On January 10, 2018, The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation held their Annual Medical Update Luncheon at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. This foundation was created by Joyce and Dusty Sang, parents of Ryan Licht Sang who had early-onset bipolar disorder and died tragically at age 25. The Foundation seeks to find a test for early-onset bipolar disorder and as such raises money for research and stigma reduction and support. I was honored to be asked to be on their panel, along with Dr. Ellen Frank, and Paul and Kristina Dalio. Dr. Frank is a Professor Emeritus from Pittsburgh who pioneered the understanding of diurnal rhythms and their influence in bipolar disorder. Paul and Kristina Dalio are successful film directors who met at NYU Film School. I provided the introduction and background regarding bipolar disorder in yuth and then Dr. Frank provided an intriguing look into the role of sleep in mood disorders. Finally, Paul and Kristina discussed their journey in dealing wth Paul's bipolar disorder. In2015, Paul directed the movie based on his experience "Touched With Fire", which received numerous prizes and starred Katie Holmes. It was fascinating and heartwarming to hear their story and how important it is for family support in persons with bipolar disorder. Money was raised to further the Foundation's mission, and we learned of recent grants to researchers that have led to multi-million grants from the NIH to continue their work. Thank you Joyce, Dusty, and the organizers for putting on an incredible and enjoying program and their continuing work to battle this condition!
