The Centre focuses its research on various severe mental illnesses – addiction, bipolar disorder, dementia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. The research aims to undertake a multi-level analysis of these illnesses. In order to do that, we study Indian patients and healthy controls at molecular, cellular, genetic and behavioral scales. For this, the program has brought together an umbrella of experts working in clinical medicine, molecular genetics, neurobiology and stem cell technology. In addition, their work creates a comprehensive and long-term resource in the forms of a biorepository and a linked digital database that help the global research community conduct further investigative research into these disorders. Eventually, through the efforts of this program, we hope to enhance our understanding of mental health issues, at both the molecular and clinical levels.
Published in The Brain and Mind Dispatch, June 2026 | Kadambari Patil
Pratik's lab (DyeCraftLab.com) develops chemigenetic technologies—small molecules coupled to genetic tags—for live-cell imaging and biomolecular manipulation. Current work relevant to CBM includes development of a fluorescent sensor to visualize lithium localization in cells, offering a tool to probe the mechanism of action of lithium, a mainstay treatment for bipolar disorder.
Pratik Kumar, Assistant Professor
- The Chakrabarti lab works on … (details awaited)
- Shaon Chakrabarti, Assistant Professor
Bhalla lab at NCBS works on… (details awaited)
Upinder S. Bhalla , Senior Professor
The Padinjat lab works in the area of cellular neuroscience and signalling. Specific to CBM, the lab focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanism of action of lithium, a key mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder.