The NSW Government has announced it will invest $4 million over four years to support three research projects aiming to better understand schizophrenia and improve the lives of those who live with it.
Minister for Mental Health, Bronnie Taylor said schizophrenia was a complex mental health condition which affects around 81,000 people across NSW.
“The NSW Government is committed to funding innovative projects that seek to find new and better ways to support people with schizophrenia and help them live healthier and more productive lives,” Mrs Taylor said.
“Schizophrenia is a condition that can be managed through therapies and other treatments, but it can take time to ensure it is right for the individual.”
Mrs Taylor said the NSW Government had awarded funding to experts from Neuroscience Research Australia and Newcastle University.
The first project will look at unlocking midbrain microglia as treatment targets for dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia. The second will research novel strategies to normalise dopamine dysregulation during inflammation, while the third will explore genetically-informed precision medicine for schizophrenia using human cerebral organoids.
This funding builds on the NSW Government’s $2.9 billion investment into mental health services as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
