HDRF 3-28-08 Palm Beach Luncheon
The mission of the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) is to fund cutting-edge, international scientific research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and its related mood and other emotional disorders – bipolar disorder, dysthymia, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide – with the ultimate goal of finding a cure. HDRF sets itself apart with a pioneering approach: it has the only significantly-funded research program, public or private, that is based on affective neuroscience – integrating the fields of neuroscience (the biology of the brain) and affective science (the psychology of mood and emotions). HDRF was founded in April 2006 by Audrey Gruss in honor of her mother, Hope, who suffered from clinical depression. It is a 501 (c)(3) public charity and is obligated to raise public funds to support its mission. A private foundation underwrites all of HDRF’s administrative expenses, so that every dollar raised goes directly to research.