Home DBSA 2026 Scientific Advisory Board Reception & Gerald L. Klerman Award Presentation

DBSA 2026 Scientific Advisory Board Reception & Gerald L. Klerman Award Presentation

The DBSA Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) welcomes you to this year’s Gerald L. Klerman Awards Reception. Presented annually, these awards recognize researchers whose work contributes to and advances the understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder. The SAB is pleased to convene in Chicago this year to celebrate professionals who contribute to this important field of study.

For over 35 years, the SAB has comprised members with outstanding clinical and scientific expertise who make special contributions to advancing the DBSA mission to provide hope, help, support, and education to improve the lives of people who have mood disorders.

The primary role of the SAB is to advise the DBSA Board of Directors and staff on all matters of science and medicine. Members of the SAB participate by serving as ambassadors for DBSA in their local and national/international academic communities, volunteering their expertise to support DBSA programs and communications, and offering financial support through direct gifts and/or donations of honorarium fees.

We thank our members, sponsors—CIBC and Johnson & Johnson, and our guests today for their continued support of the vital work DBSA accomplishes. Thank you for joining us in the celebration!

Warm Regards,

Mark A. Frye, MD
SAB Chair
Member, DBSA Board of Directors

Program Agenda

DBSA Welcome & Remarks

Suzanne Baber, DBSA CEO
Introduction and Strategic Vision

Rebecca Weinstein Bacon
Recognizing DBSA Board and SAB

Awards Ceremony

Honoring 2026 Gerald L. Klerman Awardees
Presented by Dr. Mark A. Frye, DBSA SAB Chair

  • Gabriel R. Fries, PhD | 2026 Young Investigator Award
  • Sanjay J. Mathew, MD | 2026 Senior Investigator Award

Closing Remarks

Mark A. Frye, MD

Tonight’s event is sponsored by:

Event Speakers

Mark A. Frye, MD

Mark A. Frye, MD
DBSA Scientific Advisory Board Chair

Mark A. Frye, MD, is a Consultant in the Department of Psychiatry & Psychology. He is the Past Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Psychology (2010-2020) and is recognized with the distinction of the Stephen and Shelley Jackson Family Professorship in Individualized Medicine. Born and raised in Rochester, Dr. Frye received his M.D. from the University of Minnesota and completed his psychiatric training at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He subsequently completed a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, with a research focus on the neurobiology of treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder. Dr. Frye and his team established the Mayo Clinic Individualized Medicine Biobank for Bipolar Disorder to identify the underpinning mechanisms of bipolar disorder through genomic studies. An active clinical investigator, he has received research support from NIMH, NIAAA, Mayo Foundation, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, industry partners, and has published more than 445 peer-reviewed papers. He has received numerous awards, including the American College of Psychiatry Mood Disorders Research Award (2018), Gerald Klerman Senior and Young Investigator Awards from Depression Bipolar Alliance (2014, 2003), the International Society for Bipolar Disorder Robert Post MD Mentoring Award (2022), and Mogens Schou Education Award (2011), 2 Mayo Clinic Rome Mentorship Awards (2011, 2012), and 3 UCLA departmental medical student and resident teaching awards (1994, 2003, 2005). In addition to this work with Depression Bipolar Support Alliance, he is the Scientific Co-Director for the Integrated Network for BD2 (Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder), a new non-profit foundation that is dedicated to funding research, specifically, into bipolar disorder.

 

Suzanne Baber, LCSW, DBSA Director of Peer Support Services

Suzanne Baber, LCSW
DBSA CEO

With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Suzanne has held leadership positions in finance, fundraising, and program development, driving impact across community-based and healthcare organizations. She is passionate about person-centered care, equitable access to mental health support, and delivering outcome-driven services that improve well-being. Drawing on her extensive experience guiding organizations through strategic initiatives and evidence-based practices, Suzanne combines clinical insight with operational effectiveness to achieve meaningful impact. Suzanne completed her undergraduate degree at UCLA and earned a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds certificates in Trauma-Informed Practice & Policy and Program Evaluation.

