.

Diamond Sponsors: James R. Borynack & Adolfo Zaralegui/ FINDLAY GALLERIES, Jamee & Peter Gregory, Tania Higgins, Kristen Maltese Krusen, Susan R. McCaw, Thomas C. Quick and Barbara & Randall Smith. 

Patron Donors: Nancy & Edmund M. Dunst / HUB International Northeast, Mary Ann Fribourg, Susan Gutfreund, Maru M. Hagerty, Gillian Hearst, Kim M. Heirston, Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Sheila & Bob Josephberg, JP Morgan Private Bank, Eleanora Kennedy, Michele & Howard Kessler, Judy & Leonard Lauder, Kitty & Bill McKnight, Peter S. Paine III, Scott Snyder, Lulu C. Wang, The Shoreland Foundation, Sarah. J. Wetenhall and Lynne Wheat.

Friend Donors: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Laura Louise Breyer, Jackie Weld Drake, The Honorable David Fischer & Jennifer Fischer, Dr. Sharon Giese, Dr. Ernst & Nataly Langner, Susan Lloyd Lundbeck, The Honorable & Mrs. Earle I Mack, Stephanie Olmsted, Betsy Pitts, Roberts & Holland LLP, and Julia Ryan.

Gold Level Donors: Carl B. Adams, Catherine Adler, Mark Antilety, Muffie Potter Aston, Paola Bacchini, Barbara Bancroft, Felice & Shelley Bergman, Judy & Howard Berkowitz, Bruce Bierman & William Secord,

CeCe Black, Geoffrey N. Bradfield, Dominique Buaron, Janna Bullock, Joanna Carson, Myron Cohen & Federman Steifman, LLP, Diane Conn, Pilar Crespi Robert, Gus N. Davis, Deborah Farrington, Marjorie S. Federbush, Firmenich Inc., Frances & Jeff Fisher, Lionel Geneste, Jillian Gilmour, Darcy M. Gould, Lisa Granozio, Jessica Gruss, Mai Hallingby Harrison, Carolyn Ryan Healey, Linda Hickox, Michael Kahn & Charles Mitchem, Karen Klopp, Margo Langenberg, David Lapham, Bonnie Lautenberg, Simone Levinson, Tyler Lucas, David Lynch Foundation, Christine Mack, Ann & Cameron MacRae, Stewart S. Manger, Alberto Mariaca, Kristina Grimm McCooey, Heidi McWilliams, Muffy & Donald Miller, Diana Morrison, The Nederlander Producing Company of America, Inc., Anne Nordeman, Deborah Norville, Jane & Richard Novick, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Constance Paine, Pamela & Edward Pantzer, Stacey Pashcow, Marina Pellecchi, Kathy Prounis, Olga Reindlova Neulist, Darcy Rigas, Barbara Robinson, Frances G. Scaife, Chuck Scarborough, Nancy Schaffel, Mary Eastman Scott, Jean Shafiroff, Catherine & Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, Ramona Singer, Valerie Sloan & Sean T. Dany, Mary E. Snow, Amanda Taylor, Roxann G. Taylor, Barbera Thornhill, Lance P. Toland, Betsy & Wallace Turner, Lis Waterman, Pamela P. Williams, Barbara Winston, Clelia & Thomas Zacharias, David Zislin, Silvia Zoullas, and Maria Zoullas-Kaufman.

Gift Bag Sponsors: 4imprint,Cambridge University Press, Compendium, Eric Javits inc., The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Fishers Finery, Hope Fragrances and Sio.

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION (HDRF)

HDRF was founded in 2006 by philanthropist Audrey Gruss in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with clinical depression. The mission of the HDRF is to spur the most innovative brain research into the origins, medical diagnosis, new treatments, and prevention of depression and its related mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicide. The World Health Organization has declared depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide, and yet conventional medications today are outdated and do not fully work for 50% of patients.  HDRF is working tirelessly to improve the mental health landscape for every American.  The Foundation has provided more than $75 million through over 200 grants for breakthrough depression research that promises to transform the way depression is viewed, diagnosed, treated and prevented. Currently, HDRF has a potential new class of medication in pilot clinical trials at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Stanford University. HDRF is also funding clinical trials into other novel therapeutics and diagnostic tests at Johns Hopkins, University of San Diego, and the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

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2021 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy and Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, received the Community Ambassador of Hope Award.  Findlay Galleries, represented by CEO James Borynack and COO Adolfo Zaralegui, received the HOPE Corporate Visionary Award. 

