Frohlich receives BBRF Distinguished Investigator Grant
In 2025, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awarded Distinguished Investigator Grants valued at $1 million to 10 senior-level scientists who are conducting groundbreaking research in neurobiological and behavioral science. Recipients of the $100,000, one-year grants are exploring critical areas of mental health, including opioid use disorder, depression in pregnant women, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the effects of psychedelics on perception and consciousness.
Recipients of the Distinguished Investigator Grants are full professors at research institutions in the United States and abroad. They were selected by a committee of the BBRF Scientific Council, which is comprised of 192 experts across disciplines in brain and behavior research who review grant applications and recommend the most promising ideas to fund.
Flavio Frohlich, PhD, previous NC TraCS Pilot Grant Program awardee, will develop and test a novel non-invasive neurostimulation approach (aperiodic tACS) designed to rapidly reduce depression symptoms in women who are pregnant. tACS, or transcranial alternating current stimulation, has been shown to be safe and effective in major depressive disorder in several pilot trials.
Read the full press release at bbrfoundation.org.
Watch the Video: The Frohlich Lab's Work in Neurostimulation and Mental Health
Over the years, NC TraCS has supported Frohlich's research with multiple services including Biostatistics, IDSci (CDW-H and REDCap), Proposal Development, Recruitment, and our Regulatory service: moving from animal studies to human, protocol development, IRBs, and DSMB oversight. His early research has also been funded in part by TraCS Pilot awards including:
A Pilot, Single-Site, Case-Control Observational Study to Assess the Prevalence of Bartonella in Patients with Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder Compared to Healthy Controlshas
Physiological Effects of Active Music-Making and Passive Listening: A Randomized Crossover Study of Music Therapy Interventions
Enhancing Cortical Dynamics With Non- Invasive Brain Stimulation in Humans