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On Wednesday, November 8th, Hope
for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF), the leading
non-profit dedicated to advanced depression research, held its
11th Annual HOPE Luncheon Seminar at The Plaza Hotel
where they honored actress, activist and author Ashley
Judd with the 2017
HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy.
HDRF Founder & Chair Audrey
Gruss saluted Ashley Judd for her bravery and compassion in
speaking out about her struggle with depression. “Her
willingness to share the details of her personal journey to help
others learn to thrive is exactly what advocacy is about,” said
Gruss.
Master of Ceremonies Chuck
Scarborough began the event by acknowledging Ms. Judd for
being the first major star to go on the record about her
experience with Harvey Weinstein, sparking a “tsunami” of
subsequent revelations that have brought dark secrets into the
open. Scarborough then spoke about changing public attitudes
surrounding depression and mind-brain illness in general. He
pointed out that many public figures in movies and sports have
spoken out in the past year about depression, as well as the
royal family: Princes William and Harry and the Duchess of York,
Kate Middleton. He also informed the audience that depression is
the leading cause of disability worldwide, and that scientists
are keen to better understand the genetic basis of the illness
in order to better diagnose and treat this global public health
epidemic.
Keynote medical speaker Dr.
Eric Nestler, a world-renowned neuroscientist, then took the
stage to address the luncheon’s featured topic “The Genetics of
Depression: What is Known, What is Next.” Nestler is Director of
the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai. He is also a
founding member of the HDRF Depression Task Force, a team of
seven acclaimed brain researchers from different institutions
across North America who are pooling expertise and data to
accelerate discovery.
Nestler riveted the audience with news of the
latest discoveries from his lab. He revealed he has found a new
gene that appears to play a significant role in depression. He
said similar recent discoveries by the Depression Task Force
were now leading to pilot clinical trials of potential new
treatments.
Audrey Gruss reiterated HDRF’s dual mission to
fund advanced research and to raise awareness and fight stigma.
Because depression is under-funded, under-researched and
misunderstood, the HOPE Seminar has become an important forum
for educating the public about depression and the critical need
for research. She shared the staggering statistics that major
depression affects over 16 million U.S. adults annually and
costs U.S. business over $100 billion each year.
HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton then
announced that a feature documentary film project about the
Depression Task Force is in the making, and cued a short trailer
for the audience to view.
Audrey Gruss then introduced a cause marking
concept to raise further awareness about depression: hope -
the uplifting fragrance, an inspiring new fragrance
collection sold at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores and on www.saks.com.
100% of net profits will go to HDRF’s depression research. The
fragrance was named after Audrey’s mother Hope who struggled
with depression for decades. Hope loved white flowers and
surrounded herself with them, so the fragrance is a fusion of
the most aromatic white flowers - lily of the valley, jasmine,
gardenia and tuberose.
Audrey Gruss then presented the HOPE Award for
Depression Advocacy and pointed out Ashley Judd’s candor in
talking about her recovery from depression and her calling as an
activist seeking social justice for women and children around
the world.
Ashley Judd accepted the HOPE Award with a
heartfelt speech, where she said, “I am in recovery from
depression and about that I have no shame and I am a living
example of why there is hope.” She spoke about her potential
genetic predisposition to depression, and how thankful she was
for the diagnosis of depression that she received when seeking
professional help, because, “trauma not transformed is trauma
transferred, and my trauma has been transformed and it’s simply
here to be laid at the feet of others who may find it helpful.”
She spoke about how for her depression is like “being down in
the deep dark well and I just can’t get up … It’s complete and
total isolation.” She said, “I was in so much pain that the pain
of being willing to change was finally less than the pain of
staying the same” before ending her speech by saying, “I’m aware
that depression is a disease that lies. I have a disease that
lies to me and tells me I don’t have a disease. It tells me I’m
bad and wrong, but what I know today is I am precious. I am
empowered. I am free.”
The Luncheon Seminar Co-Chairs were Ann
Barish, Caroline Dean, Peter Gregory, Kim Heirston, Tania
Higgins, Margo Langenberg, Kitty McKnight, Peter S. Paine III,
and Serena McKnight Bowman. Additional guests included: Frederick
Anderson, Janna Bullock, Sharon Bush, Hilary Geary Ross, Jamee
Gregory, Susan Gutfreund, Martin Gruss, Dayssi Kanavos, Kathy
Hilton, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Karen LeFrak, Julie Macklowe,
Scott Snyder, Jamie Tisch, Christine Mack, and Jackie
Weld Drake.
ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION
HDRF's mission is to fund the most innovative
neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and
prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar
disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome,
anxiety disorder and suicide.
In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force
(DTF) – an outstanding collaboration of seven leading
scientists, at the frontiers of brain science, from different
research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These
scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy
that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics,
epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain
imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing
results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more
information, visit: www.hopefordepression.org
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