Master of Ceremonies, Chuck Scarborough began the event by welcoming everyone and speaking about the pressures society has faced during the pandemic and lockdown over the past 18 months.  He then took the audience back to 2006, the year HDRF was founded, covering major headlines and happenings of the day, such as the growth of Facebook.  He also mentioned that in 2006, depression was severely stigmatized and research into new treatments was stalled.   He stated, “It seemed there was no hope,” before introducing HDRF Founder and Chair Audrey Gruss.

Gruss then came to the podium to discuss the staggering statistics of depression today and the foundation’s significant accomplishments in its mission to address the epidemic.  Depression is the Number One cause of disability worldwide and is at an all-time high across the world in the wake of COVID-19.

Gruss noted the Foundation works on two fronts: 1) to raise awareness educate the public about depression and 2) research into the root causes of depression in the brain and new and better treatments.

On the education front, Gruss spoke about the myriad of topics covered at the annual luncheon seminar over 15 years, from depression and genes, depression and pain, depression in children, depression in men, to depression through the lifecycle.   She also highlighted the many celebrities that have appeared at the Foundation’s events to raise awareness, including Lorraine Bracco, Terry Bradshaw, Jane Pauley, Anderson Cooper, Brooke Shields, and Taraji P. Henson, to name a few. Gruss noted another way in which the Foundation raises awareness is through the Hope Fragrance Collection, which gives 100% of the net profits to depression research.

Gruss also pointed to remarkable research progress by the Foundation’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, which she convened in 2010.   The DTF has largely defined the entire filed of depression research in the past decade and currently has two potential new categories of medication in clinical trials.  Several more potential new treatments are in the pipeline.

Ms. Gruss also poignantly shared that she launched the foundation in 2006 in honor of her mother, Hope, who struggled with depression. She watched her mother endure treatment by trial and error, hospitalizations, and the life-sapping loss of energy that is the mark of major depression.  Conventional medications for depression, she said, have not changed in over 35 years and are not fully effective in 50% of patients.  Furthermore, these medications are all based on the same formula as the first SSRI, Prozac, introduced in 1985.  Gruss said HDRF is determined to change that by discovering new targets for treatment in the brain.  

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton took the floor to speak about how the Hope for Depression Research Foundation has built national awareness, even despite the pandemic. She highlighted the Foundation’s Race of Hope, a 5K Run/Walk in Palm Beach, FL in the winter and Southampton, NY in the summer. During the pandemic both races went virtual, an adaptation that allowed thousands of runners from all over the nation to participate.  Even as the race of Hope returns to in-person events, HDRF will host a Nationwide Virtual Race of Hope in May as part of the mental health awareness month celebration. Benton also spoke about the New Treatment Initiative (NTI), whereby HDRF has awarded four “Defeating Depression Awards” to promising new treatments for depression in development at universities across the country.

Dr. Helen Mayberg, a member of the Depression Task Force, then came on stage to give the audience an update on important research progress.  Mayberg is a pioneer in deep brain stimulation, a surgical intervention for severe, resistant depression.  She is currently the founding director of the Center for Circuit Therapeutics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  Her work has helped the Depression Task Force identify brain circuits in depression.

The medical keynote speaker, Dr. Conor Liston, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Brain and Mind Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine, delivered a presentation about the importance of the gut microbiome to our mental health.    Every human has a second brain, he said, called the enteric nervous system, consisting of 100 million neurons embedded in the walls of our digestive tract.  There, too, live trillions upon trillions of bacteria of different species known as the microbiome.  These microbes play a role not only in intestinal health, but also, it has been recently discovered, in psychiatric health, including our risk of developing depression.  Liston’s own research studies have significantly moved this new branch of science forward. 

Findlay Galleries,  represented by CEO James R. Borynack and COO Adolfo Zaralegui, accepted the 2021 Hope Corporate Visionary Award, established by HDRF to honor corporations that demonstrate exceptional creativity, advocacy, and vision to promote the mental health of our communities. Findlay Galleries is one of the nation’s oldest art galleries, with branches in New York and Palm Beach, and they are a longtime supporter of HDRF and other mental health non-profits.  Borynack stated, “The Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s outstanding work and extraordinary accomplishments, year in and year out, keep us focused on our community support.”

Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay accepted the Community Ambassador of Hope Award.  Irsay and the Colts Community created the “Kicking the Stigma” campaign to make it safe to talk about mental illness, and to expand mental health treatment services throughout their Indianapolis community. Irsay stated, “When life doesn’t make sense anymore and you don’t have hope and you don’t want to live, it’s a tough place to be.” He continued, “It’s an illness, and it’s been stigmatized, and that’s the reason we started “Kicking the Stigma.” People who are sick are afraid to speak up, and they don’t want to seek help.”

Audrey Gruss then presented Michael Phelps with the HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy. 

“And now it’s time for the GOAT,” she said, using the acronym for Greatest of All Time. “While no man could touch him in the water, outside of the pool he relentlessly battled with the demons of depression and anxiety. He has used his fame as a platform to be open about his experience with depression and to spread hope and understanding.”

Phelps took the stage to speak in a Q&A with Gruss about his struggles with depression.

When asked about his first moment of depression, Phelps stated, “In 2004 I won eight total medals, six gold and two bronze, and coming back from that is when I first noticed a depression spell.”

He continued: “2014 — that was where I found myself not wanting to be alive.” He went on to speak about entering into a treatment center after hitting rock bottom and feeling it was one of the scariest places he has ever been.  He noted that ultimately those 45-days helped him to better understand himself and continuing in therapy is why he was able to stand on the stage today.

Gruss then asked about other athletes such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka coming forward about their own experience with depression. Phelps stated, “What Naomi Osaka did on her own platform, in her own words and telling her own story… wow. We can all learn some things from her.” He continued, “All of these athletes and celebrities, these human beings that have stepped up and shared their experience about mental health have been able to save lives.”

When speaking about The Michael Phelps Foundation IM program he stated, “I want to give every kid the chance to accomplish their goals or their dreams, no matter how easy or hard it is to get there. It wasn’t easy getting to where I was and it sure wasn’t easy getting back in 2016 with the journey, but it was a dream nobody else was going to stand in front of.” The audience burst into laughter when Phelps noted, “I had people doubting me my whole life. I had a teacher in sixth grade telling me I would never amount to anything… thanks.”

The Q&A concluded with Phelps responding to a question about his work with Talkspace and helping people receive talk therapy. He noted, “I can make the joke now that I learned to communicate at the age of 30, but at least I got there. I am just trying to spread that message, as it’s something so simple, but something so helpful just to be able to open up and share.”

Each year, the HOPE Luncheon Seminar is held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and is attended by over 300 top New York philanthropists, asset managers, business and media professionals, socialites and celebrities who gather to raise awareness about depression and its related mood disorders as well as funds for continued research.

The Luncheon Seminar Co-chairs were: Sharon Bush, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Susan Gutfreund, Maru Hagerty, Kim Heirston, Tania Higgins, Eleanora Kennedy, Susan R. McCaw, Kitty and Bill McKnight, Peter S. Paine III, Liz Peek, Nancy Silverman, Barbara and Randall Smith, Scott Snyder and Felicia Taylor.

Additional guests included: James Aman, Krista Bard, Janna Bullock, Joanna Goldenstein, Martin Gruss, Christine Mack, John Meeks, Margo Nederlander, John Paulson, Marc Rosen, Dr. Steven Roose, Hilary Geary Ross, Lis Waterman, Veronica Webb and Lynne Wheat.

Doctorate Sponsors

Jamee and Peter Gregory and Eric Javits Inc.

Founder Sponsors

 Paulson Family Foundation and Nancy Silverman.

Benefactor Sponsors

 EGL Charitable Foundation, FINDLAY Galleries/James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui, and The Richard and Karen LeFrak Charitable Foundation.

Anniversary Sponsors

 Judy and Leonard Lauder, Abraham Fuchsberg Family Foundation, Susan R. McCaw, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman, Felicia Taylor, Lynne Wheat and Vera Serrano.

Corporate Patron Sponsors

The Estée Lauder Companies, HUB International Northeast, Fishers Finery, Indianapolis Colts, Otsuka and Talkspace.

