Psychotic Disorders Research Program
Overview
The mission of this research area is to advance our understanding of the natural history, etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Faculty research in this area focuses predominantly on pathophysiological mechanisms, biomarker development, and experimental therapeutics. Faculty and staff work collaboratively in determining which studies to initiate, the interpretation of results, the publication strategy, and how resources are obtained and allocated. Included in this process are the support and utilization of the services of a clinical core, which provides infrastructural support and services for subject ascertainment, assessment, study coordination, and data management as well as other core facilities of the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), such as the imaging center, biostatistics, and EEG.
The scope of the area’s research complements the and integrates with research of other areas, specifically Neuroscience and Services, Policy and Law, and Mental Health Data Science. As necessary, our faculty collaborates with psychiatry faculty from different areas and expands the scope of its research to carry out translational and basic research studies in the pursuit of specific lines of investigation.
Goals
- To pursue research on the etiologies, pathophysiology, and treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders
- To develop new diagnostic methods and biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment development
- To align this research with public mental health needs and scientific opportunities
- To align this research with the education programs and clinical services of the department
- To translate this research into services that can be integrated into the NYS-OMH system of care
Current Research
Current sponsored research pertains to four main areas of investigation:
- Mechanisms of Disease: Research focusing on pathophysiology underlying pathogenesis, psychopathology, and therapeutic targets. A specific focus of this research is on clinical high-risk patients and early psychosis.
- Development of Biomarkers: Research developing procedures using electrophysiologic, MRI, and nuclear medicine technologies and applications to validate diagnoses, define diagnostic subgroups, and facilitate the development and use of treatments.
- Experimental Therapeutics: Research to identify biologic targets, novel therapeutic agents, and procedures and translational development through proof of concept.
- Translation of Research: When research findings are thought to be ready for prime-time, effect collaborations with Services, Policy, and Law to develop community-based studies of treatments and interventions, comparative effectiveness studies, and demonstration projects for novel treatments or services.
View our Research Studies
Brain Imaging Study of Belief Updating in Psychosis
Brain Imaging Study for Early Psychosis
Brain Imaging Study for People with Unusual Experiences
In Person/Virtual Research Study for People with Unusual Thoughts/Experiences
In Person/Virtual Research Study for Healthy Volunteers
A Study to Test if TV-46000 is Effective for Maintenance Treatment of Schizophrenia
CVN058 Effect on Mismatch Negativity in Schizophrenics
Brain Imaging Study and Brief Treatment - People with Hallucinations and Delusions
Brain Imaging Study for Healthy Volunteers (video-based assessments included)
Research Clinics
Center of Prevention and Evaluation (COPE)
The Center of Prevention and Evaluation (COPE) is an outpatient research program for teenagers and young adults (ages 14-30) experiencing changes in thoughts and feelings that have led to problems in relationships, school, or work. Our research focuses on the causes and course of these symptoms. Individualized treatment (medication management/consultation) may be provided depending on availability.
The Columbia Schizophrenia Research Center (CSRC)
The Columbia Schizophrenia Research Center (CSRC) is a fully functioning clinic which includes a staff of doctors and trained research scientists. Our clinical staff provides outpatient services, free of charge, to individuals participating in research studies conducted by NYSPI and Columbia faculty investigators. We specialize in schizophrenia (and schizoaffective disorder) research and conduct several research studies at any given time, all of which are designed to answer questions about the nature and causes of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and optimal treatment approaches. Occasionally our studies examine psychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia.
Research Labs
Grinband Lab
The Grinband Lab focuses on neurovascular coupling, decision-making, and models of treatment response in schizophrenia.
Horga Lab
Our lab mainly focuses on the neurobiological and computational mechanisms of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia and of related cognitive functions in health.
Iigaya Lab for Computational Psychiatry and Translational Neuroscience
We explore the computational principles underlying learning and decision-making behavior and inform our understanding of mental disorders through the study of variation in their neural realization.
Patel Laboratory
The Patel Laboratory is interested in the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and how they become disordered in neuropsychiatric disorders.