An estimated 7 million adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that causes dramatics shifts in a person’s mood. Scientists are still learning all the neurological complexities of the disorder.

A University of Minnesota Medical research team was awarded $4.4 million for a first-in-the-world study of severe bipolar disorder. Dr. Ziad Nahas is the executive vice chair and professor in the university’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He’s also leading the study. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his team’s research on bipolar disorder.