Global effort to find brain and biological markers of OCD
MEGA-OCD: A Global Data-Driven Initiative to Discover Biosignatures of OCD
Researchers are combining brain scans and genetic data from people with obsessive‑compulsive disorder around the world to find biological markers that could help guide diagnosis and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11239135 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a large international collaboration that pools existing and new brain imaging, clinical, and genetic data from people with OCD of different ages and backgrounds. The team harmonizes imaging methods across sites so data from many hospitals and research centers can be compared reliably. They use multimodal neuroimaging (like MRI), genetics, and clinical information to look for patterns tied to symptom types, age of onset, and treatment response. The goal is to produce robust, reproducible biological signatures that work across diverse populations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People of any age with a confirmed diagnosis of OCD who can share past scans and records or are willing to undergo brain imaging and provide a DNA sample are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without OCD or those hoping for immediate changes to their current therapy are unlikely to receive direct personal benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help tailor treatments, predict who will respond to therapies, and speed up development of better interventions for people with OCD.
How similar studies have performed: Previous ENIGMA-OCD consortium studies have reported some brain differences in OCD but were limited by smaller and less diverse samples, so this larger effort seeks to produce more reliable results.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thompson, Paul M — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Thompson, Paul M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.