Help support breakthroughs in schizophrenia research and transform lives.

“I know the personal, economic and family cost of having a loved one with a psychiatric or mental health condition. And I know how important new treatments, better treatments and personalised medicines are to improve the lives of millions of people across the world.” — Dr Adam Walker

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that often emerges in adolescence or young adulthood, and affects approximately 1 in 100 people in Australia and worldwide.

It is estimated that 30% of people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia are considered treatment-resistant and that antipsychotic medications are limited in effectiveness. This is partly because, in many cases, the side effects are so difficult to live with, that a lot of people discontinue their use and relapse.

Dr Adam Walker and his team are investigating the role of the immune system and inflammation in psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia and depression. They are also dedicated to identifying potential existing drugs that could be repurposed to prevent and treat these conditions.

“We are now at a point in time where, thanks to technology, we can measure things in the brain that we couldn't even see before,” said Dr Walker. “I believe that we are tackling this condition in a completely unique way, and that our greater understanding of the relationship between the immune system and the brain can be translated to really improve people’s quality of life.”

Another promising breakthrough in schizophrenia research here at NeuRA

Dr Walker recently made a breakthrough by identifying that a sub-group of people with schizophrenia who have elevated levels of inflammation could experience improved brain function and reduced symptoms when treated with branched-chain amino acids such as leucine.

With good evidence that leucine might help negative symptoms of schizophrenia that antipsychotics don't touch, and with minimal side effects, Dr Walker and his team are now in the process of testing if this approach can also improve psychosis and the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Your gift today will help our scientists find better, more effective treatments for schizophrenia that limit side effects and improve quality of life for people living with this condition.

Please support our research into understanding the underlying causes of schizophrenia with a generous gift today. With your help, we can find new treatments that not only improve symptoms but ultimately save lives.