SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH TRAINING

Columbia University Health Sciences, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The overall purpose of this training program is to increase the number of researchers in the area of schizophrenia who have an ability to apply modern techniques of research and an ability to incorporate recent developments in neuroscience into their investigations. Training in the disciplines of psychopharmacology, neurochemistry, genetics, neuropathology, brain imaging, neuropsychology, neurobiology services research and epidemiology will be offered by participating faculty actively engaged in schizophrenia-related research. All mentors have current federally funded research. The training will develop research skills by supervised participation in this ongoing research, but the trainee will be expected to construct and execute independent projects as well. Didactic work will focus on research design and statistics. A schizophrenia research seminar for fellows, faculty and invited guests reviews current schizophrenia research in all areas. Trainees for the project will primarily be psychiatrists who have completed both their medical school training and four year of residency. These trainee will have had considerable experience with the diagnosis and treatment of major psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, but are likely to lack specific research skills such as developing testable hypotheses, designing feasible research studies acceptable to institute review boards, and the collection and analysis of standardized research data. In addition to these MD psychiatrists, we expect that we will recruit MD/PhDs with a background in basic science research, and PhD psychologists or neuroscientists with an interest in schizophrenia. We will adapt the training to suit their backgrounds and interests, including offering them training in the clinical phenomenology of schizophrenia. Support is available for up to four years, with two to three new fellows chosen each year. This program will be conducted at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (PI) and/or the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center (CPC) in Queens, New York, by faculty members of Columbia University at these institutions. With a total of approximately seventy million dollars annually in federal grants, a research institute with 70 beds (including a 12 designated schizophrenia inpatient research unit) funded by New York State at PI, 24 research beds at CPC similarly funded, a Hughes Institute and 4 MHCRCs, there exists the research personnel and clinical facilities to execute this proposed training program, which has had excellent success in its training efforts thus far. Schizophrenia is a devastating illness and a major public health problem. It is estimated that 0.8% of the population will eventually develop this disorder, and that one quarter of all hospital beds are occupied by such patients. This illness typically diminishes or destroys the patient's capabilities for productive work. In addition to the personal terror, confusion, and misery that it produces, there is a tremendous stress on family members. A significant portion (15-40%) of homeless individuals have been found to be schizophrenic, and it is possible that there is a milder form of the illness not included in the above figures, which also causes significant social and occupational disability.