Personalized cognitive profiles to guide depression care
Official title: ACE-D: Accelerating Cognition-guided signatures to Enhance translation in Depression
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11285458 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using short computer tasks and a smartphone app to create individualized thinking profiles for adults with depression so treatment can better match their needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | May 3, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $11,303,806 |
| NIH project number | 4UF1MH136062-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285458 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 or older with current or recent major depressive disorder who can use a smartphone and complete brief online cognitive tasks are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those without smartphone or internet access, or individuals whose symptoms are unrelated to depression may not benefit from this tool.
What this research studies
You would complete brief computerized thinking tasks (WebNeuro) and allow a smartphone app (BiAffect) to passively collect everyday behavior to measure cognitive function. The team will refine a cognitive "signature" using existing multi-site data from over 3,000 people, including those who received medication or therapy and healthy comparison participants. They will test whether this signature predicts who improves after treatment and can reliably track recovery for individual patients. If successful, the tool would be deployed for clinicians to use in routine care to help inform prognosis and treatment choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could provide an objective, personalized measure of cognitive problems to help clinicians choose and time treatments for people with depression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has identified cognitive patterns in depression and the team has pilot data supporting this approach, but integrating large multi-site cognitive data with passive smartphone measures at scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Williams, Leanne — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Williams, Leanne
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.