


ACE-D: Accelerating Cognition-guided Signatures to Enhance translation in Depression
Personalized Treatment Study
(8-week Treatment Study with Brain Imaging)
Overview
Dr. Leanne Williams and her team have identified a unique cognitive biotype of depression characterized by difficulty with concentration, focus, and decision making. This treatment study investigates whether people with this cognitive biotype could benefit from a tailored depression treatment that includes guanfacine, a medication that may improve cognitive control. Participants will complete computer-based tasks and noninvasive brain scans to assess their cognitive signature (an individual’s thinking style) and then be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Please see Stanford press release for more information.
Goals
Many people with depression struggle with “brain fog,” or difficulty thinking clearly. However, traditional depression treatments typically do not address these difficulties. If a “precision medicine” approach — like choosing a depression treatment based on an individual’s cognitive profile — is effective, clinicians could use this method to help tailor treatment for patients with depression.
Sign Up to Participate
Our study is currently recruiting adults between the ages of 18 and 60 who are experiencing depression and are able to travel to Stanford University.
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This study is a clinical trial which includes 3 study visits at Stanford, fMRI brain scans, and online computerized assessments and surveys.
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If you are interested in participating in the study, please complete the following online screening survey:
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Once we receive your completed screening survey, we’ll review it and reach out as soon as possible if you appear to be eligible. Thank you for your interest in our research!
Meet the Team

Olusola Ajilore, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator, UIC

Laura Hack, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Leanne Williams, PhD
Principal Investigator, Stanford

Jun Ma, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator, UIC

Trevor Hastie, PhD
Co-investigator, Stanford

Booil Jo, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Alex Leow, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Ruth O'Hara, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Alan Schatzberg, PhD
Co-investigator, Stanford

Peter Van Rossel, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Lara Foland-Ross, PhD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Teddy Akiki, MD
Co-Investigator, Stanford

Erica Ma, MS, PA-c
Physician Assistant, Stanford

Rachel Hilton, PhD-c, PMHNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner, Stanford

Leyla Boyar
Clinical Res. Coordinator, Stanford

Isabelle Wydler
Clinical Res. Coordinator, Stanford

Andrea Ellsay
Precision Psychiatry Research Engineer - Neuroimaging Lead, Stanford

Booil Jo, PhD
Precision Psychiatry Data Analyst - Clinical and Behavioral Data Lead, Stanford

Rio Hundley
Clinical Research Coordinator Associate, Stanford

Conner Oberhauser
Clinical Research Coordinator Associate, Stanford

Liangfang Li, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford

Jeesung Ahn, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow Stanford

Daniella Evangelista
Clinical Research Coordinator Associate, Stanford
Funding
ACE-D is funded through an NIH initiative, Individually Measured Phenotypes to Advance Computational Translation in Mental Health (IMPACT-MH).
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Grant: U01MH136062