Patron Donors

Nancy and Edmund M. Dunst / HUB International Northeast, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Fishers Finery, Mrs. John Gutfreund, Kim Heirston, Tania Higgins, Indianapolis Colts, Eleanora Kennedy, Kitty and Bill McKnight, Otsuka, Peter S. Paine III, Liz Peek, Thomas C. Quick, Katharine Rayner, Barbara and Randall Smith and Talkspace Inc.

Friend Donors

Bloomberg Philanthropies, Laura Louise Breyer, Sharon Bush, Jennifer and David Fischer, Frances Fisher, Mary Ann Fribourg, Lundbeck LLC, David B. Lynch Foundation, Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Anne and Jay McInerney, Heidi McWilliams, Mary P. Moran, Kathy Prounis, Roberts & Holland LLP and Scott Snyder.

Gold Level Donors 

Acquavella Family Foundation, Catherine Adler, Meredith Aman, Shelley Bergman, Kimberly Bitterman, CeCe Black, Jill Blanchard, Janna Bullock, Mrs. Mirella Cameran-Reilly, Myron Cohen / Federman Steifman LLP, Caroline Coleman, Pilar Crespi Robert, Gus N. Davis, Marjorie S. Federbush, Firmenich, Hope Fitzgerald, Joanna Goldenstein, Mai Hallingby Harrison, Carolyn Ryan Healey, Linda Hickox, Karen Klopp, Stephanie Krieger, Margo Langenberg, Kamie Lightburn, Carol Mack, Christine Mack, Annie MacRae, Kristina Grimm McCooey, Grace Meigher, Muffy and Donald Miller, Marcia and Richard Mishaan, John A. Moran, Margo and James Nederlander, Anne Nordeman, Jane and Richard Novick, Pamela Pantzer, Marina Pellecchi, Darcy Rigas, Marc Rosen, Hilary Geary Ross, Julia Ryan, Nicole Salmasi, Frances G. Scaife, Chuck Scarborough, Jane Scheinfeld, Joan Schnitzer, Jean Shafiroff, Catherine and Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, Ginny and David Sydorick, Amanda Taylor, Barbara Tober, Lis Waterman, Douglas Wright, Clelia Zacharias, Richard Ziegelasch, David Zislin and Silvia Zoullas.

Gift Bag Sponsors

Diane Conn, Eric Javits Inc., Essence of Vali, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Exhale Spa, Fishers Finery, Garde Robe, Hope Fragrance and Scott’s Protein Balls.

About Hope For Depression Research Foundation

HDRF’s mission is to fund the most innovative neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.

In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force – an outstanding collaboration of ten of the world’s leading laboratories, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more information, visit: www.hopefordepression.org

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The day culminated with multi Grammy Award Winning, singer songwriter LeAnn Rimes, who made the room of 350 attendees tear up as she shared her story about finally entering treatment for depression and anxiety.

“A day after my 30^th birthday I checked myself in to treatment,” said Ms. Rimes, recipient of the 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy.  “Honestly, it was the best birthday gift I could have ever given myself because I don’t know if I would have made it to the next one.”

Master of Ceremonies Chuck Scarborough began the event with a review of the year’s headlines in mental health, including the fact that depression and suicide are on the rise, especially in teens.  He shared the shocking statistics that depression is the leading cause of disability and suicide worldwide and pointed to the urgency of HDRF’s brain research into the prevention and treatment of depression.

The keynote speaker, U Penn’s Chair of Psychiatry Dr. Maria Oquendo, gave an illuminating medical overview of depression and anxiety, two complex conditions that are misunderstood but widespread.  Depression affects 18 million people in the U.S. annually, and anxiety affects over 40 million U.S. adults annually; many people experience both conditions at the same time.   Dr. Oquendo said that disrupted circuits in the brain underlie depressive symptoms like slow motor movements, rumination and anxious thoughts, and the inability to feel pleasure.  Doctors can view those disrupted circuits with advanced brain imaging tools, she said, and this brings better accuracy to diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Eric Nestler, Director of the Friedman Institute at Mount Sinai, then gave an update of the research progress of HDRF’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, of which he is Chair.  Ten of the world’s most powerful labs have joined forces to accelerate life-saving discovery, and this fall they will start a clinical trial on a potential new antidepressant compound that shows promise for treatment-resistant depression.

