Psychosis Research Group

One in fifty Irish adults lives with a major psychotic disorder. These are challenging and enigmatic brain conditions as they affect how a person perceives reality and interprets the world around them. The two commonest conditions, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, typically emerge in early adulthood and can have a long-term course characterized by episodic, or continuous illness, with significant functional impairment. Psychotic disorders are poorly understood, but are heritable and this was the starting point for our work. Since 1996 with the help of more than 3,000 Irish participants we have made significant progress in understanding the molecular/genetic basis of these conditions with the aim of developing better diagnostics and treatment.