BD² Releases Largest Multi‑Modal Psychiatric Dataset to Accelerate Breakthroughs in Bipolar Disorder
New integrated dataset combines clinical, biological, neuroimaging, and real‑world behavioral data to transform understanding and improve care for people living with bipolar disorder.
Washington, D.C., March 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Highlights:
- Historic Scale: Data from 615 participants across initial six sites, forming the most comprehensive multimodal dataset ever created for a psychiatric condition.
- Integrated Modalities: Includes clinical assessments, MRI neuroimaging, blood-based biomarkers, and continuous wearable sensor data.
- Designed for Impact: Embedded within a Learning Health Network to rapidly translate discoveries into improved patient care.
- Open Science: Curated dataset available to qualified researchers, with all identifiable information removed.
BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder today announced the first public release of data from the BD² Integrated Network Longitudinal Cohort Study (LCS). This marks the launch of the largest integrated dataset in the history of psychiatry, designed to accelerate progress toward personalized and more effective care for people living with bipolar disorder.
Cara Altimus, PhD, CEO of BD², highlighted how BD2 is transforming the bipolar disorder research and treatment landscape: “For decades, bipolar disorder research has been severely underfunded and deeply fragmented. Without shared standards or shared data, meaningful progress was nearly impossible. BD² was created to fundamentally change that ecosystem so that we can make a positive change in the lives of those living with bipolar disorder. This initial data release unifies the field and provides a new foundation and actual infrastructure for understanding the complexity of bipolar disorder.”
The BD² Integrated Network’s LCS follows participants over five years, allowing researchers to observe how the disorder evolves, identify factors that can predict patient outcomes, and track biological changes before, during, and after mood episodes. The study is embedded in a Learning Health Network (LHN), which ensures that research insights can be shared with clinicians and rapidly fed back into care practices, while real-world observations from clinics simultaneously shape future research questions.
BD² prioritizes an open science model, sharing data widely with qualified researchers to encourage innovation and generate insights. Ekemini A.U. Riley, PhD, Founder and CEO of the Coalition for Aligning Science and BD² Program Board Member, noted:“This is a pivotal step forward in the broader quest to advance brain and mental health science. Too often, discoveries stall between the lab and the people who need them. BD² is changing that paradigm. With open science as a priority and uniting multimodal data, clinical practice, and the lived experience of those with bipolar disorder, we are building the foundation required to move from scientific insight to sustained, real-world impact.”
Unprecedented Scale and Depth
The release includes data from 615 participants from the initial six sites in the BD² Integrated Network. The dataset integrates multiple modalities to show the most comprehensive picture of how bipolar disorder presents in individuals:
- Clinical Assessments: Comprehensive clinician and self-reported measures covering mood, cognition, and social determinants of health.
- High-Resolution Brain Imaging (MRI): To study how brain structure and function link to clinical outcomes.
- Wearable Sensor Data (Fitbit): Capturing daily sleep and wake patterns, circadian rhythms, and activity cycles.
- Biological Samples: Standardized blood bioassays to explore inflammation, stress, and metabolic function.
To ensure immediate utility for the scientific community, BD2 provides rigorous quality control and expert curation. The data has been standardized by dedicated working groups, reducing the technical burden for those analyzing complex imaging or wearable sensor data.
“What makes this release especially transformative is the depth and diversity of the data. This level of richness enables researchers across the bipolar disorder field to move beyond isolated observations and begin asking complex, cross-cutting questions about how bipolar disorder evolves.” said Emily Baxi, PhD, BD² Integrated Network Program Director.
Because bipolar disorder varies widely across individuals, deep phenotyping at scale is essential for discovering measurable indicators of disease progression and treatment response. Katherine E. Burdick, PhD, BD² Integrated Network Scientific Director; Diane Goldman Kemper Family Professor of Medical Psychology; Vice Chair of Research, Department of Psychiatry Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; and Director of Research New York State Psychiatric Institute, emphasized:
“The deep phenotyping enabled by this multi-modal dataset is critical because it captures the immense biological and clinical variety of bipolar disorder. For the first time, we have the scale and breadth of data required to identify modifiable treatment targets and generate findings that can be directly translated into better care and improved lives.”
Mark Frye, MD, BD² Integrated Network Scientific Director and Stephen & Shelley Jackson Family Professor of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, added:
“The depth of science and the level of rigorous, standardized data collection within the BD² Integrated Network is truly unparalleled in the field of psychiatry. By bridging the gap between biological discovery and clinical practice, we can finally address long-standing care gaps and identify the precise factors that allow individuals with bipolar disorder to truly thrive.”
Access the Dataset: Qualified researchers may apply using this link.
Watch the Announcement: To hear more from BD² leadership about the future of bipolar disorder research and the impact of this data release, watch the full recorded briefing.
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About BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder is an independent nonprofit organization and the first organization focused on funding and advancing research and care for bipolar disorder on a global scale. Our collaborative, open-science approach is designed to transform and shorten the time it takes for scientific breakthroughs to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the tens of millions of people with bipolar disorder. The BD² Discovery Grants, Brain Omics, Genetics Platforms, and the Integrated Network are designed to share data, methods, and resources across initiatives and the bipolar disorder research community. For more information, please visit bipolardiscoveries.org.
Patricia Pope BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder 5713274870 BD2@gmmb.com
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