ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 10 – medicine | Laboratory
2.7.2 Research activities
The research activities in the Division of Psychiatric Epidemiology are
focused on Psychiatric risk research: Risk factors for psychosis and their importance
for treatment and prevention. The purpose of the research program
is to investigate 1) what role selected early life factors (e.g. genetic influence,
perinatal trauma, congenital malformation, early infection, maternal
distress, etc) play in the etiology of different psychoses, 2) how such etiological
factors influence the premorbid and adult characteristics of psychosis
patients, 3) what factors provide protection against the development of
psychosis in high-risk individuals/conditions, and 4) whether augmental
anti−viral treatment of psychosis effectively improves mental health.
The studies have been conducted for the past 35 years including clinical,
prospective, retrospective, and register-based research of the evidence of
neuro-developmental deviation in psychosis and the multitude of genetic
and early and later environmental factors that influence this development.
The program uses ”triangulation”, with strategic overlapping of research
questions, hypotheses and methods over eight major research projects,
investigating genetic high-risk and normal risk cohorts, comprehensive
urban psychosis samples, representative patient samples, large register
based anonymous patient samples from four countries and patient
samples given a new directed etiologically based treatment. Extensive
international research collaboration and funding exists.
2.7.3 Researchers
The report in the main document of the evaluation material lists the 2
most successful researchers in the Division of Psychiatric Epidemiology:
Principal investigator, department Head Thomas McNeil and docent Elizabeth
Cantor-Graae, which are well-known international class experts
in their specialty areas (based on grants, invitations and awards). Thomas
McNeil received the David Ingvar Prize in Clinical Neurosciences from
the Swedish Läkarsällskapet 2005 and the adjunct clinical professorship
in Perth 2007, in recognition of his work.
2.7.4 Interactions with other research groups at Lund University
The Division of Psychiatric Epidemiology has active collaboration with
image analysis researchers at the Technical school at Lund University in
developing MRI analysis methods (brain and cranial analysis). Furthermore,
the Division interacts with clinical researchers in psychiatry at St.
Lars Hospital in Lund and at the University Hospital in Malmö.
285