iSPARC Featured News

In fiscal year 2024, iSPARC continued to leverage DMH’s investment to rapidly translate research findings into their implementation within best practices for individuals with lived experience, their families, and the providers who serve them across the Commonwealth. 

Do you have a passion for mental health? Are you looking to grow your career in an academic research setting? If the answer is yes, then check out all of the great employment opportunities we have within iSPARC and our research centers. Consider applying today or share with someone you know who would be interested! 

iSPARC and DeafYES researcher Melissa Anderson, PhD, MSCI, receives Science and Health Achievements Award from the UMass Chan Women's Facuty Committee.

In partnership with 1800+ brands, nonprofits, cultural leaders, and government agencies, iSPARC is proud to be a partner in Mental Health Action Day on May 16. On this day and every day, we will encourage and empower people to take the next step for #MentalHealthAction — for themselves, their loved ones, and their community. 

iSPARC researcher Shaobing Su, PhD, receives the ISSBD Early Career Scholars Travel award to attend the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) 2024 Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal from June 16-20, 2024.

iSPARC researcher Lourah Kelly, PhD, receives the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Conference Supports Grant award to support 20 early career investigators (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early faculty within 10 years of their degree) to attend the annual American Psychological Association (APA) conference.

Dr. Nancy Byatt, Executive Director of the Lifeline for Families Center & Lifeline for Moms Program and an iSPARC researcher, has been approved for a $21 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to conduct the perinatal mental health equity study, Pathways to Perinatal Mental Health Equity (Pathways).

iSPARC is pleased to announce that in September 2023 three of our researchers received funding for new projects. Please join us in congratulating Melissa Anderson, Lourah Kelly and Kathryn Sabella on these important research studies.

As a leading expert in perinatal and maternal mental health, Dr. Nancy Byatt Executive Director of the Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms, an iSPARC research program has recently been interviewed by a number of publications discussing the new FDA-approved postpartum depression pill Zuranolone. 

On July 1, 2023, long-time UMass Chan Medical School Dept. of Psychiatry faculty member Megan Kelly, Ph.D. became the new center director as Maryann Davis, Ph.D. transitioned to emeritus status. 

After a 5 year hiatus, the UMass Chan Dept. of Psychiatry held its Research Day on April 27, 2023. 

All of us involved in weSPARC Insight, an iSPARC Stakeholder Engagement Advisory Board, know the term "lived experience." We understand why it's used so much, and we each have our own feelings and opinions about it - and the evolving history of who gets to decide what we're called, how we refer to ourselves, both individually and as a community. This May, we're sharing some of our thoughts on "lived experience" and a newer term some folks are using, "lived expertise."

"Together as partners, we will work at different levels, across geographies and demographics to empower people to take action for their own mental health while sharing tools to help them support loved ones through everyday mental health challenges. Mental Health Action Day lifts the conversation from awareness to action and encourages partners to share evidence-based tools that can help people take their first steps."

​New Research Highlights Lack of Follow-up Care for Youth and Young Adults after Hospitalization or ER Visit for Mental Health​. In a study of more than 100,000 emergency room visits and 95,000 mental health hospitalizations of youth and young adults with private insurance, less than half who visited the emergency room had follow-up care within 30 days and two-thirds of those hospitalized received follow-up care within that same time period. 

FY22 was a great year of growth for iSPARC. We continued to adapt to the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and not only sustained our work but began to flourish again.

iSPARC researcher & Director for Clubhouse Research, Colleen McKay, MA, CAGS, was cited in Dr. Tom Insel's book "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health".

Dr. Gina Vincent, Director of Translational Law & Psychiatry Research, Co-Director Law & Psychiatry at iSPARC recently did a 2-part podcast with the RFK Community Alliance about her work on Juvenile Risk Assessment.

In partnership with over 1600 brands, nonprofits, cultural leaders, and government agencies, iSPARC is proud to be a partner in the second annual Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 19th when we will encourage and empower people to take the next step for #MentalHealthAction. 

iSPARC Researcher and Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research Deputy Director Kathryn Sabella, is presenting a 3-part live webinar series with TransCen, Inc. starting April 19th. The topic discusses best practices to support young adults with mental health conditions as they transition to adulthood.

Audrey Smolkin, MPP, iSPARC Researcher, and Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma (CCWT) Executive Director, was recently interviewed by HOPE (Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences) The interview gives an in-depth look at the new center that supports child-serving organizations as they support children and families.

In FY21, we continued to leverage DMH’s investment to rapidly translate research findings into best practices for individuals with lived experience, their families, and the providers who serve them across the Commonwealth.

DeafYES! Center Researcher Alex Wilkins, PhD, awarded the K23 Grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Dr. Nancy Byatt, UMass Chan Medical School Professor, iSPARC Researcher, and Lifeline for Moms Center Executive Director, was recently interviewed by LiveScience in their article titled "What is Postpartum Depression?" The article gives an in-depth look at the condition including causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Dr. Marsha Ellison, UMass Chan Medical School Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Transitions ACR Director of Communications, was recently interviewed by Jon Moscow, Co-Executive Director, and podcast host of Ethics in Education Network