Jagadeesh Rao

Neuropsychiatric symptoms have long been approached from a behavioural lens, often leading to treatments that address symptoms without a clear mechanistic understanding of their root causes. However, recent advances in neuroimmunology are reframing mood disorders, especially late-onset and comorbid depression, as potentially biologically driven diseases with immune system involvement. This workshop will tackle the growing body of evidence suggesting that chronicinflammation, glial dysfunction, and even systemic immune activation play a key role in the onset and progression of depressive disorders. Through cross-disciplinary discussion, we’ll ask whether psychiatry is ready for a shift toward biologically targeted therapeutics and what that would require in terms of biomarkers, models, and trial strategy.

Key Topics to Be Explored:

• Examine the bidirectional relationship between immune activation and mood disorders – is neuroinflammation causative, or does it amplify pre-existing vulnerabilities?
• Discuss how shared inflammatory mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s) are helping redefine depression as a neurobiological condition rather than a purely psychological one
• Explore how lifestyle factors such as stress and substance use may initiate or exacerbate neuroinflammatory cascades contributing to depressive symptoms
• Evaluate emerging therapeutic approaches, including small and large molecules, aimed at modulating the immune system as a treatment for depression
• Highlight the critical need for robust biomarkers that can stratify patients based on inflammatory profiles and reduce placebo effects in depression trials