Outcome Prediction, Stratification And Novel Treatments In Individuals At Ultra High Risk Of Psychosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$774,540.00
Summary
The Ultra High Risk (UHR) criteria have been developed to identify people at high risk of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia so that treatments can be provided early to reduce risk and disability. However the some UHR people are at risk of other difficulties and disorders and others are not at risk of all. We need to improve our ability to distinguish between these groups so that treatment can be tailored according to risk, and develop new treatments that target underlying problems.
Neurobiological ‘risk’ And ‘resilience’ Biomarkers Of Severe Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$926,980.00
Summary
Mental disorders of childhood (schizotypal disorder, autism spectrum disorders) and adolescence (psychoses, schizophrenia) represent a major burden of disease. We will use sophisticated neuroimaging to examine trajectories of brain growth from childhood to adulthood and identify factors (stress, drugs, inflammation, genes) relevant to risk and resilience to developing these disorders. This will lead to novel early interventions to reduce or ameliorate these conditions.
The Outcomes Of Adolescents And Young Adults Who Experience Hallucinations: A Birth Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$624,842.00
Summary
A national survey reported that 1 in every 12 Australian adolescents experiences hallucinations. Although hallucinations are relatively common experiences, it remains unclear if hallucinations in adolescence are associated with mental illness, and impairment in social and occupational functioning in later adulthood. This study aims to examine the outcomes at 30 years of age in subjects from an Australian birth cohort study who experienced hallucinations during adolescence and young adulthood.
Predicting Clozapine Treatment Response In Psychotic Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$721,526.00
Summary
Not everyone with a psychotic illness gets better when treated with standard antipsychotic medication. We aim to better understand why some people need a different medicine (clozapine), and to develop methods that will let us identify those people early and monitor how effective the treatment is.
Mental illness is the largest single cause of disability in Australia. While mental illness is increasingly recognised as a disorder of the brain, a patient’s diagnosis, treatment and prediction of course of outcome is seldom guided by the results of a biological test. My research aims to combine the power of modern brain imaging and cutting-edge bioinformatics to enable a biological approach to the problem of mental illness.
Establishing The Neural Basis Of Auditory-verbal Hallucinations In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,020.00
Summary
Auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVH) - or hearing voices when no one is talking - are characteristic and debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia. AVH have been hypothesized to reflect inner speech being misperceived as external speech. Our research team has developed an objective brain marker of inner speech. We will use this marker to determine whether AVH are caused by abnormal inner speech in people with schizophrenia. Findings will inform treatments for this incapacitating disorder.
Developing Novel Preclinical Models For Neurodevelopmental Disorders - From Bedside To Bench
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,714,215.00
Summary
I will use the knowledge gained from our studies of progressive brain structural and cognitive changes in neuropsychiatric disorders (esp. psychosis and schizophrenia), to develop novel animal models of brain development, identify the impact of insults (e.g. viral infection) at different stages of development, and identify new treatments and optimal timing of interventions to prevent or ameliorate brain changes and cognitive deficits.
Gene-environment Interactions Modulating Cortical And Cognitive Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,300.00
Summary
A feature of many major brain disorders, including schizophrenia and dementia, is disruption of cognition. A key brain area impacted in such cognitive disorders is the prefrontal cortex. This project will use clinically translatable touchscreen to understand how this aspect of brain dysfunction causes abnormal cognition. We will investigate the mechanisms involved, using highly innovative approaches, which will contribute to the development of new treatments for such cognitive disorders.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) - A Potential New Treatment For Women Of Child-bearing Age With Psychotic Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$210,480.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a devastating illness urgently requiring a new treatment approach. We have discovered that estrogen is an effective treatment for women with schizophrenia and are currently trialling a safer Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) known as brain estrogen� in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia. Regulatory permission is now available to trial the SERM in younger women, and we seek to extend our current SERM study into child bearing age women with schizophrenia.
Positive Allosteric Modulation Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5; A Novel Approach For The Treatment Of Schizophrenia And Cognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,428.00
Summary
The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) has emerged as an exciting new target for the treatment of schizophrenia and cognitive disorders. We will investigate novel drug-binding sites on these receptors with the aim to discover new therapeutics. These studies also aim to definitively characterize mGluR5 activity following treatment with novel compounds to improve our understanding of the normal function of these important receptors.