Photo above: Christmas lunch with some members of the team from the 42nd Annual Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference in 2025.
What is Psychosis?
Often described as a loss of connection with reality, psychosis is severe and debilitating spectrum of mental disorders, including schizophrenia, schizoaffetive disorder, schizophreniform disorder, and others. Many individuals with psychosis have trouble with learning, attention, and memory in addition to hallucinations, delusions, and/or paranoia. Individuals with schizophrenia have been documented as having a life span up to 25 years shorter than otherwise similar healthy individuals. Moreover, schizophrenia costs more than $65 billion a year in economic losses.
Psychosis Research
Research into psychosis helps clinical professionals to better understand the illness, and ultimately, to provide better treatment. In Dr. Prasad’s lab, research is focused on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, as well as genetic research.