RI Delegation Announces $8M for New Mental Health Facility for Children at Bradley Hospital
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help Bradley Hospital provide cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art facilities to support children dealing with mental health disorders, Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation today announced a new $7,940,991 federal grant for Bradley Hospital to advance the construction of a pediatric psychiatric research laboratory, to be co-located on Bradley’s hospital campus in East Providence.
Bradley Hospital is an affiliate of Brown University and is nationally recognized for the quality of its adolescent and child psychiatry programs. Bradley offers families and children access to mental health screening, diagnostics, and a full array of evidence-based therapeutic services to appropriately address pediatric mental and behavioral health needs.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo said the new federal funding, which is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will help build a state-of-the-art facility to enhance pediatric psychiatric research and centralize services in one convenient, modern facility.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), many mental disorders can begin in childhood. Examples include anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and other mood disorders, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Early treatment can help children manage their symptoms and support their social and emotional well-being.
Nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 had ever been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition, according to NIMH’s latest statistics.
“Bradley’s new facility will provide Rhode Islanders with high-quality mental health care and help conduct innovative research initiatives that will enhance treatment and prevention efforts. This federal grant is a major boost to help advance the project and better serve the community, especially our youngest patients in need of mental health services,” said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee.
“We have a children’s mental health crisis in this country, and too many Rhode Island kids are struggling with conditions that have been under-researched and misunderstood,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “This new federal investment will centralize Bradley Hospital’s innovative researchers at a new top-of-the-line facility that will help more Rhode Island children in need of mental and behavioral health care.”
“Too many young people are struggling with mental health challenges, and it is critical that they have access to the high-quality care and support they deserve,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner. “I am proud to join my colleagues in the Rhode Island congressional delegation to announce funding that will help Bradley Hospital continue its leadership in children’s mental health research and treatment, bringing new tools and better care to Rhode Islanders.”
“Mental health care is essential and Bradley’s new facility will ensure young Rhode Islanders will have access to the services they need to thrive,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I’m proud to have worked alongside my colleagues in our Congressional delegation to secure this federal grant and expand mental health care access and research for Rhode Island’s children.”
“Without a dedicated space on campus, Bradley Hospital’s research laboratories are scattered across multiple locations, limiting collaboration and distancing scientists from the very patients who stand to benefit most from their work. A unified facility would not only provide the appropriate space for advanced research and equipment but also bring researchers closer to their patients—accelerating discoveries, improving outcomes, and fostering vital collaboration across core labs. This proposed center would significantly enhance Bradley Hospital’s capacity to address the urgent and evolving challenges in youth and adolescent psychiatry and behavioral health,” said Dr. Henry Sachs III, President, Bradley Hospital.
The NIH research facilities construction grant will allow Bradley Hospital to move forward with the multi-phase plans to construct a pediatric psychiatric research laboratory.
Bradley Hospital is the nation’s first psychiatric hospital dedicated to children and adolescents. Located in East Providence, it serves youth and families across Rhode Island and New England.
Bradley Hospital is a teaching hospital for The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and currently hosts an NIH COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health; its world-class researchers are also engaged on over 20 other NIH-funded research projects, including Bradley Hospital’s Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC), which has relocated its clinical and research services to the hospital’s main campus.
Click here to view the announcement.
Does Sleep Duration Shape Oral Microbiomes?
New research reveals positive association between extended sleep duration and higher oral microbiome diversity in adolescents and young adults.
A cross-sectional study of 1,332 U.S. adolescents and young adults found that individuals with long sleep durations had significantly higher oral microbiome array. The study analyzed data from the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and highlighted the potential relationship between sleep health and the oral microbiome, offering insight into more accessible intervention strategies. The findings open new avenues for research into the mechanisms underlying these associations.
New Study Looks At The Oral Microbiome And Sleep Health In Teens
by Patricia Tomasi, Theravive.com
A new study published in the Journal of Sleep looked at the associations of sleep and the oral microbiome among adolescents and young adults in the United States.
“We aimed to investigate whether different sleep durations, especially insufficient or excessive sleep, are associated with changes in the richness and evenness of oral microbial communities, a largely unexplored area in adolescent sleep health research,” study author Marie-Rachelle Narcisse told us.
Oral Microbiome Diversity Linked to Long Sleep Duration in Teens, Young Adults
Oral microbiome variety is positively associated with long sleep duration among teenagers and young adults, according to a new study to be presented at Sleep 2025.
Results show that compared to those with a healthy sleep duration, teenagers and young adults with a long sleep duration (3% of participants) had significantly higher oral microbiome array. The study is among the first to demonstrate this connection in adolescents, opening a new avenue of research into how the oral microbiome may be related to sleep health during this crucial developmental period.
Study links oral microbiome diversity with long sleep duration in teenagers and young adults
DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that oral microbiome diversity is positively associated with long sleep duration among teenagers and young adults.
Honoring Our Longest-Serving Employees: Mary Carskadon, PhD, a Pioneer of Sleep Science
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University Health Intranet] — Preparing to speak with Mary Carskadon, PhD, one of the world’s most respected sleep researchers – well, it might just keep you up at night.
Brown Alumni Magazine declared her a “pioneering sleep scientist” who is “still discovering new frontiers.” A recipient of the National Sleep Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Carskadon is the director of the sleep and chronobiology research lab and the director of the COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, both with Bradley Hospital. She is also a professor with the department of psychiatry and human behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
[embeddoc url=”https://bradleycobre.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Honoring-Our-Longest-serving-MaryCarskadon-250220.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]
Biological clock plays critical role in driving teens’ late-day eating habits
Researchers found that adolescents in the obese weight range ate more food later in the day than their peers of healthy weight, and that their eating behaviors were strongly influenced by their internal body clock.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The causes of obesity are complex and influenced by many factors. While research has highlighted connections between sleep, eating patterns and weight gain, scientists remain uncertain of the role of the circadian system — the biological clock — in shaping eating patterns.
But a new study from researchers at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Mass General Brigham reveals a distinct relationship between circadian rhythms, weight and eating habits in adolescents, a vulnerable age group whose eating patterns influence their lifelong health. The study found that adolescents whose weight was classified as overweight or obese consumed more calories later in the day compared to participants with healthy weights.
The results demonstrate that circadian rhythms play an important role in explaining later caloric intake in individuals at risk for obesity, said lead investigator Mary Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown’s medical school.
“The critical nature of adolescent development to set the stage for a lifetime of health highlights the need to understand the roles played by sleep/wake and circadian timing processes for eating behavior,” said Carskadon, who also directs the Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory. “The knowledge gained here opens a door to potential interventions that can enhance teen health moving forward.”
The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
So Long, SLEEP Advances…
Carskadon MA. So Long, SLEEP Advances…. Sleep Adv. 2025 Feb 4;6(1):zpaf006. doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpaf006. PMID: 39906876; PMCID: PMC11792890.
It’s Time to Do Away With Early School Start Times
“Poor sleep and circadian disruption carry numerous costs for teens. Studies point to lower grades and higher rates of car accidents, athletic injuries, risky behaviors, substance abuse, obesity, depression, and anxiety. Cycles of REM sleep primarily occur in the last third of the night. By cutting a night of sleep short by an hour or two or more, a teenager loses this vital time for the brain to solidify learning into memories and process emotions. REM sleep may play a critical role in strengthening critical thinking and problem-solving skills, too. “Kids may be sitting in schools, but their heads are still asleep on pillows at home,” says Mary Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and a child and renowned adolescent sleep expert.”