Predicting outcomes for young people at high risk of psychosis
Official title: Trajectories and Predictors in the Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Population: Prediction Scientific Global Consortium (PRESCIENT)
Funded at University of Melbourne · NIH-11134618 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is creating tools that use clinical, brain, and biological data to predict how young people at high risk of psychosis will do over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Melbourne NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Melbourne, Australia) |
| Project start | September 8, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,494,326 |
| NIH project number | 5U01MH124631-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11134618 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young people seen in early psychosis or clinical high risk services who are experiencing subthreshold psychotic symptoms, functional decline, or other early warning signs.
✕Less likely to help
People without early warning signs, those with established long-term psychotic disorders, or individuals not connected to participating clinics may not directly benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If you are a young person showing early or subthreshold psychotic symptoms, this project combines information from symptoms, thinking tests, brain scans, biological markers, and genetics to build prediction models. Researchers across a global consortium will pool and harmonize many patients' records and test different algorithms to identify who will develop psychosis, who will recover, and who will have ongoing problems. The project aims to turn those models into practical tools clinicians can use in early psychosis clinics. The goal is to help match people to the right care earlier and reduce long-term disability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help clinicians identify individuals most likely to develop psychosis or poor outcomes so treatment can be targeted earlier and more precisely.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies produced only modest prediction accuracy, so this larger, multimodal consortium effort is more comprehensive and aims to improve on past results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Christopher Barnaby — University of Melbourne
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Christopher Barnaby
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.