On October 28th, Sheppard Pratt Health System and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development announced that they will be joining forces to form the new Sheppard Pratt-Lieber Research Institute, Inc. The goal of this joint venture, beginning in January, 2015, is to increase the possibilities of those with mental illness to live full, productive and happy lives.

Sheppard Pratt Health System is an internationally renowned care facility that saw more than 60,000 patients last year. The Lieber Institute, founded in 2010, is focused on identifying the neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia and related developmental brain disorders and translating these findings into new and improved treatment strategies. This unique collaboration is aimed at accelerating the pace of advancements in mental health.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to bring the cutting-edge research expertise of LIBD to the bedside of the patients we treat and to allow our clinical staff to introduce new advances and approaches to treatment influenced by that expertise,” explains Steven Sharfstein, M.D., President and CEO of the Sheppard Pratt Health System.

Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute (and Foundation Scientific Council Member), Daniel Weinberger, M.D., says “It’s a unique effort to walk the walk everyone talks about, translating science into treatment.” He is referring to the long-term vision of this new Research Institute, to translate discoveries of their own and others in genetics and brain functioning into better treatments for those suffering from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism and others.

Learn more about this partnership from The Baltimore Sun.

Read the Press Release announcing this joint venture.