Collaborative Endeavors

A team of UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science pilot grant awardees is examining the implementation of a tool to screen women with sickle cell disease for menopause.

This is the second part of our 3-part conversation with Major General Gregg Martin about his journey through diagnosis with bipolar I and his path toward recovery. His book, “Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness,” provides an important glimpse into the thought processes and perceptions of someone living with a bipolar brain.

DISCLAIMER:

This episode includes discussions of mental illness, delusions and psychotic episodes. Please listen with care.

Over the last two episodes, Major General Gregg Martin regaled us with stories about his forever war with bipolar disorder, including early warning signs and his recovery journey. We also listened to his insightful exchange with Dr. Alex Leow, which provided insight into how textbook concepts in bipolar disorder can play out in the day-to-day life of a patient. In the final part of our series, we return to the conversation between Dr. Leow and General Martin to hear one last incredible story, and examine how the greater research community can translate the information gained through personal stories into better interventions, medical practice and public policy.

DISCLAIMER: This episode includes discussions of mental illness, delusions and psychotic episodes. Please listen with care.

In the first part of this 3 part series, we meet retired Major General Gregg Martin, who shares his remarkable journey with bipolar disorder from onset through diagnosis to recovery.

DISCLAIMER: This episode includes discussions of mental illness, including personal experiences with psychotic episodes and passive suicidal ideations. Please listen with care.

We are excited to be back with a new season of Collaborative Endeavors! Beginning next month, we will be dropping fresh episodes, starting with a 3-part series featuring Major General Gregg Martin, who recently released his memoir, The Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness. Joined by UIC professor of psychiatry, Dr. Alex Leow, we will discuss common concepts in bipolar disorder and how they can manifest in real life as the general recounts the highs and lows of his struggle with bipolar I and his road to recovery.

BONUS EPISODE

The National Center for Advancing Translational Science emphasizes the need for translational scientists to be skilled communicators with audiences across diverse social, cultural, economic and scientific backgrounds. If research findings are not shared with other academics, industry scientists, nonprofit organizations, governments, or directly to the people who could benefit from breakthroughs the most, the research just sits on a shelf. However, getting these findings to those that can benefit from them takes a team of individuals each with a different, but complementary, perspective on communication. Our team of expert communicators weigh in on the ups and downs, pros and cons of taking science public and impart some practical advice to those who want to become a voice for their community.

An academic-community partnership between the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science and NAMI Chicago seeks to examine helpline data to better serve the mental health needs of the Chicago community as well as reduce burnout among call center staff.

Early in the pandemic, Claire Decoteau, Iván Arenas their robust team of interdisciplinary researchers began to interview Black, Latinx, and white residents of three Chicago neighborhoods in order to explore how the pandemic has impacted different communities. Drawing on over 150 interviews with residents and policy makers, the team found that while COVID-19 has been treated as a health crisis at the federal, state, and local levels, city residents experienced it as a much broader crisis related to housing, jobs, childcare, schooling, and healthcare.

Dr. Alex Leow talks about her work in psychiatry and how her passion for playing the piano led to a career in neuroscience and spawned the idea to use smartphone keyboards to predict manic episodes in bipolar disorder.

Physical activity can prove particularly challenging for frail older adults. And while there are many effective interventions to promote physical activity in this population, few end up translating from the research setting to the general public on a large scale. In this episode, Drs. Jessie Chin, Kelly Quinn, David Marquez and Naoko Muramatsu discuss "Exercise Buddy," a virtual coach that can deliver exercise programs to frail and homebound older adults through smart speakers, like Google Home.