For Dr. Gabriel Fries, psychiatry has always been more than a field of study—it is a deeply
personal calling. His older brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when they were both
very young, and watching his brother’s struggles left an indelible mark. “Just being his brother
made clear to me the limitations of the treatments that exist,” Fries says. “It shaped my passion
for research, which isn’t always an easy career, but it gave me a sense of purpose. It was a way
to help, even indirectly.”
The project he is now pursuing zeroes in on one of psychiatry’s most devastating and least
understood outcomes: suicide. Each year, millions grapple with suicidal thoughts, and for too
many, those struggles end in tragedy. While psychosocial risk factors have been extensively
studied, the biological underpinnings of suicide remain largely a mystery. “There are almost no
treatments specifically designed to prevent suicide,” Fries explains. “Yet suicide cuts across
diagnoses—it’s a trans-diagnostic issue. If we can intervene biologically, we have the chance to
help so many people.”
Emerging evidence suggests that metabolic dysfunction —through inflammation, insulin
resistance, or mitochondrial problems—may directly affect mood regulation, cognition, and
impulsivity, all dimensions closely tied to suicide risk. Fries sees his study as a proof of concept
that could open the door to earlier identification, better prevention, and innovative interventions.
Fries is now laying the groundwork for a longitudinal cohort at his hospital to track dietary and
metabolic parameters before and after psychiatric treatment, and to follow patients over time to
see how these measures relate to suicidal ideation and outcomes. He envisions eventually
contributing to clinical trials that test whether dietary interventions or metabolic treatments can
directly reduce suicide risk in people with bipolar disorder and related conditions.
His lab harnesses recent advances in tools and methods such as genomics, epigenomics, and
transcriptomics, working with post-mortem brain tissue, stem cell-derived neurons, and blood to
infer brain activity in living patients. “These methods are revolutionary,” he says. “They’ve given
us tools to ask questions about psychiatric illness that we couldn’t touch before.”
Mentorship and team-building are central to how Fries leads his lab. He fosters independence
by backing his lab members’ ideas and resilience by being transparent about his own struggles
with rejection and setbacks. “I tell them we’re all in this together,” he says. “When one of us
succeeds, we all succeed. When we won this award, my whole team celebrated—it was theirs
as much as mine.” When asked what advice he’d offer early-career researchers, Fries returns to
the theme of mentorship. “Seek out mentors and nurture those relationships,” he says. “That
means senior mentors, of course, but also peers. Research is tough, and having a mentorship
team is vital. If you invest in those relationships, they can last a lifetime.”
For Fries, the Metabolic Psychiatry Scholar Award arrived at a pivotal moment. “I can barely put
into words how much this award means for my career,” he says. “Philanthropic support is vital
for science right now, and this award allows me to stay focused on the big picture: to help
people living with psychiatric disorders.” Beyond simply sustaining his work, the award expands
its scope. Fries is also excited to join a community. “I’ve worked in silos before, but Baszucki
Group is building something different—a collaborative network where voices of lived experience
shape the studies themselves. That’s not always the case in science, and it’s something I value
deeply.” He’s also eager for mentorship from established leaders and peer researchers alike.
“Just from the first meeting, I could see how inspiring and innovative this group is. I’m looking
forward to feedback, collaborations, and hopefully developing new projects together.”