Network to understand early signs of psychosis
Official title: ProNET: Psychosis-Risk Outcomes Network
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11493632 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This network follows people at clinical high risk for psychosis and healthy volunteers to look for brain, speech, blood, genetic, and smartphone signals that predict who develops psychotic disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $375,439 |
| NIH project number | 3U01MH124639-05SD |
| Project ID | NIH-11493632 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young people identified as being at clinical high risk for psychosis (attenuated psychotic symptoms) and healthy volunteers for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People already in a full psychotic episode, those without any risk signs, or those unable or unwilling to undergo MRI/EEG or provide smartphone data may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
I would join a large international network that follows people at high risk for psychosis and healthy volunteers over 24 months. Participants complete detailed tests including MRI and EEG scans, blood and genetic tests, speech and cognitive measures, clinical interviews, and passive smartphone data across eight visits. Biomarkers are collected at two timepoints to map how brain and behavior change, and symptom trajectories are tracked at multiple timepoints to link markers with outcomes. The project combines these multi-modal measures to find patterns that predict who is most likely to develop psychotic disorders or need specific treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect people at highest risk earlier and guide personalized treatments to prevent or reduce psychosis.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller CHR studies have found some promising biomarkers but results have been inconsistent, so this larger, multi-site, multi-modal effort is more comprehensive and partly novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woods, Scott W — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Woods, Scott W
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
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Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
A new online-based set of tasks and a computer model aims to identify people at high risk for developing psychosis earlier and more accurately.
-
Genetic clues for early-onset psychosis in Latino youth
This project looks at the genes of young people with early-onset psychosis and compares them with similar youths without psychosis to find genetic factors that contribute to the illness.
-
Biomarkers to tailor rehab for Veterans with schizophrenia
A clinician-scientist is developing a brain-based biomarker to guide personalized rehabilitation for Veterans with schizophrenia.
-
Computational analysis of facial expression in early psychosis
Aims to develop computer-based measures of facial expression in people at risk for or with schizophrenia to help track symptoms and guide future trials.
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.