Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Dr. Suppes is the Director of Exploratory Therapeutics for Mood Disorders and the Founder of the Bipolar and Depression Research Program at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She is a recognized expert on the biology and treatment of bipolar disorder, and mood disorders generally. Her areas of specific expertise include long-term treatment strategies for bipolar disorder, identification and treatment of bipolar II disorder, treatment of those with bipolar disorders and co-morbid conditions, and use of complementary medicine for bipolar disorder. She has recently launched a new initiative to explore use of psychedelics for mood disorders. Dr. Suppes has been integrally involved in numerous initiatives to improve evidence-based treatment for bipolar disorders, including chairing the VA/DOD guidelines for bipolar disorder and the Bipolar module of the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. Dr. Suppes recently completed work on updating the APA DMS-5 criteria for Bipolar and Related Disorders. Her current studies include use of the internet as a tool to support individuals with bipolar disorder and appropriate management of treatment-resistant major depression.
