Schizophrenia Research

Our innovative team is working to define new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of other serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. At our Sheppard Pratt Stanley Research program, our research focuses on add-on drugs and supplements that may reduce psychiatric symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life. We study supplements and compounds⎯such as fish oil, sulforaphane (which occurs naturally in broccoli sprouts), and probiotics⎯that have minimal side effects and may be helpful for psychiatric conditions.

Our ultimate goal? To make life better for people with serious mental illness.

Our Current Studies

• A trial of an add-on sulforaphane nutraceutical to reduce the symptoms of Schizophrenia. Sulforaphane is a molecule found naturally in broccoli and other cruciferous plants; it has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to have health benefits. We are conducting a trial to determine if it may be helpful for persons with schizophrenia who have ongoing symptoms.

• A study to determine the role of infectious agents and immune markers in individuals with psychiatric illness. Studies from our Sheppard Pratt Stanley Research program have been pre-eminent in the emerging study of immune and infectious disease factors in major mental illness. There is growing evidence that infectious agents and immune dysregulation may be involved in the development of psychiatric illnesses, most likely in combination with genetic factors. People who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder and who are between the ages of 18 and 65 may be eligible to participate in this study.

• A study of individuals who do not have any current or past psychiatric illness or treatment.  As a companion to our study with psychiatric participants noted above, we are studying persons who have no psychiatric history.