Predicting pathways for young people at high risk for 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-11373918 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create tools that combine clinical, brain imaging, and genetic information to predict which young people at clinical high risk will develop psychosis or other long-term outcomes.
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) | $147,217 |
| NIH project number | 3U01MH124631-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373918 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults identified as being in the clinical high risk (CHR) state—people with recent distress, declining function, or subthreshold psychotic symptoms seen at participating early-intervention clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People without CHR signs, those with an established psychotic disorder, or individuals not seen at participating clinics are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would join an international effort that brings together data from clinics around the world, including symptoms, functioning, brain scans, biological markers, and genetic information. Researchers will combine existing and new participant data to build and test computer models that forecast different outcomes like developing psychosis, ongoing symptoms, or recovery. The team will validate these prediction tools across many sites so they can work reliably for individuals. If successful, the tools would be packaged for use in clinics to help guide early treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give clinicians better tools to identify who needs early, targeted treatment and who may recover without intensive intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Previous prediction efforts using clinical, cognitive, imaging, and genetic data have shown only modest accuracy, so this larger, multimodal consortium approach aims to improve and validate more reliable tools.
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.
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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
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
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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.
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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.
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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.