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May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and today, May 6, happens to be World Maternal Mental Health Day. It\u2019s a fitting day to bring you this show with an expert who is the driving force behind a pioneering study to help diagnose postpartum depression earlier and get moms the treatment they need.\nDr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, is co-principal investigator of the Mom Genes Fight PPD research study, as well as the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the UNC Department of Psychiatry and director of the UNC Center for Women\u2019s Mood Disorders. Her funded research is focused on understanding the genetic signature of postpartum depression and investigating novel technologies and treatment modalities to optimize and personalize treatment for women with perinatal depression. Most recently, this has included the MOM GENES app and the brexanolone clinical trials, the first FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression. She knows a lot, and she\u2019s done a lot with her significant work in perinatal mental health.\nShow Highlights:\n\nWhat postpartum depression is and why Dr. Meltzer-Brody is studying it\n\nThe MOM GENES study that began in 2016 (learn how you can participate)\n\nHow the study can help us identify who is at risk so intervention can happen earlier\n\nWho can participate in the study\n\nThe confidentiality and anonymity of the study\n\nThe availability of resources for participants in the study\n\nHow the DNA samples are collected and pooled together\n\nHow the genetic information will be used to determine treatment and outcomes\n\nThe preliminary findings: not all women have the same types of postpartum depression\n\nWhy women with co-occurring anxiety disorders are encouraged to apply for the study\n\nExamples of postpartum depression and the signals that mean someone needs to seek help\n\nHow the study and the app have already helped people in many ways\n\nResources:\nMom Genes Fight PPD\xa0Learn how you can join the study from the comfort of your own home.