Sex-specific brain and genetic markers for early psychosis risk
Sex-Specific Psychosis Biotypes: Informed Data-driven Neurobiological and Genomic Markers for Early Risk Detection
This project uses brain scans and genetic information to find sex-specific markers that could spot early risk for psychosis in adolescents and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247550 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers are using large-scale brain imaging and genetic data to look for distinct biological patterns that differ between males and females with psychosis. They will apply new data-driven machine learning methods to functional connectivity data from a 1200+ person transdiagnostic cohort to identify subgroups, or "biotypes," that show different brain signatures and sex prevalences. The team will link those brain patterns to behavior and thinking measures so the findings connect to real symptoms. Results could guide earlier, more personalized detection and future sex-tailored care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adolescents or young adults with a family history of psychosis, early or prodromal symptoms, or an existing psychotic disorder who could be followed or contribute data to cohort studies.
Not a fit: People without a personal or family history of psychosis or with unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from these specific biomarker findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors detect psychosis risk earlier and match interventions to biological patterns that differ by sex.
How similar studies have performed: Previous brain imaging and genetic studies have shown group-level differences in psychosis, but deriving sex-specific, data-driven biotypes for early risk detection is a newer and still largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Georgia State University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Iraji, Armin — Georgia State University
- Study coordinator: Iraji, Armin
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.