We aim to understand the biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, bipolar and related disorders to develop better treatments. Our studies use an integrative approach to investigate the brain systems involved, using in vivo imaging and other techniques.
There are three converging themes:
- The first theme centres around the role of dopamine in psychotic disorders
- The second theme investigates the regulation of dopamine by glutamate, GABA and other mechanisms
- The third theme integrates data across measures to investigate the neural networks involved in these disorders
We study high risk groups, the link to positive and negative symptoms, and developing new potential treatments and treatment predictors.
Studies generally involve healthy volunteers and patients using imaging and other biological and cognitive measures, as well as back translation into preclinical models.