September 16, 2006
Twelfth Annual Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health
Rutherford, CA (Napa Valley)

A live webcast of a brain science seminar given by Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D., took place on September 16th, 2:45 to as part of the 12th annual Staglin Family Vineyard Music Festival for Mental Health. (Click here for the Staglin Family site.)

Dr. Weinberger, chief of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Clinical Brain Disorders Branch of the Intramural Research Program, is renowned for his research on the genetic mechanisms of mental illnesses, particularly schizophrenia. He is a member of NARSAD’s Scientific Council and the 1993 recipient of NARSAD’s Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research.

Dr. Weinberger’s presentation was part of a day-long festival of music and fine dining at the Staglin Family Vineyard in California’s Napa Valley that raised funds for research on brain and behavior disorders. This year’s featured musical guest was Grammy-winning legend Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys. He and his band will performed a selection of classic Beach Boys and Brian Wilson favorites.

Suzanne Goin, chef-owner of Lucques Restaurant in West Hollywood, who is recipient of the 2006 James Beard Foundation Award for Best California Chef, prepared the exclusive post-concert dinner. Greg Cole, chef-owner of Cole’s Chop House in Napa, provided pre-concert hors d’oeuvres, which was matched with over 30 of Napa Valley’s and Sonoma County’s best wines.

The festival is organized by Shari and Garen Staglin, owners of the Staglin Family Vineyard, who are longtime supporters of NARSAD. Mr. Staglin currently serves on the organization’s board of directors.

In 2005, with a major contribution from the Staglin Family Vineyard Music Festival for Mental Health, NARSAD established an annual award for an investigator under age 45 who is studying schizophrenia. This year’s NARSAD Staglin Family Music Festival Award for Schizophrenia Research has been awarded to Eva S. Anton, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, who is researching the role of the gene neuregulin in the development of schizophrenia. To read more about the Staglin Award and Dr. Anton’s research, click here.