HDRF Founder & Chair Audrey Gruss applauded the advances in research, and then discussed how public awareness of depression is breaking new barriers. She saluted TV shows like Modern Love and publications like People Magazine for bringing depression into the open and making it safe to talk about mental health.  This month People launched a year-long series that will highlight stories of celebrities and ordinary people who have experienced depression; many of those profiled have survived suicide.

Gruss also shared the inspiration behind HDRF, stating that the foundation was started more than 13 years ago in honor of her mother, Hope, who struggled with depression. She also announced a new Hope Fragrance line, which will launch at Bergdorf Goodman on February 3, 2020.  The line consists of the original Hope fragrance as well as two new scents:  Hope Sport and Hope Night.  One hundred percent of net proceeds of sales will go to HDRF’s depression research.

Gruss then introduced the real woman behind the Anne Hathaway character in the Modern Love series on Amazon:  Terri Cheney.   Cheney is an author, attorney, and mental health advocate who has written poignantly about navigating career and dating with bipolar disorder.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think that being spectacularly bi-polar would one day bring me to a podium at The Plaza” said Cheney to warm laughter in the audience.  Cheney is the author of Manic: A Memoir and her second book, Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Manual to Modern Madness, is due out next year.

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton gave the crowd a recap of HDRF’s work during the year to raise mental health awareness and educate the public about the facts of depression.  The Foundation’s Race of Hope is a 5K Walk/Run that launched in Palm Beach in January, where it raised $300,000; The Race of Hope also marked its fourth year in Southampton in August, with 750 participants and raising over a quarter of a million for research.

Benton also announced HDRF’s newest public awareness program, Next Generation Mental Health, which puts science into action by bringing students, teachers and parents to talk with neuroscientists about healthy brain development.  In 2019, the program focused on the public health issue of bullying and its impact on the brain.  Statistics show that children who have been bullied have a greater risk of developing depression later in life.

To wrap up the day, Audrey Gruss presented the HOPE Corporate Visionary Award to Dr. Husseni Manji and Janssen Research & Development for their longstanding commitment to research into complex mood disorders like depression.  In March 2019, the FDA approved Spravato, a new treatment for severe suicidal depression that was decades in the making. Janssen Pharmaceuticals championed Spravato and invested many millions to bring it to market under the leadership of Dr. Manji, Global Therapeutic Head for Neuroscience at Janssen Research & Development, LLC.

In the day’s finale, Audrey Gruss presented the HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy to LeAnn Rimes, who delivered a speech that brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.

“Her resounding message is that depression and anxiety are serious health issues that require and deserve professional attention,” said Gruss.  “She spoke up, because she knew to hide would only perpetuate stigma, and make it harder for people to ask for the help they need.”

Ms. Rimes took to the stage and spoke straight from the heart about her journey through anxiety and depression.  She touched on traumatic events in her childhood with parents who divorced bitterly when she was 14.  She spoke about a lawsuit with her father that lasted throughout her teens until she was 19.   She spoke about the severe public backlash that occurred when she started her relationship with Eddie Cibrian her husband of now nine years.  At the time both she and Eddie were married to other people.  These stressful life events, compounded by being in the public eye, took a toll on her both physically and mentally.

“I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t get out of bed, which made no sense to me,” she said, at times fighting back tears.  “I was having debilitating panic attacks where I could not breathe and honestly, I think I’ve been holding my breath my entire life.”

The Luncheon Seminar Co-Chairs were Ann Barish, Natalie du Pont Edmonds, Peter Gregory, Tania Higgins, Margo Langenberg, Marigay McKee, Kitty McKnight, Serena McKnight Bowman, Peter S. Paine III, Vera Serrano, Nancy Silverman, Scott Snyder and Felicia Taylor.

 Additional guests included: Marigay McKee, Jamee Gregory, Geoffrey Bradfield, Janna Bullock, Susan Fales Hill, Sharon Loeb, Susan Gutfreund, Karen LeFrak, Ken Sunshine, Jean Shafiroff, Jay McInerney, Christine Mack, Marina Pellechi, Lis Waterman, Frederick Andersen, Kim Heirston, Kristen Krusen, Hilary Geary Ross, Dayssi Kanavos, Ellen Scarborough, Felicia Taylor, Susan Lloyd, Carol DeLouvrier

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION

HDRF’s mission is to fund the most innovative neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.

In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force – an outstanding collaboration of ten of the world’s leading laboratories, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more information, visit: www.hopefordepression.org

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