The country’s leading non-profit dedicated to advanced depression research, Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF), has announced that actress, producer, director and Founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation Mariska Hargitay will be the honoree for the 18th Annual HOPE luncheon seminar taking place at The Plaza Hotel on November 12.
The seminar, led by Master of Ceremonies Chuck Scarborough, will focus on “Trauma and Recovery: How the Brain Heals” with top scientists and psychiatrists taking the stage to speak about the latest research in trauma and depression, and how we can strengthen our brain’s ability to support optimal mental health. Trauma, a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, can leave lasting imprints on our brains, influencing how we perceive, react to, and navigate the world around us. Understanding the intricate relationship between trauma and the brain is crucial for both individuals who have experienced trauma and the professionals who support them in their healing journey. (Editors of Neurolaunch, Trauma’s impact on the Brain, 2024).
Dr. Pamela Cantor, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a trusted voice on the science of learning and human development, will serve as the keynote medical speaker during the luncheon. She is the Founder and CEO of The Human Potential L.A.B., whose mission is to leverage the latest scientific knowledge and technologies to transform what people understand and what institutions do to unlock human potential in each and every individual.
Dr. René Hen, a member of the HDRF Depression Task Force, will also give an update on his world-leading research into PTSD. Rene Hen is Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at Columbia University, and the Director of the Division of Integrative Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI).
Mariska Hargitay will accept the 2024 Hope Award for Depression Advocacy. Hargitay’s role on “SVU” awakened her to the burdens that survivors of trauma often carry: the weight of shame, judgment and isolation. Inspired by their courage, she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004, whose mission is to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. Their “End the Backlog” campaign aims to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits sitting in storage across America, so that survivors can get the closure they deserve. She produced “I Am Evidence,” an HBO documentary on the topic, nominated for a Peabody Award and won the 2019 Emmy Award for Best Documentary.
Hargitay’s advocacy work off-screen has earned her numerous honors, including Variety’s Karma Award, the Good Sister Award for Advocacy from the Children’s Advocacy Center of Manhattan, the Special Ally Award from the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Muse Award from New York Women in Film and Television. She was recently named a Woman of the Year by Glamour Magazine and a Variety Power of Women honoree.
The program will also feature news about discoveries by HDRF’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, an international consortium of top neuroscientists from different universities who are compiling data and expertise to accelerate research. The Task Force was convened in 2010 by HDRF Founding Chair Audrey Gruss; today it is conducting the most advanced depression research in the country.
Livingston Builders Inc. will accept the 2024 Hope Corporate Visionary Award for their commitment to raising the profile of HDRF’s Palm Beach Race of HOPE, an event that has galvanized Palm Beach around mental health awareness since 2019. In addition, Hank Siegel, CEO of Hamilton Jewelers, will accept the HOPE Community Award for launching in 2023 the HOPE Charms collection of fine jewelry, with sales benefiting HDRF.
This year’s Hope luncheon and seminar will celebrate the foundation’s leadership in depression research for 18 years. Each year, the luncheon is attended by over 300 top New York philanthropists, asset managers, business and media professionals, socialites and celebrities who gather to raise awareness about depression and its related mood disorders and to raise funds for continued research.
To purchase tables and tickets for the HOPE luncheon, please visit www.HopeForDepression.org/events
