USC Research Foundation Receives Grant to Study Mental Health

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) applauded the University of South Carolina's Research Foundation on securing a $253,896 grant for this fiscal year, with an estimated $1.2M to be awarded over the next five years."As a former President and current member of the Mid-Carolina Mental Health Association, I am aware of how important this research is to people who suffer from disabilities," said Rep. Wilson. "If we can learn more about the mental illnesses and the drugs that treat them, we can gain a better understanding of ways to prevent them. I'm very appreciative of the work Dr. Marlene Wilson and her staff are doing to better mental health."This grant, which was awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health, came available under the Mental Health Research Grants. The money will be used to study how anxiety-reducing drugs, including Valium and alcohol, affect the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that plays a major role in anxiety- and stress-related disorders. The research team headed by Dr. Marlene Wilson, and comprised of students and professionals, will use these funds to continue the project until 2007.###