Research - Unit of Schizophrenia
The Unit’s research activity is carried out through several institutions and scientific research networks.
The research is led by the August Pi Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and is carried out in the Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience area, and more specifically in the following group:
Research is also conducted through the following entities:
- Institute of Neurosciences (University of Barcelona)
- Generalitat Research Group (2017-SGR-17355). Clínic Schizophrenia Group (GEC)
- Biomedical Research Networking Centre for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), in Group G04 of the Schizophrenia Programme
The main lines of research at the Schizophrenia Unit of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona are as follows:
- High-risk population, early onset, first and second episodes of psychosis
- Molecular biology and translational research in schizophrenia
- Neuropsychopharmacology and neuromodulation techniques (ECT, DBS)
- Neuropsychology, assessment and psychological interventions
- Pharmacogenetics and schizophrenia
- Physical health and schizophrenia
The Basic and Translational Research Laboratory on Schizophrenia, is currently being developed in premises provided by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and in collaboration with the Pharmacology Unit. The laboratory has a specific collaboration agreement signed with the parties involved (UB, HCB, IDIBAPS, Schizophrenia Unit and Pharmacology Unit). In collaboration with the Sponsorship Area at the Hospital Clínic, a fundraising project has been launched to create the aforementioned laboratory, called the Puzzle Project against Schizophrenia, and a website has been created for it: https://dona.clinicbarcelona.org/esquizofrenia.
The aim of this laboratory is to prioritize neurobiological and translational therapeutic research through the use of human biological samples and experimental models (cellular and animal) of schizophrenia to study the origin and evolution of the disease and new therapeutic targets. In this regard, the Unit has incorporated an animal model of schizophrenia using postnatal ketamine to study therapeutic targets linked to the glutamate pathway.
