Here, in conjunction with the National Network of Depression Centers, the clinical and research team is investigating the longitudinal course of serious depression and bipolar disorder in order to determine what constitute “best practices” for the care of individuals with these illnesses. Current research projects at Bayview include a two-year study to identify genetic markers that will predict lithium effectiveness in patients with bipolar disorder and a study evaluating the clinical usefulness of a test predicting which psychotropic medications will be most effective and best-tolerated for the treatment of depression.