Researcher at The Research Institute at Lindner Center of HOPE Awarded Prestigious Career Development Award

National Institute of Mental Health Acknowledges Dr. Romo-Nava with Highly Coveted Award

Mason, OH –The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a K23 Career Development Award titled “The role of the circadian system in binge eating disorder” to Dr. Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, Associate Chief Research Officer at The Research Institute at Lindner Center of HOPE. This is a highly competitive award for clinician-scientists that will enable the development of the “Neuroscience of the Body Research Program” to study the role of brain-body communication in psychiatric disorders.

This K-23 award involves a study with a novel approach to investigate the circadian system function and its’ potential as a therapeutic target in binge eating disorder. During this award, Dr. Romo-Nava will receive mentoring by world renowned researchers. Dr. Susan L. McElroy, Chief Research Officer at The Research Institute at Lindner Center of HOPE, will mentor Dr. Romo-Nava during the award period. Dr. Romo-Nava will also receive mentoring by Dr. Carlos Grilo at Yale University, Dr. Frank Scheer at Harvard University, Dr. Robert McNamara and Dr. Jeffrey Welge at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Romo-Nava will also collaborate with Dr. Helen Burgess at the University of Michigan.

This award involves an estimated budget of $810,000 during the next four years.

Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason is a comprehensive mental health center providing excellent, patient-centered, scientifically-advanced care for individuals suffering with mental illness. A state-of-the-science, mental health center and charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers, the Center provides psychiatric hospitalization and partial hospitalization for individuals age 12-years-old and older, outpatient services for all ages, diagnostic services for all ages and short-term residential services for adults, outpatient services for substance abuse through HOPE Center North location and co-occurring disorders for adults and research. The Center is enhanced by its partnership with UC Health as its clinicians are ranked among the best providers locally, nationally and internationally. Together Lindner Center of HOPE and UC Health offer a true system of mental health care in the Greater Cincinnati area and across the country. The Center is also affiliated with the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.