 

Rebecca Weinstein Bacon
DBSA Board Chair

Rebecca Weinstein Bacon is a partner at Bartlit Beck LLP in Chicago, where she has spent over two decades as a nationally recognized trial lawyer handling complex, high-stakes litigation for Fortune 500 companies. She has tried cases across a wide range of matters — from consumer class actions and pharmaceutical products liability to employment discrimination and antitrust — and is consistently ranked among the country’s top litigators by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and Lawdragon. Most recently, she was named a Lawdragon Legend and recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of Chicago’s Most Notable Women Lawyers. Beyond the courtroom, Rebecca is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and for advancing women in the legal profession. She is the current Chair of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. She is also a member of The Chicago Network, which supports and inspires the next generation of women leaders. Rebecca earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Honoring 2026 Gerald L. Klerman Awardees

Gabriel R. Fries, PhD | 2026 Young Investigator Award

Gabriel R. Fries, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His research program focuses on identifying the neurobiological basis of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, using translational approaches to understand the biological mechanisms driving cognitive decline, premature biological aging, and elevated suicide risk in individuals living with these conditions. By integrating molecular biomarkers, in vitro models, and clinical studies, Dr. Fries’ work aims to identify biologically informed targets for personalized and preventive interventions in depression and bipolar disorder.

Sanjay J. Mathew, MD | 2026 Senior Investigator Award

Sanjay J. Mathew, MD, is an Endowed Professor and Department Head of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine. He has devoted the last 25 years to research, education, and the clinical care of patients with severe, treatment-resistant mood disorders. The major impact of his team’s work has been the development of novel drug therapy approaches for major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and related conditions (e.g., anxiety disorders and PTSD). Across multiple elegantly designed studies, Dr. Mathew explored novel drug mechanisms with compelling neurobiological rationale. By combining first-in-patient clinical trials with biomarker substudies (using sophisticated MRI and EEG techniques), his studies garnered key insights into depression pathophysiology and its therapeutic implications.

Honor Their Impact

We invite you to make a gift in honor of this year’s Gerald L. Klerman Award recipients, celebrating the leadership, innovation, and impact they bring to the mental health community. Dr. Gabriel Fries and Dr. Sanjay Mathew represent what is possible when science, care, and lived experience come together to advance hope and healing.

Give in Their Honor

Past Klerman Awardees

Last year’s awardees

2025 Hilary P. Blumberg, MD – Senior
2025 Roy Perlis, MD MSc – Senior*
2025 Sarah H. Sperry, PhD – Young

See all past awardees

DBSA Scientific Advisory Board

DBSA is guided by a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which advises the Board of Directors on matters of science and medicine and is composed of leading researchers and clinicians in the field of mood disorders.

Mark A. Frye, MD, SAB Chair
Stephen & Shelly Jackson Family Professorship in Individualized Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., FRCPC, SAB Vice Chair
John F. Greden Professor of Depression and Clinical Neuroscience at Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI

See all members

2026 DBSA Board of Directors

Executive Committee:

Rebecca Weinstein Bacon – Chair
Rachel Yeates – Vice Chair
Patrick J. Hickey – Secretary
Christy Beckmann – Treasurer
LaGenia Bailey – Development Committee Chair
Mark Frye, MD – Scientific Advisory Board Chair
Mike Kuhl – Strategic Planning Committee Chair
John Kurtz – Nominating Chair

Directors:

Kimberly Allen
Isela Bahena
Suzanne Bergoffen
Tripp Friedler
Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., FRCPC
Altha Stewart, MD

For inquiries about serving on the DBSA Board of Directors, please contact Suzanne Baber, DBSA CEO​

Who We Are

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is the leading national organization focused on mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, which affect over 21 million Americans and account for more than half of U.S. suicides each year.

DBSA provides peer-based, wellness-oriented support through 450+ groups nationwide and a range of accessible resources—online, in person, and in print—reaching millions annually with education, connection, and tools for whole-person wellness.

How You Can Help

Our mission is to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders. For more than 40 years, DBSA has worked to improve recognition, early detection, and diagnosis of mood disorders to help people successfully manage their mental health, improve care, expand the ability for people to receive treatment, advance research, and reduce stigma. Your support provides the resources we need to fulfill our mission.

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