USC-Led Team Gets $19M for Mental Health Research

LOS ANGELES -- A multi-institution team led by researchers from USC received $19 million to study the genetic risks for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it was announced Wednesday.

The grant, provided by the National Institutes of Mental Health, will fund the team while it collects genetic information from tens of thousands of patients, searching for clues to the causes of the illnesses.

"Our focus is on both determining genetic risks for serious mental illnesses and in developing a new model of care for these diseases," said Dr. Carlos Pato, chair of USC's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

The team will also follow patients for long-term studies, which Pato called "critical" for the research.

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