Assistant Professor Marie Gaine has received a two-year, $450,000 grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to study blood-based biomarkers that may reveal the biological changes underlying suicide risk. Focusing on individuals with bipolar disorder, who face a significantly higher risk of suicide, Gaine will examine extracellular vesicles and cell-free DNA in the blood to identify brain-related molecular changes in living individuals with a history of suicide attempts. The first study to combine these two biomarkers, the research aims to improve understanding of the biology of suicide, reduce stigma surrounding suicide by demonstrating its biological basis, and ultimately support earlier identification and prevention for those at highest risk. A full article is in Iowa Now.